God-consciousness in terms of a "new natural theology"

Abstract

Can a “new natural theology”, based on the approach of “experiential realism”, accommodate a personal concept of God? Assuming that human knowledge is located in synaptic networks of the brain, the question is how it got there. According to developmental psychology, the experience of 'mother' during infancy as an ever available caregiver lies at the root of God-consciousness. The article questions the adequacy of this theory in three ways. First, God stands for the 'source and destiny' of the “whole” of reality. This is catered for by the prenatal experience of the womb, rather than the experience of “mother”. Second, the theory omits the infant experience of the “father”, which is critical for God-consciousness in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim tradition. Third, the image of the ever available “caregiver” is seriously deficient in terms of the biblical faith. This shows that the formal synaptic structure is filled with content at a higher level of emergence through the communication of a religious tradition.