Beyond Theory? A Response to Alister McGrath

By characterizing Christian doctrine as theory, Alister McGrath both emphasizes similarities to the natural sciences and claims that theōria in the classical sense means seeing, not in a strictly intellectualist way. The present article argues that McGrath's understanding has positivist undertones and can be enriched by a stronger hermeneutical awareness of contextuality and positionality and by giving the interpretation of biblical texts and experience a larger role than McGrath does. The idea of mapping a complex territory, which McGrath borrows from Mary Midgley, offers viable perspectives, particularly when combined with a stronger emphasis on embodiment than McGrath offers.