Realism and Christian Faith: God, Grammar, and Meaning

The question of realism - that is, whether God exists independently of human beings - is central to much contemporary theology and church life. It is also an important topic in the philosophy of religion. This book discusses the relationship between realism and Christian faith in a thorough and systematic way and uses the resources of both philosophy and theology to argue for a Christocentric narrative realism. Many previous defences of realism have attempted to model Christian belief on scientific theory but Moore argues that this comparison is misleading and inadequate on both theological and philosophical grounds. In dialogue with speech act theory and critiques of realism by both non-realists and Wittgensteinians, a new account of the meaningfulness of Christian language is proposed. Moore uses this to develop a regulative conception of realism according to which God’s independent reality is shown principally in Christ and then through Christian practices and the lives of Christians.

• A major new investigation of the notion of realism in theology • A book which bridges philosophy and theology, of interest in both disciplines • A persuasive new justification of theological realism in Christianity

Preface; 1. Realism and Christian faith: towards an ontological approach; 2. ‘Limping with two different opinions’?; 3. Taking leave of theological realism; 4. Realism and Christian faith after Wittgenstein; 5. The grammar of Christian faith and the relationship between philosophy and theology; 6. Representation, reconciliation, and the problem of meaning; 7. God, reality, and realism; 8. Speaking the reality of God; 9. Realism: conformed to the conforming Word; Bibliography; Index.

‘Moore’s powerful and wide-ranging argument … is careful, incisive and interacts widely with other writers … I found helpful elucidations of positions I had only groped towards at every turn … this is the work of an uncommonly talented philosophical theologian.’

– Steve Holmes, Regent’s Reviews

‘… extremely engaging and stimulating … an important book …We in the Sea of Faith ought to get to grips with this book … in a curious way I found myself feeling a good deal closer to Moore than I do to many of my friends in Sea of Faith.’

– Stephen Mitchell, Sea of Faith