Divine Action Determinism And The Laws Of Nature

A longstanding question at the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology is how God might act, or not, when governing the universe. Many believe that determinism would prevent God from acting at all, since to do so would require violating the laws of nature. However, when a robust view of these laws is coupled with the kind of determinism now used in dynamics, a new model of divine action emerges. This book presents a new approach to divine action beyond the current focus on quantum mechanics and esoteric gaps in the causal order. It bases this approach on two general points. First, that there are laws of nature is not merely a metaphor. Second, laws and physical determinism are now understood in mathematically precise ways that have important implications for metaphysics. The explication of these two claims shows not only that nonviolationist divine action is possible, but there is considerably more freedom available for God to act than current models allow. By bringing a philosophical perspective to an issue often dominated by theologians and scientists, this text redresses an imbalance in the discussion around divine action. It will, therefore, be of keen interest to scholars of Philosophy and Religion, the Philosophy of Science, and Theology.

Providence and Science in a World of Contingency offers a novel assessment of the contemporary debate over divine providential action and the natural sciences, suggesting a re-consideration of Thomas Aquinas’ metaphysical doctrine of providence coupled with his account of natural contingency. By looking at the history of debates over providence and nature, the volume provides a set of criteria to evaluate providential divine action models, challenging the underlying, theologically contentious assumptions of current discussions on divine providential action. Such assumptions include that God needs causally open spaces in the created world in order to act in it providentially, and the unfitting conclusion that, if this is the case, then God is assumed to act as another cause among causes. In response to these shortcomings, the book presents a comprehensive account of Aquinas’ metaphysics of natural causation, contingency, and their relation to divine providence. It offers a fresh and bold metaphysical narrative, based on the thought of Thomas Aquinas, which appreciates the relation between divine providence and natural contingency.

This book introduces and showcases contributions from leading international scholars on the topic of "divine action" in the world, with special attention on the way in which philosophical categories and developments play a role in the dialogue among scientists and theologians.

This open access book addresses the question of how God can providentially govern apparently ungovernable randomness. Medieval theologians confidently held that God is provident, that is, God is the ultimate cause of or is responsible for everything that happens. However, scientific advances since the 19th century pose serious challenges to traditional views of providence. From Darwinian evolution to quantum mechanics, randomness has become an essential part of the scientific worldview. An interdisciplinary team of Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars—biologists, physicists, philosophers and theologians—addresses questions of randomness and providence.

Volume 4: In the final of four volumes, the author seeks an account of God as agent. Systematic theology raises deep metaphysical questions about the central concepts we use in our thinking about God. Abraham illumines the concept of God as agent by attending to various traditional problems in Christina doctrine like the relation of freedom and grace, divine action in liberation theology, the presence of God in the Eucharist, divine providence, the relationship of Chrisitanity and Islam, the relation of the natural science to theology and apparent design, and the realm of the demonic. Divine action is the point of departure for reflection on these topics.

In October 2014, a group of mathematicians, physicists, ecologists, philosophers, and theologians gathered at a special conference in Berkeley, California to present the results of a two-year research program dubbed “Project SATURN”. This program explored many of the rich avenues of thought found at the intersection of modern science and Christian theology. Chief among them is the possibility that certain processes in nature might be so complex that they do not have sufficient physical causes. Known as “ontological indeterminism”, this idea has profound implications for theology. Specifically, it allows God to be thought of as acting providentially within nature without violating the laws and processes of nature. Such a momentous insight could influence how we understand free will, natural evil, suffering in nature, and the relation between divine providence and human evolution. The essays collected here discuss each of these topics and were originally presented at the 2014 conference. Part I establishes the scientific basis for conceptualizing certain process in the universe as inherently random and possibly indeterministic. Part II discusses the philosophical and theological issues that spring from this understanding. Together they represent the cutting edge of thought in the increasingly productive dialogue between science and theology. Short for the “Scientific and Theological Understandings of Randomness in Nature”, Project SATURN was created by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, a Program of the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. It was funded with a grant administered by Calvin College and provided by the John Templeton Foundation.

In this paper I critically examine the thesis of divine determinism, according to which God determines every event that occurs in the world. Many have argued that this view is entailed by texts considered definitive of traditional theism, or by "perfect being" theology--the view that all God's attributes are "maximally great". However, I contend that the reasons offered in its favor are neither philosophically compelling nor necessitated by any commitments of traditional theism, and that the view has such problematic implications that it ought to be rejected. In Chapter I, I consider four arguments that have been offered for divine determinism, which rely on the following premises: (1) God has attribute X, and (2) If God has attribute X, then divine determinism is true. The divine attributes that I consider are: omniscience, transcendence, creativity, and providential activity. In response to each argument I accept the first premise but reject the second, contending that God's possession of the attribute in question does not entail divine determinism. In Chapter II, I draw a distinction between two forms of divine determinism. According to natural divine determinism (NDD), every event determined by God is also determined by antecedent events in accordance with the laws of nature, whereas according to non-natural divine determinism (NNDD), some events are not. I argue that NDD view leaves no room for direct and novel special divine action in the world after the initial moment of creation. Since the occurrence of such divine action is a central tenet of traditional theism, theists have reason to reject NDD. I also argue for the conditional conclusion that if NDD is incompatible with human freedom, then so is NNDD. Since many theists accept the antecedent of this conditional (and the existence of human freedom), they have reason to reject NNDD as well. In Chapter III I argue that both forms of divine determinism entail that God is morally to blame for the occurrence of human sin--a conclusion clearly at odds with traditional theism. After laying out my arguments, I consider three sorts of responses and contend that none are adequate

The debate between science and religion is never out of the news: emotions run high, fuelled by polemical bestsellers like iThe God Delusion/i and, at the other end of the spectrum, high-profile campaigns to teach 'Intelligent Design' in schools.Yet there is much more to the debate than the clash of these extremes. As Thomas Dixon shows in this balanced and thought-provoking introduction, a whole range of views, subtle arguments, and fascinating perspectives can be taken on this complex and centuries-old subject. He explores not only thekey philosophical questions that underlie the debate, but also highlights the social, political, and ethical contexts that have made 'science and religion' such a fraught and interesting topic in the modern world. Along the way, he examines landmark historical episodes such as the Galileo affair,Charles Darwin's own religious and scientific odyssey, the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' in Tennessee in 1925, and the Dover Area School Board case of 2005, and includes perspectives from non-Christian religions and examples from across the physical, biological, and social sciences.