Markus Mühling ist Professor für Systematische Theologie an der Kirchlichen Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel.

Cover 1
Title Page 4
Copyright 5
Table of Contents 8
Body 12
Preface 12
1. The Dialogue between Theology and the Natural Sciences 14
1.1 Certainties in the Natural Sciences and Theology 14
1.2 Natural Sciences and Theology 18
1.3 Two Regulative Principles: Etsi deus non daretur—etsi mundus non daretur 20
1.4 The Core and the Periphery 22
1.5 Entheorizing and Extheorizing 25
1.6 Interdisciplinary Dialogue as Inter-Faith Dialogue 26
1.7 Public Concern 27
1.8 Metaphors, Models and Myths 30
1.8.1 Metaphors 30
1.8.2 Models 33
1.8.3 Myths 34
1.8.4 Theological Models 35
2. Experience and Perception—Epistemology in the Neurosciences 37
2.1 Neuroconstructivist-Representational Dualism in the Neurosciences 37
2.1.1 Representationalism 37
2.1.2 Modularity and Modularism 39
2.1.3 Neuroconstructivism 41
2.1.4 Mythical, Idealistic Dualism 43
2.1.5 Phenomenal Naivety 45
2.1.6 Causal Atomism and the Externality of Relations 47
2.1.7 Individualist Intellectualism, Theory of Mind and the Social Brain Hypothesis 49
2.1.8 Reductionist Naturalism 52
2.2 Problems of Neuroconstructivist-Representational Dualism 53
2.2.1 Abandoning Representationalism 53
2.2.1.1 Ecological Subjectivity 53
2.2.1.2 Externalism of Meaning 55
2.2.1.3 Active Externalism 56
2.2.1.4 Conceptual Experience 56
2.2.2 Abandoning Modularism 60
2.2.3 Abandoning Neuroconstructivism 62
2.2.4 Abandoning Idealistic Dualism 62
2.2.5 Abandoning Phenomal Naivety—Introducing Phenomenology 64
2.2.6 Abandoning Causal Atomism and the Externality of Relations 64
2.2.7 Abandoning Individualist Intellectualism, Theory of Mind and the Social Brain Hypothesis 66
2.2.8 Abandoning Dogmatic Reductionist Naturalism 71
2.3 The Ecological Brain 72
2.3.1 The Leib as Subject 72
2.3.2 Ecological Subjectivity 74
2.3.3 Efficient Causality, Formative Causality and their Unity in Circular Causality 76
2.3.4 Dynamic Capabilities, Open Loops and Formative History 78
2.3.5 The Brain in the Framework of Vertical Circular Functional Circuits 79
2.3.6 The Brain in the Framework of Horizontal Circular Functional Circuits and the Ecological Understanding of Perception and Consciousness 80
2.3.7 The Basic Self and the Personal Self 83
2.3.8 Implicit Theology in Fuchs’ Theory 84
3. Experiencing Divine Self-Presentation—Epistemology in Theology 87
3.1 Sola experientia? 87
3.2 A Basic Question of Theological Epistemology 92
3.2.1 Revelation and Reason? 92
3.2.2 Cognitive Sciences of Religion and Neurotheology 93
3.2.3 The Possibility of Faith 98
3.3 Revelation and Experience—The Initial Model 98
3.4 Problems with the Initial Model in Light of the Neurosciences 106
3.5 Perceiving Intendedness? 110
3.6 Describing Faith 113
3.6.1 Faith and Semantic Externalism 113
3.6.2 Faith and Active Externalism 114
3.6.3 Faith and Ecological Subjectivity 115
3.6.4 Faith as Conceptual Experience 116
3.6.5 Faith and the Basic Self 118
3.6.6 Faith and the Personal Self 120
3.7 Re-formulating the Initial Model of Revelation and Experience. 122
3.7.1 The Structure of Narrative Identity 122
3.7.2 Religious Experiences, Disclosure Experiences and Revelation 129
3.8. Three Resonating Stories and Two Sets of Actors 131
3.9 The Self-Presentation of the Triune God 132
4. Evolution as Niche Construction 138
4.1 Introduction 138
4.2 Some Features of Neo-Darwinism 139
4.3 Character Traits of Neo-Darwinism 141
4.4 Problems of Neo-Darwinism 143
4.5 Niche Construction as an Extended Evolutionary Theory 145
4.5.1 The Basic Idea of Niche Construction 145
4.5.2 Definitions, Categories and Principles of Niche Construction 146
4.5.3 Models of Population Growth 150
4.5.4 The Development of Homo and Paranthropus 152
4.5.5 Neo-Darwinism as an Abstract Form of an Extended Theory 153
4.6 Character Traits of Niche Construction 154
4.6.1 Abandoning Hidden Representationalism 155
4.6.2 Abandoning Hidden Dualism 155
4.6.3 Abandoning Localized Information 155
4.6.4 Internal Relationality 156
4.6.5 Adding Formal Causality 156
4.6.6 Genes as Providers of Open Loops 157
4.6.7 Resonances Instead of Adaptions 158
4.6.8 Semantics in Evolution? 159
4.6.9 What about Phenomenology? 160
4.6.10 Is there any teleology in evolution and why are people talking about it all the time? 161
4.7 Implicit Theology in Niche Construction? 163
5. The Triune Life, Niche Construction and Niche Reception 166
5.1 A Proposal for a Doctrine of God 167
5.1.1 A Storied God 167
5.1.2 ‘Love Story God’ 171
5.1.3 The Attributes of the Relational Essence of God 176
5.2 A Proposal for a Doctrine of God’s Relation to the World 178
5.2.1 Creation and Perfection 178
5.2.2 Humans among other Created Animals 181
5.2.3 Incarnation and the First Part of Reconciliation 190
5.2.4 Concarnation and the Second Part of Reconciliation 194
5.2.5 Attributes of God’s Relation to the World 196
5.3 Theological Expectations of Biology 198
5.4 Faith as Niche Constructor—The Ecclesiological Meaning of Niche Construction 206
5.5 Creation and Perfection as Niche Construction and Niche Reception 210
5.5.1 Illingworth, Teilhard de Chardin and Theißen as Providers of Evolutionary Theological Models 210
5.5.2 Contemporary and Ultimate Reality as Niche Construction 216
6. Concluding Theses 223
6.1 Epistemology in the Neurosciences and Theology 223
6.2 Phenomenological Neurobiology and Niche Construction 224
6.3 On Causality 224
6.4 Narrative Relational Theology, Niche Construction and Niche Reception 225
6.5 The Benefits of the Inter- and Transdisciplinary Trialogue 226
Abbreviations 228
Literature 229
Index of Authors 241
Index of Subjects 245