James W Stark wrote:
>
> Perhaps scientists need to accept humans as valid measuring instruments.
> What criteria could we use to validate that measurement?
The late Dr. Austin Farrer, a philosophical theologian from Oxford,
developed what his chief disciple Charles Conti called a "personalist
metaphysic." In his book _Metaphysical Personalism: An Analysis of
Austin Farrer's Theistic Metaphysics_ (Oxford, 1995), Conti refers to
Farrer as "…taking the believer's _experience_ of divine causality as
the assumptive 'base' for thinking theistically and the paradigm of
personal identity…" (pp. 19-20).
To unpack that a bit, Farrer started his reasoning from the believer's
experience of contingency, or being nurtured by God, and proceeded back
to the existence of the Nurturer. He saw the incarnate Christ in the
role of paradigm human being, validating humanity and personal identity,
giving meaning to the natural universe, and making God intelligible.
Thus humans are very valid measuring instruments, but not on their own
merits. If I might paraphrase Paul's directive in I Cor. 11:1, "Be
measured by me, just as I am measured by Christ."
I wrote my master's thesis on Farrer in the late 1970s. He also dealt
with science, calling himself "a sort of Leibnitian Einsteinist," and
suggesting among many other things that God operates in the universe as
the mind operates in the brain and the hand operates in the glove. His
thoughts have inspired a number of my original songs. I'd love to
discuss his work offline with anyone who might be interested.
Dan Eumurian
La Crosse, WI
hope4you@CenturyTel.net
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