Introducing Analytic Theology

Phil Weston introduces a new movement in theology and his new book, which discusses what it can offer to the field.

The term ‘Analytic Theology’ is a new one, having entered the theological vocabulary in 2009, when Oxford University Press published a volume entitled Analytic Theology: New Essays in the Philosophy of Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea. Since 2009 Analytic Theology has grown, having established itself as a flourishing research programme that includes academic journals, monograph series, a dedicated annual conference, research centres on several continents, and a growing and diverse body of work produced by scholars drawn from philosophy, theology and biblical studies. My new book seeks to offer a concise introduction and orientation to this new approach to theology for undergraduates, ordinands and the interested lay reader.

So, what exactly is Analytic Theology? No universally accepted definition exists, but at its heart, Analytic Theology is the application of the aims and methods of analytic philosophy to theological questions. Broadly speaking, it is an approach to philosophy characterized by a commitment to conceptual precision, logical rigour and transparency of argument. The initial application of such methods to theology commenced in the middle of the twentieth century, when Anglo-American philosophers such as Basil Mitchell (in the UK) and Alvin Plantinga (in the US) began to apply the tools of analytic philosophy to foundational questions in theism. These questions included the existence of God, the logical coherence of the traditional divine attributes, and the problem of evil. From the early 1980s onwards the research output of Christian analytic philosophers focused on distinctive doctrines of their faith, notably the Trinity, the Incarnation and the Atonement.

Since 2009, and the identification of Analytic Theology as a distinct discipline, there has been a marked increase in the breadth of topics analysed. Recent compendia of Analytic Theology have included chapters on subjects as diverse as anthropology, ethics, the Eucharist, prayer and spirituality. Of particular note is the ecclesiastical and liturgical ‘turn’ seen among analytic theologians over the past decade. For example, Nicholas Wolterstorff and Terence Cuneo have both examined the nature and function of liturgy, while Joshua Cockayne has produced a work entitled Explorations in Analytic Ecclesiology (2022). James Arcadi and Steven Nemes have each published analytic treatments of the Eucharist in the past few years, while Analyzing Prayer (2022), edited by Oliver Crisp, James Arcadi and Jordan Wessling looks at aspects of Christian spirituality from an analytic theological perspective. Another way in which the scope of Analytic Theology has diversified over recent years is the emergence of contextual analytic theologies. Voices from the Edge: Centring Marginalized Perspectives in Analytic Theology (2020), edited by Michelle Panchuk and Michael Rea was a groundbreaking work that for the first time explicitly sought to examine from an analytic theological perspective how experiences of race, gender, disability, and sexuality shape perceptions of God and his activity in the world.

Analytic Theology is not without its critics, however. For instance, some have alleged that analytic theologians attach insufficient importance to the traditional norms of theology, including Scripture and the creeds, while others have argued that analytic theologians pay too little attention to the historical development of doctrine. Still others suggest that Analytic Theology suffers from an overconfidence in the capacity of human reasoning to comprehend the divine which leads, at best, to a reluctance to embrace mystery or, at worst, an idolatrous conception of God.

While there is some initial plausibility to each of these concerns (and individual cases of bad practice can, of course, always be cited), advocates of Analytic Theology have argued that these are not inherent or unavoidable features of the discipline as a whole. On the contrary, Analytic Theology at its best recognizes and respects the parameters for orthodox Christian theology established by Scripture and the ecumenical creeds. Analytic Theology is not, and ought not to be, a hyper-rationalist ‘ivory tower’ exercise, detached from the traditions of the Church, from the insights from other disciplines, or from the life and worship of ordinary Christians. There is also an admirable humility seen in the writing of many analytic theologians, a recognition that their work can only hope to offer a partial, piecemeal account of divine realities.

Finally, I argue in my book that analytic theologians’ work may have a particularly valuable application to Christian apologetics - the task of explaining, defending and commending our faith. Analytic theologians’ work of conceptual clarification, logical analysis and careful evaluation of empirical evidence can help to strengthen the Church’s apologetic witness in the academy and to the wider world. If contemporary apologists know where to look, analytic theology can furnish them with innovative, intellectually rigorous material with which to demonstrate the coherence and plausibility of core Christian beliefs. Analytic Theology therefore deserves recognition as a valuable resource for Christian apologetics, just as it merits it place among the respected schools of Christian theology. If my book helps to support either contention, or even merely arouses further interest in this young discipline, then its purpose will have been well served.

Introducing Analytical Theology is published this month and can be ordered here (with 20% off all pre-orders in March 2025).

Revd Dr Phil Weston is a Postgraduate Tutor at Emmanuel Theological College, where he also teaches doctrine, apologetics and philosophical theology.