Zonder God geen leven. De Knijff en de spanning van wetenschap en geloof

Samenvatting

In his book Tegenwoordigheid van geest als Europese uitdaging (‘Presence of mind as a European challenge’), H.W. de Knijff demonstrates the negative effects of physicalism and advocates for an alternative he defines as ‘medial’ epistemology. This article raises some theological questions about De Knijff’s concept of science and theology. First, is De Knijff’s argument not intrinsically reactionary? Secondly, is the experience of a fragmented reality not an experience that itself belongs to the Christian faith and is not merely an oppositional element? Thirdly, what is the theological basis of De Knijff’s confidence in the human mind? Finally, the essay proposes an alternative concept of theology: theology can deal with the fragmented nature of our knowledge in a more positive way than De Knijff suggests.