Abstract

This article explains why the naturalistic explanation of science may not necessarily oppose Catholic theology’s quest for the supernatural. Naturalism has different meanings and forms. But internal methodological naturalism (IMN), which is fundamentally used by scientists in investigations, can be in some way useful for the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on evangelization through inculturation. Unlike ontological naturalism (ON), IMN is not a metaphysics that totally removes God from reality but only a temporary attitude and method assumed by scientists to suspend personal biases and theistic beliefs in pursuit of a scientific research, to arrive at a factual understanding of the world. As a scientific method, IMN can be a useful and necessary tool for Catholic missionaries and clerics to understand local cultures empirically before adapting the Christian message in society. IMN and inculturation, as the process of “inserting” the Christian faith in human cultures, can be a point of dialogue between the modern sciences and Catholic theology.