Review of 'The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities', by Alister McGrath and 'Against Methodology in Science and Religion: Recent Debates on Rationality and Theology' by Joshua Reeves

Whilst on surface these volumes appear to be approaching science and religion from differing perspectives - not least because Reeves critiques McGrath (although not Territories); there is an interesting interrelation between the two. Both open by introducing science-religion in relation to the logical positivist agenda and the subsequent drive to distinguish science and non-science, showing how non-scientific disciplines ‘meet the standards of scientific knowledge, […] in order to gain respect and support’ (Reeves, 20019, p1). This is particularly true for theology ‘for to admit otherwise would be to acknowledge that theology lacks intellectual content and does not deserve a place in modern intellectual life’ (Reeves, 20019, p.1).

The authors take different approaches to challenging the assumed positivist narrative, McGrath to establish ‘rationality as both theory and practice[…]and to avoid simplistic reductions to allegedly “essential” or “universal” characterizations of either “science” or “religion”’ (McGrath, 2019, pp.14-15). Whereas Reeves challenges the notion of “scientific truth” for framing the science-religion interaction focusing on realism, rationality and method as essential features of a “unified “scientific approach”.