Unravelling some of the theological problems underlying discourse on nature

Ernst M Conradie

doi:10.4102/hts.v76i1.6068

Abstract

This article offers an overview of various theological discourses on the concept of nature. These are illustrated with examples of contributions to reformed theology from within the South African context. It is argued that there is ample room for confusion to reign in the connotations attached to ‘nature’ and the underlying theological problems that emerge. Often such connotations are merely adopted from other disciplines. To juxtapose such discourses would not by itself help to overcome such confusion but is a necessary step in that direction. Contribution: This article analyses the conflicting uses of the term ‘nature’ especially in reformed theological discourse in the South African context. It circumscribes the distinctive theological problems that emerge in each case without seeking to resolve them.

Highlights

The noun ‘nature’ and the adjective ‘natural’ are notoriously slippery concepts
Nature could refer to the physical world of landscapes, plants and animals (‘pristine nature’), the determining principle underlying everything, various types of things or the essential qualities by which something is recognised – and many more
To restrict the scope of this contribution I will illustrate these cases with examples from reformed theology in the South African context and refer to wider literature only where necessary

Summary

Introduction

The noun ‘nature’ and the adjective ‘natural’ are notoriously slippery concepts. In common usage, nature could refer to the physical world of landscapes, plants and animals (‘pristine nature’), the determining principle underlying everything (the ‘laws of nature’), various types of things (things of a ‘private nature’) or the essential qualities by which something is recognised (the ‘nature of love’) – and many more. To restrict the scope of this contribution I will illustrate these cases with examples from reformed theology in the South African context and refer to wider literature (mostly from the field of ecotheology) only where necessary.

Results

Conclusion