Beyond Theory? A Response to Alister <scp>McGrath</scp>

Abstract By characterizing Christian doctrine as theory, Alister McGrath both emphasizes similarities to the natural sciences and claims that theōria in the classical sense means seeing, not in a strictly intellectualist way. The present article argues that McGrath's understanding has positivist undertones and can be enriched by a stronger hermeneutical awareness of contextuality and positionality and by giving the interpretation of biblical texts and experience a larger role than McGrath does. The idea of mapping a complex territory, which McGrath borrows from Mary Midgley, offers viable perspectives, particularly when combined with a stronger emphasis on embodiment than McGrath offers.