thần lí

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Physico-theology: A philosophical and theological doctrine that seeks to prove the existence and attributes of God through the observation of nature and physical laws. It argues that the order and design evident in the natural world are evidence of a divine creator.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Thuyết thần lí phổ biến ở châu Âu vào thế kỷ 17 và 18. (Physico-theology was prevalent in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.)
  • Cuốn sách này phân tích các lập luận thần lí từ cấu trúc của vũ trụ. (This book analyzes physico-theological arguments from the structure of the universe.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in academic, philosophical, or historical religious contexts to describe a specific school of natural theology.

Variants and Related Words

• Thần học tự nhiên (n): Natural theology. A broader field that includes physico-theology as a subset.
  • Thần học tự nhiên không dựa trên mặc khải mà trên lý trí và quan sát tự nhiên. (Natural theology is not based on revelation but on reason and observation of nature.)

Synonyms

• Physico-theology: The direct equivalent.
• Natural theology: A closely related, broader term.

Notes on Usage

• "Thần lí" is a specialized, scholarly term derived from Sino-Vietnamese roots ( = divine, = principle/theory). It is not used in everyday conversation. The reference definition "physico-théologique" confirms its meaning as pertaining to physico-theology.