A Scientific Theology - Rationale

Rationale

Commenting that "riting on method is a bit like clearing your throat before beginning a lecture. You can only go on so long before the audience starts to get a little restless." McGrath makes clear that the methodological concerns of A Scientific Theology constitute an extensive preliminary to the development of a systematic theology constructed according to the trilogy's methodological grounds.

A Scientific Theology is intended by McGrath to be ecumenical in approach and valuable to Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant and evangelical readers.

Due to both McGrath's creedal commitments, A Scientific Theology is "a systematic work of theology".

Due precisely to the scope of the work, McGrath felt led to prepare a short volume The Science of God which "is designed to introduce the distincive themes and emphasis of this scientific theology to a wider readership"

In intent, the trilogy is a very ambitious project which seeks to lay a methodological groundwork for further theological reflection. In execution, McGrath himself acknowledges that it falls somewhat short of its goal. Writing in the conclusion to the third volume he explains;

The process of unfolding what seemed like a bright idea back in 1976 has proved to be far more difficult than I had imagined, and its execution less satisfactory than I had hoped. Initially, it seemed to me that the vast spaciousness offered by these three volumes would be more than adequate to deal with the issues I knew had to be addressed in articulating a coherent and plausible vision of 'a scientific theology'. ... What I had hoped might be extensive discussions of central methodolgical questions have ended up being rather shallow; what I had hoped to be close readings of seminal texts seem to have turned out to be little more than superficial engagements...I have certainly not achieved real closure on the issues which it aimed to address.