Arguing that there are ways to move beyond the limitations of methodological atheism without compromising scientific objectivity, the essays gathered in The Science and Theology of Godly Love explore the potential for collaboration between social science and theology. They do so within the context of the interdisciplinary study of Godly Love, which examines the perceived experience of loving God, being loved by God, and thereby being motivated to engage in selfless service to others. This volume serves as an introduction to and a call for further research in this new field of study, offering ten methodological perspectives on the study of Godly Love written by leading social scientists and theologians.
Drawing on the work of Douglas Porpora and others, the contributors contend that agnosticism is the appropriate methodological stance when religious experience is under the microscope. Godly Love does not force a theistic explanation on data, instead these essays show that it sensitizes researchers so that they can take seriously the faith and beliefs of those they study without the assumption that these theologies represent an incontestable truth.
表中的内容
Introduction Matthew T. Lee, Margaret M. Poloma, and Stephen G. Post Part I—Theology and Godly Love 1. Godly Love: Why We Cannot Endure without It Stephen G. Post 2. Agape, Self-Sacrifice, and Mutuality: An Exploration into the Thought of Jonathan Edwards and the Theme of Godly Love Michael J. Mc Clymond 3. Imago Dei and Kenosis: Contributions of Christology to the Study of Godly Love Peter Althouse 4. Violence and Nonviolence in Conceptualizations of Godly Love Paul Alexander 5. Testing Creaturely Love and God’s Causal Role Thomas Jay Oord Part II—Social Science and Godly Love 6. Methodological Agnosticism for the Social Sciences? Lessons from Sorokin’s and James’s Allusions to Psychoanalysis, Mysticism, and Godly Love Ralph W. Hood Jr. 7. Godly Love from the Perspective of Psychology Julie J. Exline 8. Sociology, Philosophy, and the Empirical Study of Godly Love Margaret M. Poloma 9. Socialization, Empirical Studies, and Godly Love: A Case Study in Survey Research Mark J. Cartledge 10. Toward a Grounded Theory of Godly Love: Latino/a Pentecostals Arlene S/u00e1nchez Walsh Conclusion Amos Yong Contributors Index
关于作者
Matthew T. Lee is associate professor of sociology at the University of Akron and coauthor of A Sociological Study of the Great Commandment in Pentecostalism.Amos Yong is the J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology at Regent University and the author of Who Is the Holy Spirit?