1. This journal will provide a new platform for constructive and critical interactions between the natural sciences in all their varieties (from physics and biology to psychology, anthropology and social science) and the fields of contemporary philosophy and theology.
The editors are well aware that such an enterprise takes place in an academic context shaped by a long history of antecedents as well as by present-day conflicts of interpretation. Theology and the natural sciences have hardly ever existed in complete separation from each other. The history of their relation is characterized by deep tensions, but also by mutual inspiration and cross-fertilization. The natural sciences have shaped the world view of secular societies and have contributed to what the German sociologist Max Weber has called the "disenchantment of the World" (Entzauberung der Welt). By this he means the fundamental conviction that the world of nature is free of mysterious forces and that everything in our world can – in principle – be mastered by means of empirical studies, mathematical calculation, and laws of nature. Still, religious convictions persist and provide a vital force in the life of many, challenging the secularization thesis that supposed religious conviction would disappear in modern societies. Since both science and religion have a deep and continuing influence on modern societies, critical reflection on their mutual relationship, their differences and common interests, is a crucial prerequisite for understanding both of them, as well as the central cultural developments of our day.
At the beginning of the 21st century we are also witnessing ongoing specialization and differentiation within the natural sciences. New disciplines are being established which transcend the traditional distinction between the sciences and the humanities. Individuals working in such fields as evolutionary theory, sociobiology, neurology, and cognitive science claim to be able to handle core topics in the human and social sciences such as consciousness, the emotions, and societal formation and to interpret them according to the methodology of the empirical sciences.
Theology as a self-reflective form of religious thought must explicate religious notions in a world that is deeply influenced by scientific world views. It reflects upon religious convictions against the background of the scientific understanding of truth. Theology acts to its own detriment when it ignores the significance of the empirical sciences.
Both science and theology need philosophy to perform the bridging function, lest their "dialogue" deteriorate into mere equivocation, as too frequently happens in practice. In addition, the fields of philosophy of science and philosophy of religion often present new challenges to the self-understanding of science as well as to views taken for granted within theology. Hence the three indispensable foci reflected in the title of this journal.
2. Future issues of this journal will identify relevant areas of common research and reflection. We do not presuppose any particular answer or scenario, either of consonance or of conflict, between science, philosophy and theology. What we are indeed convinced of, however, is the indispensability of ongoing dialogue. As they seek to defend their methods and conclusions, scientists, philosophers and theologians are obliged to engage in rational discourse and the quest for the best possible arguments. All three disciplines share the common interest to make sense of reality from within our finite, human perspective. "We all must start in the middle," whether one starts in the laboratory, rational intuitions and phenomenology, or categories of revelation and religious experience.
We are convinced that the dialogue between the sciences, philosophy, and theology does not take place in a static, timeless realm of absolute truth. Instead, it involves a common striving towards shared meaning and understanding. Truth or truths become relevant as they connect with particular questions, particular practices, and particular interests, including, for example, the technological developments of scientific ideas and the liturgical and practical expressions of religious belief. Symbolic systems in science, just as in philosophy and theology, do not have only referential but also explanatory and interpretative functions. Signs always mean something to someone in a certain context. Thus to reflect philosophically on the cultural and historical conditions of both science and theology is a necessary component in understanding the semantics of both science and religion.
3. The main task of this journal is therefore to provide a common platform for dialogue according to rigorous academic standards, yet one that remains open and attentive to the full range of types of scientific and theological discourse. The Journal Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences (PTSc) will provide a forum for asking and analyzing meta-scientific questions (sometimes referred to as "the big questions"), that arise at the intersection of these three disciplines, questions for which there is often no space in the everyday work of scholarly research. Articles will bring together real science and real theology, not lazy stereotypes or straw-man constructs that are invented merely to be knocked down by simplistic arguments. Authors will avail themselves of the best available philosophy to stimulate and in order to mediate the dialogue and to offer critical perspectives on scientific and theological contributions.
We therefore invite all scholars, religious or non-religious, to participate in the endeavor. This forum invites intellectual exploration and risk-taking, controlled by academic rigor and the force of the better argument. It provides the rare opportunity to get to know the truth-claims, the meaning and methods, of a range of different disciplines that inquire into common questions. It encourages analyzing the relevant phenomena not from afar but from the inside out.
Although this journal is Europe-based, it is not meant to be a Europe-biased forum. Four editors and a board of experts from different countries, disciplines, and backgrounds are responsible for preserving its range of subjects, its range of scientific and cultural diversity, and the quality of its articles.
Each volume will consist of two issues a year, each of approx. 130 pages in length. It will include an editorial, three to five main articles, and book reviews. All articles and contributions that exceed 8 pages in length will be double-blind peer-reviewed. All articles and contributions will be in English.
During the first two years every issue will be devoted to a specific theme and will be compiled by one of the four editors. Articles for these opening issues will be specially commissioned. The topics for the Journal’s first four issues will be "Naturalism" (Niels Henrik Gregersen), "Human Nature and Evolution" (Celia Deane-Drummond), "Neuroscience and Morality" (Gregory Peterson), "Contingency" (Dirk Evers).
Celia Deane-Drummond
Dirk Evers
Niels Henrik Gregersen
Gregory Peterson
