Providence and the Affective Benefits of Natural Causality

Stories of science as an engine secularization generally assume that scientific ideas and traditional religion are incompatible with each other, such the advance former necessarily means retreat latter. In certain versions these stories, fear heightens tension in plot by accounting for why exists first place. This article looks at a range early modern English thinkers, including Walter Charleton, John Spencer, Joseph Glanvill, whom application key feature its historical precursors—the explanation phenomena through natural causality—is contrast helpful, because it allows them to battle improper fears within Christianity. Their goal pursuing naturalistic explanations is not elimination altogether but rather misplaced generated misunderstanding how God works world. promotion some views God’s activity nature over others consequence what they perceive be affective implications different doctrine providence. Even though authors may have imagined expansion causality’s explanatory scope lead secularization, their inadvertently helped prepare ground least one later instance it: itself.