Teologia naturale e filosofia della religione: l'opportunità di un nuovo rapporto

In this essay, I argue that, after modernity, the time has come to reconnect the philosophy of religion with natural theology. After recalling the characteristics of the rebirth of natural theology in contemporary analytical philosophy of religion, and by contrast, its absence in continental philosophy, I consider the advantages of the renewed relationship between natural theology and philosophy of religion from a threefold perspective: a) to understand the nature of religion; b) to ensure a critical function of the philosophy of religion; c) to guarantee a rational justification of religious beliefs in the view of religious apologetics. I conclude the essay with some observations on the enduring contribution that Thomas Aquinas thought could make to the renewal of the relationship between natural theology and the philosophy of religion.