Grammar - Regensburg

[Peter M.]

Hello,
I have some further questions on grammatics:
1)
In the sentence:
Consequently, we are faced with a reduction of the radius of science and reason, one which needs to be questioned.
This "one", refers to what? (to reduction, to reason, to ...?)
2)
In the meantime, it must be observed that from this standpoint any attempt to maintain theology's claim to be "scientific" would end up reducing Christianity to a mere fragment of its former self.
"of its former self", what does it mean?
3)
Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based.
"as a given", should it not stand: as given? - for there is no Singular, but we have: rational structure of matter, correspondence, spirit, and nature ?
Much obliged for a reply!
Peter.

[BobK]

Hello,
I have some further questions on grammatics:
1)
In the sentence:
Consequently, we are faced with a reduction of the radius of science and reason, one which needs to be questioned.
This "one", refers to what? (to reduction, to reason, to ...?)
2)
In the meantime, it must be observed that from this standpoint any attempt to maintain theology's claim to be "scientific" would end up reducing Christianity to a mere fragment of its former self.
"of its former self", what does it mean?
3)
Modern scientific reason quite simply has to accept the rational structure of matter and the correspondence between our spirit and the prevailing rational structures of nature as a given, on which its methodology has to be based.
"as a given", should it not stand: as given? - for there is no Singular, but we have: rational structure of matter, correspondence, spirit, and nature ?
Much obliged for a reply!
Peter.

1 - reduction

2 - former =<approximately>= previous: in this context, a fragment of what it was before the attempt to reassert the claim

3 - in the phrase 'a given' there's an implied noun: a thing given/an axiom. Some would argue that a 'given' is a noun in this usage (and I might agree!) Check in a decent dictionary (in this case, size matters - I imagine some dictionaries won't cover this usage).

b