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The problem of divine impassibility, i.e., of whether the divine nature in Christ could suffer, stands at the center of a debate regarding the nature of God and his relation to us. Whereas philosophical reasoning regarding the divine nature maintains that the divine is immutable and perfect in every respect, theological needs generated an ever‐growing demand for a passionate God truly able to participate in the suffering of his creatures. Correlating with the different approaches of Thomas Aquinas and John Duns Scotus, this paper aims to develop, in a speculative manner, key Scotistic insights in order to reconcile the need to preserve God's perfection with the passionate God who loves and suffers with his creatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My goal in this paper is to demonstrate that Milbank and Ẑiẑek's respective criticisms of Hegel's redescription of the Christian narrative are flawed because both identify Hegelian spirit as fully immanent. This misreading has enormous consequences, for it suggests that Hegel did not find a way to adequately support his project of reconciling the finite and the infinite. By contrast, I suggest that if Hegel's philosophy of religion is understood as both immanent and transcendent, or more precisely, as advancing a theory of mutual immanence, the charges of nihilism and atheism cannot be upheld. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1845, John Henry Cardinal Newman wrote a treatise describing the development of Christian doctrine. Since then, his ideas have been challenged, in particular by Protestant theologians who have argued that the development of doctrine does not progress in either a smooth or linear path. In the philosophy of science, Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions has challenged the idea that science is purely driven by objective and rational motives. In this paper, Kuhn's ideas are applied to the development of Christian doctrine. Drawing from historical examples, it is shown that Kuhn's contextual approach to describe the progress of science aids in understanding the way doctrines themselves develop. Although this is not the first time that theology and Kuhn have conversed, the notion of doctrinal development being systematically and methodically shown to have parallels with Kuhn's ideas is novel. Ultimately, this work is another important step in building interdisciplinary links between science and theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the ontological and theological ground of political institutions in order to then reflect upon the eschatological calling of society. The paper builds on Tillich's ontological insight that love does not simply transcend justice, but that it permeates and drives justice, that justice gives form to love's reunion of the separated. This relation between love and justice is at play in political institutions: these unite human beings under forms of justice that must be transformed ever anew if they are not to lose touch with the dynamic power of love and freeze into increasingly unjust juridicalism. The modern history of Western civilisation bears witness to this ontological tension, and the phenomenon of globalisation is yet another instance of human society's mystical calling. Thus, love heads the dynamic movement that transforms political institutions ever anew. Yet society as a whole must become conscious of its ontology for humanity to truly reach its eschatological potential, and this will require both that theology recovers its ground and that political theory thinks theologically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay charts the parallel growth of Newman's theory of doctrinal development, and infallibility within that doctrinal development, with its author's movement from a via media in Anglicanism to recognition of the truth in the Roman Church. This essay analyzes the theological need for a theory of doctrinal development, the failure of Newman's via media project, and his role as a creative theologian. Then this essay examines in detailed Newman's 1845 Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, looking specifically at the second section of the second chapter, 'On the Probability of a Developing Authority in Christianity.' The main body of the paper treats the expansion of the scope and feasibility of infallibility in Newman's 1845 Essay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various authors within the contemporary debate on divine action in nature and contemporary science argue both for and against a Thomistic account of divine action through the notions of primary and secondary causes. In this paper I argue that those who support a Thomistic account of divine action often fail to explain Aquinas' doctrine in full, while those who argue against it base their objections on an incomplete knowledge of this doctrine, or identify it with Austin Farrer's doctrine of double agency - again failing to do Aquinas justice. I analyse these objections, indicating how they do not address Aquinas' doctrine by offering a brief but full account of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The doctrine of the Incarnation faces the following modal challenge: 'The Son, as God, exists of necessity; Jesus, as man, exists only contingently. Therefore they cannot be one and the same.' On the face it, the kenotic model, on which the Son gave up some of the divine properties at the Incarnation, cannot help to meet this challenge, since the suggestion that the Son gave up necessary existence implies that the necessity in question was only contingent, and this notion makes no sense. A necessary being is necessarily (and therefore eternally) so. This paper, however, argues that some necessities may appropriately be described as 'contingent', being conditional on contingent and mutable circumstances, and that there is a natural understanding of divine necessity on which the Son could give up necessary existence on becoming incarnate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is debate in the philosophy of religion about whether the being of God is timelessly eternal or is instead temporal but unbounded. In this paper, I seek to defend the first view by motivating and deriving it from the Christian doctrines of the trinity and salvation. My goal is to present the notion of eternity in a way that makes clear that it belongs to God by nature and to man by grace, with the condition of time being part of the medium of grace. To this end, I also employ the doctrine of theosis, as found in Maximus the Confessor and Dumitru Staniloae, and the Augustinean theory of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquinas claims that sacred doctrine is a science, or scientia. All scientiae involve demonstrations containing principles which yield conclusions that are necessary and certain. The principles leading to sacred scientia are the articles of faith. Those articles are contained in Scripture and constitute the premises of demonstrations the conclusions of which form sacred doctrine's content. Because of those articles' divine origin, we can expect them to yield conclusions the truth of which is guaranteed. According to William Abraham, however, Aquinas must demonstrate Scripture's divine origin as a condition for achieving a sacred scientia. In the absence of such a demonstration, we cannot be certain that the articles contained in Scripture are God-breathed, nor can we be certain that the conclusions deduced from them belong to sacred doctrine. Abraham argues that Aquinas's putative demonstration of Scripture's divine origin fails and—consequently—so does his attempt to establish a sacred scientia. In this paper, I will show that Aquinas never intended to provide such a demonstration, nor does he need to in order to secure sacred doctrine's status as a scientia. Furthermore, I will show that achieving sacred scientia is not, pace Abraham, an epistemological undertaking but a spiritual discipline that eventuates in knowledge of and love for God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores both the striking similarities and also the differences between Jonathan Edwards and Nicolas Malebranche’s philosophical views on the Holy Trinity and, in particular, the ways in which they both gave important roles to specific Persons of the Trinity in the various different branches of their respective metaphysical systems—ontological, epistemological and ethical. It is shown that Edwards and Malebranche were in very close agreement on ontological questions pertaining to the Trinity, both with respect to the internal, triune nature of the divine substance (characterising the Three Persons as the divine power, as the consubstantial idea of God which was generated as He eternally reflected on Himself, and as the mutual love which proceeded between the Father and this idea), and also with respect to the various roles these Three Persons played in the creation of the world. In epistemology, Malebranche postulated an illuminating union between the mind of man and the divine Word, insisting on an absolutely direct involvement of the Second Person in all human cognition, both intellectual and sensible. On this point Edwards did differ, endorsing instead an empiricist epistemology which left no room for such a direct union with the Word. However, when it came to ethics, Edwards and Malebranche both gave the Third Person an utterly central role, postulating much the same kind of union as Malebranche alone had postulated in the epistemological case, only now between the will of man and the Holy Spirit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the philosophical idea of Bernard Lonergan about the natural knowledge of God based on three texts such as "Insight" (1957), "Natural Knowledge of God" (1968), and "Method in Theology" (1972). Topics include the increasing number American adults who considered themselve as atheist, the religious belief of Roman Catholic theologians, and the results of the report "America's Changing Religious Landscape," from the Pew Research Center.

This essay asks what Karl Barth meant by 'speculation' in volume two of the Church Dogmatics. Rather than equating speculative theology with metaphysical theology in general, Barth views speculation not as a monolithic act but as a conglomeration of modes of theological speech that undermine God's revelation in Jesus Christ. This essay argues that Barth's views of speculation, rather than undercutting the use of metaphysics in theology, pave the way for a responsible Christian use of metaphysics by tying one's use of categories and concepts in theology closely to the text of Scripture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzing one possible historical alternative found in medieval Christianity in the figure of Italian theologian Thomas Aquinas. Topics discussed includes Thomas's understanding of the relational interactions between divine persons within the Trinity, disembodied view of human personhood and a non-corporeal sense of nature and body of ethics.

The article highlights the role played by scientization in understanding the history of modern secularization in the West. It discusses the argument of sociologist David Martin that the advance of science does not essentially entail secularization to empirical proof which shows a negative correlation between secularity and science. It explores the contention of social historian Owen Chadwick that it is essential to regard social practices and intellectual pronouncements of a given context.

An essay is presented on Christian faith. It refers to the theological vision of the Vatican Council that aims to heighten appreciation among outsiders and hesitant believers on post-conciliar apologetics, the use of marks within Catholicism, and the addition of credibility to the Gospel. The author also considers the establishment of doctrinal and moral claims by the Catholic Church as basis for theological studies by Protestants and Orthodox Christians.

The idea that Roman Catholic doctrines for which there is no early testimony can be explained as logical deductions from undoubtedly early teachings is usually dismissed as obviously false. By invoking the logical properties of doctrines expressed as explicit generalizations, however, and by distinguishing deductions in which all the assumptions represent Apostolic doctrine from those in which all the doctrinal assumptions are Apostolic, a way is found to deduce the disputed doctrines while leaving the immutability of doctrine intact. Although a theory of theological development is thus not needed to justify doctrinal additions, developments in theology nevertheless often motivate the authoritative pronouncements cited by doctrinal deductions. Finally, it is argued that a correct understanding of such deductions improves the prospects for reunion between those whose doctrinal axioms coincide even if differing historical information has rendered them incapable of following the same chain of deductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article assesses the compatibility of scientific and theological paradigms on the works of theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg. It traces the development of Pannenberg's pneumatology and its links with quantum field theory and genesis before theological thought. It examines the mature explanation of pneumatology in his "Systematic Theology." The author believes that Pannenberg's use of the natural sciences extends beyond religious descriptions of creation, making his description less amenable.

An essay on the ontology and interpretation of set theory in the works of Alain Badiou is presented. It states that the philosophy of Badiou is creative but argues with ontology and mathematics. It provides arguments and disapproval on the ontological atheism of Badiou and offers metaphysical interest in systematic theology. Meanwhile, it relates the German mathematician Georg Cantor who developed the set theory and left foundation on the mathematical advances of the twentieth century.

The article presents the author's views on philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's commitment to Christianity. He tells that Leibniz has focused on the problem of Jehoshaphat. and the Jehoshaphat problem. He says that according to Leibniz, the problem of Jehoshaphat can be solved through a commitment to Christianity. He also says the motivation behind the commitment of Leibniz towards Christian doctrines is political.

The article discusses the relevance of church communion in the life of Christians. The Church communion is sacramentally based literature. It is stated that the communion of the church is not only the place of salvation but it is also the priest of creation. It is noted that since faith is crucial to Christian life, church communion must always be seen as a unity in faith.

The article offers information on the transcendental qualities of the Trinity. The author highlighted the idea of a certain Denis Edwards, who viewed Trinity in his book "The God of Evolution" from a basic perspective. The author also mentioned other theologians and compared their views on Trinity with that of Edwards.

The article proposes that reformer Martin Luther's theology of the cross is the literary ancestor for subsequent modern rhetorical postures and authorial strategies. The two terms theology of the cross and theology of glory are tools of Luther's call for reform of the Western Church. The author adds philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche and psychologist Sigmund Freud to the roster of those who stand in the legacy of Luther's theology of the cross.

The article examines the philosophical theology of Emmanuel Levinas. It discusses the suggestion made by Levina that the history of Western philosophy records a "totalitarianism or imperialism" as philosophy has reduced or assimilated "every Other into the Same." The article also discusses Paul Molnar's assessment of Karl Rahner's philosophical theology.

This article argues that the power of religion to shape experience presupposes the mobilization of religious identity through social opposition. This thesis is developed through a critique of George Lindbeck's The Nature of Doctrine. The article first examines Lindbeck's thesis that religion shapes experience in light of Talal Asad's critique of Geertz's concept of religion. It argues that in order to understand how ‘religion’ shapes experience we must look outside the immanent sphere of cultural-religious meaning that Lindbeck, following Geertz, identifies with ‘religion’. Religious authority ultimately derives from the recognition of a social group. Next, looking at the nature of doctrine in light of Kathryn Tanner's thesis that Christian identity is essentially relational, it argues that church doctrines function to mobilize group identity through social opposition. In this respect they resemble the mobilizing slogans of political discourse more than, as Lindbeck's theory proposes, the grammatical rules governing Wittgensteinian language games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to describe the views of Oliver O'Donovan concerning the spiritual aspect within the context of the church and the government. According to the author, O'Donovan's central concern remains the place of God's authority in one's common life, in both government and the society. The author attempts to discuss the understanding of O'Donovan regarding the relationship between the church and the world as emphasized in his two major works of political theology.

In this essay, I treat of a type of moral objection to Christian theism that is formulated by Friedrich Nietzsche. In an effort to provoke a negative moral-aesthetic response to the conception of God underlying the Christian tradition, with the ultimate aim of recommending his own allegedly ‘healthier’ ideals, Nietzsche presents a number of distinct but related considerations. In particular, he claims that the traditional theological interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus expresses the tasteless, vulgar, and morally objectionable character of God, thus rendering Him unworthy of belief. In response to Nietzsche's worries, I first of all argue that his account of the origins of the belief in God is both prima facie implausible and historically false. At the same time I recognize that Nietzsche is expressing, in his typically bombastic manner, a genuine and widely held worry about what the crucifixion, as an event in salvation history, says about the nature of God. In response to this worry, I draw on the work of Wilhelm Dilthey in order to support the contention that the concept of divine transcendence, which underlies Nietzsche's concern, has its proper place within the Greek metaphysical tradition, rather than in Christian faith. Building on the work of Franz Rosenzweig and Jürgen Moltmann, I outline a conception of God that more accurately reflects the claim that the cross is the definitive revelation of the divine nature while at the same time foreclosing on the possibility of the kind of response that Nietzsche articulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an essay which challenges philosopher Richard D. Kortum's argument that the very idea of a God who designs the universe is incoherent. The author argues that the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity provides the resources to block Kortum's argument. The author concludes that the success of Kortum's argument depends on his ability to block the Trinitarian defeater.

The prospect of extra-terrestrial intelligence has become a central topic of scientific investigation and popular speculation. This has generated questions of ethical and theological significance that now receive growing coverage. Throughout his writings, Karl Rahner remained open to the prospect that the process of cosmic evolution had yielded sentient life form in other galaxies. He argued against any theological veto on this notion, while also distinguishing the existential significance of such life forms from that of angels. Furthermore, the possibility of multiple incarnations is raised though not affirmed. With its christological intensity, his theology seems to militate against any repetition of the incarnation. This essay examines some of the arguments for and against the possibility of multiple incarnations, before assessing the current state of the extra-terrestrial intelligence debate. In the light of inconclusive scientific findings, the cautionary position of Rahner is re-affirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]