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Shared intentionality and divine persons : explorations in empirical psychology and ramified natural theology
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dc.contributor.author | Bray, Dennis | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2023-09-15T09:30:03Z | |
dc.date.available | 2023-09-15T09:30:03Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2023-09-15 | |
dc.identifier | 291470053 | |
dc.identifier | 6ad264f9-0c58-4c44-8d9d-96989e66721d | |
dc.identifier | 85171766959 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Bray , D 2023 , ' Shared intentionality and divine persons : explorations in empirical psychology and ramified natural theology ' , Religious Studies , vol. FirstView . https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412523000781 | en |
dc.identifier.issn | 0034-4125 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10023/28387 | |
dc.description | Funding: This article is the result of a John Templeton Foundation fellowship for cross-training in the empirical sciences, awarded by the Society of Christian Philosophers. | en |
dc.description.abstract | This article explores the intersection of two developing fields of study: the psychological field of shared intentionality and the philosophy of religion field of ramified natural theology. In shared intentionality, agents share mental states and cooperate to achieve a common goal. Many psychologists in this field believe that of all the primates, only humans share intentionality – humans alone form a ‘we’. Ramified natural theology is the project of presenting philosophical evidences for core doctrines of the Christian faith. In this article I investigate some applications of shared intentionality for Christian natural theology. In the Anselmian tradition I offer two deductive arguments that deploy shared intentionality to argue that there are multiple divine persons. I then suggest that analogical arguments – often overlooked by philosophers of religion – provide a better fit for psychological findings, such as shared intentionality. After sketching some fundamental features of analogical arguments, I advance two arguments by analogy for the conclusion that God, like humans, shares intentionality. These arguments show that the psychology of shared intentionality, and empirical psychology more generally, is a promising source for theological reflection. | |
dc.format.extent | 17 | |
dc.format.extent | 306817 | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.relation.ispartof | Religious Studies | en |
dc.subject | Science-engaged theology | en |
dc.subject | Empirical psychology | en |
dc.subject | Shared intentionality | en |
dc.subject | Divine persons | en |
dc.subject | Ramified natural theology | en |
dc.subject | BL Religion | en |
dc.subject | T-NDAS | en |
dc.subject.lcc | BL | en |
dc.title | Shared intentionality and divine persons : explorations in empirical psychology and ramified natural theology | en |
dc.type | Journal article | en |
dc.contributor.institution | University of St Andrews. School of Divinity | en |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.1017/S0034412523000781 | |
dc.description.status | Peer reviewed | en |
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