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natural theology


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A philosophy which tries to link the study of natural phenomena with the notion of divine providence, stressing that harmony and order in nature are evidence of God's design. It became important in 18th-century England, being associated with the work of John Ray, William Paley, and many others. The 19th-century Bridgewater Treatises were the last major exposition of natural theology. See buckland.

Subjects: Religion


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