A Trinitarian Theology of Nature

In its attempt to ascertain the mechanisms of nature, contemporary science seems to be generating unanswerable questions. One way forward might be by appealing to a theistic metaphysics of the fundamental workings in natural science. Moving beyond Barth’s objection to natural theology, this work arrives at some of Emil Brunner’s exegetical insights indicating that nature is divine communication. This communication and revelation is understood through natural types, or onto-types, building upon the insights of Jonathan Edwards. Edwards proposed messages in nature as a language of God intending to convey spiritual, biblical, and theological messages to the creature as part of God’s end in creating. Edwards’s insights are brought forth to determine the usefulness of his typological method all the way down to cellular and molecular mechanisms. Edwards also proposed that God’s acting in nature reflects the Trinitarian God of the Christian faith. Therefore, a Trinitarian theology of Nature composing a Theo-logy of Nature, a Christology of Nature, and a Pneumatology of Nature explores how each divine person of the Godhead acts in perichoretic unity in the world we encounter. God’s Trinitarian powerful and magnificent glory is not merely displayed by what has been made, but is also intimately shared in a gospel of nature.

Lisanne Winslow is Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Northwestern, St Paul. She holds doctorates in both biology and theology, so she also teaches courses in the Department of Biblical and Theological Studies at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. Winslow has authored or coauthored numerous articles in scientific journals. She is also an ordained minister in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.