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Natural theology explores the nature of God independently of religious doctrine by observing the world and its inhabitants. It seeks to understand the evidence for God’s existence, meaning, identity, and interaction with the world. It questions whether God is one or many and examines the world in relation to God. This field of study is not limited to monotheistic views and is explored in theology classes and philosophy courses. Common attributes explored include whether God has a body, is benevolent or cruel, and whether God was created or has always been present.
Natural theology is essentially a field of study that examines
the nature of God by examining the nature of God independently of
ways in which God has been defined by others. Information in natural theology comes from observing the world and its inhabitants for evidence that supports or denies attributes often assumed to be held by gods. Common questions asked in natural theology seek to determine whether there is a God and what God is. Essentially, it is an exploration of God using what is observable. Famous philosophers who have worked in this field are many, but they include Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle and David Hume.
This type of study is designed not to prove or disprove the dogma of any faith, but to seek answers about God in a different way. The answers to the questions posed in natural theology are not sought from the doctrine of any faith, but from human reason outside the doctrine. Conducting a study of this type of theology inherently involves abandoning dogmatic beliefs in an attempt to explore God based on experience. Natural theology students seek to understand the evidence that God does or does not exist, to define God’s meaning and identity, and to determine how God interacts with the world. Natural theologians look for signs of God in nature, in history and in personal and collective feelings of spirituality and faith.
In natural theology, the exploration of God is not limited to a monotheistic God; he also questions whether God is one or many. Each religion, and sometimes each different group within a religion, has its own set of views on the nature and attributes of God. This field of study also examines the world in relation to God, including how the world was born, the nature of matter and the way God interacts with the world.
A person who wishes to explore this field can learn it on their own, in theology classes, or with some churches or spiritual organizations. Most core undergraduate philosophy courses study some degree of natural theology as part of the classroom, as the question of the existence and nature of God is common in philosophy. Common attributes of God that are explored by natural theology include questions about whether God has a body, and if so, what kind. Natural theologians ask whether God is benevolent, cruel, or indifferent, and whether God is mighty or powerless. Natural theologians also look for evidence that tells them whether God was created or has always been present, and whether God is finite or infinite.
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