Christianity and Naturalism

This article critically engages with Peter Harrison's Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age, which challenges the dominant narrative that scientific naturalism marks the inevitable triumph of reason over superstition. While I find Harrison's historical account of naturalism and supernaturalism compelling, I believe his analysis leaves out significant theological debates within the Christian tradition regarding the validity of the concept of general providence. With that piece added to the historical picture, it changes one's assessment of Thomas Huxley. Rather than inventing a new narrative about the incompatibility of Christianity with naturalism, Huxley is taking one side in a longstanding debate within the Christian tradition.