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In his landmark book on philosophical theology, Saving God: Religion After Idolatry, Mark Johnston develops a panentheistic metaphysic of the divine that he contends is compatible with ontological naturalism. On his view, God is the universe, but the 'is' is the 'is' of constitution, not identity. The universe and God are coinciding objects that share properties but have different essential modal properties and, hence, different persistence conditions. In this paper, I address the problem of accounting for what it is about the organization or structure of the universe that makes it sufficient to constitute the Divine Mind. Specifically, I consider what kind of unity the universe exhibits in virtue of which it constitutes the Divine Mind. I consider how Johnston's hylomorphic account of the unity of composite objects might be applied to provide a solution and offer an alternative that emends the Johnstonian proposal I present by exploiting a variant of a neo-Aristotelian ontology of causal powers that takes properties to be powerful qualities. On the framework I defend, we can understand the universe as a constellation of powers that displays the sort of unity sufficient to truthfully described it as a Divine Mind. The approach I recommend will, however, ultimately lend itself to a pantheistic metaphysic of the divine rather than Johnston's preferred panentheism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given increased attention to the themes of relationality and intersubjectivity in contemporary Christian systematic theology, the author argues that these terms are best understood within the context of a new socially ordered metaphysics in which human beings enjoy a richer life through active participation in various forms of community life. He then applies this analysis to the life of the church. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicholas Saunders' 2002 book Divine Action and Modern Science remains among the most significant and widely‐cited recent contributions to the literature on special divine action (SDA). One of the tasks he takes up in that work is to critique a wide assortment of models of SDA, including that of Grace Jantzen. Her account employs the panentheistic notion that the physical universe is related to God in a manner closely analogous to the way in which a human body is related to the human mind—that is, the cosmos is God's body. And just as we humans can exercise basic actions on and with our bodies without violating the laws of nature, God can exercise basic action on parts of the cosmos without such violations, thereby providing a workable non‐interventionist model of SDA. Saunders critiques this model on both philosophical and theological grounds, and moves on to consider another: the idea that God never acts directly on the cosmos, but instead interacts with the world by influencing human minds, which influence needn't involve the violation of laws. This model too comes in for heavy criticism. In this essay I suggest a way of retaining important aspects of both of these accounts while sidestepping the criticisms levelled by Saunders. This can be done by reviving an idea sympathetically entertained by such notables as Plato, several early Church fathers (including Augustine), and Isaac Newton: that of a World‐Soul distinct from God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In different traditions, the question of being came according to the different epistemologies that traditions represented: those who followed the rational method would ask the question of being that could be proven in a rational way, those who represented the traditional method relayed on answers coming from their tradition, or, those who represented the gnostic method, expected that the answers would come from individual maturation. Although the contest is from different epistomologies, the time has shown that epistomology basis are different, in some cases is possible to reach the same answers about being, no matter if its used rational, traditional or gnostic method. This paper shows the world according to gnostic and rationalist epistemology hypothesis as a conclusion which is supposed to be true to explain by it certain facts, or as a premise based on facts is reflected in thesis that the revelation of being as a Being we can find not just in gnostic epistemology on which is insisted in theistic circles, but also in rationalistic epistemology; what will be shown later through the example of following three philosophers: Ibn Arebi, Meister Eckhart and Baruch de Spinoza. At the end, as the result of this paper, there will be composed a question: What is meant by revelation of being as unity of Being following the implications which will be previously presented.

Este artículo presenta y discute el corpus de doctrina elaborada por Arthur Peacocke sobre la idea de Dios, y de lo teológico-cristiano, que debe ser hoy construida desde la imagen científica del mundo, especialmente la imagen científica de la vida, la evolución y el ser humano. Después de presentar los orígenes bioquímicos de su pensamiento, el conjunto de su obra sobre ciencia/religión y sus presupuestos epistemológicos, esbozamos la forma en que Peacocke entiende la naturaleza del mundo descrito hoy por los resultados básicos de la ciencia (What's There y What's going on). Es un universo al que la ciencia, y primero los filósofos, han tratado de dotar de una inteligibilidad última. Dios aparece en el horizonte como un posible factor de inteligibilidad que permite entender los rasgos fundamentales de una posible acción de Dios en el mundo. Todo esto conduce a la clásica visión emergentista, panenteísta de Peacocke y a su discusión con la filosofía del proceso. Por último, presentamos su forma de entender la teología de la kénosis desde la ciencia y discutimos el alcance y significación de su punto de vista.

Max Scheler's Reformation of Philosophy of Religion The following contribution aims to show the relevance of Max Scheler's reflections on the relation of Christianity and modernity for the present situation. It interprets Scheler's philosophy of religion in terms of a principle of reformation that can be implicitly found in Scheler's critical assessment of the historical impact of Lutheran Protestantism. Scheler's principle of reformation provides four criteria: (i) autonomy of the religious sphere, (ii) dialectics of life and spirit, (iii) community beyond religious denominations, and (iv) metaphysical determination of the divine. On that basis, we will see that Scheler's "catholic” phenomenology of religion from 1921 only partly meets his own criteria, whereas his "post-catholic” metaphysics of panentheism, developed after 1922, is more suitable to meet these criteria. Two factors are crucial: First, the divine is characterized by a fundamental metaphysical tension between spirit and vital impulsion, which leads to transferring the responsibility of balancing this tension to the history of mankind. Second, the community that corresponds to this metaphysical conception is not delimited by religious denomination but is integrated by solidarity among all human and living beings instead.

Panenetheism is the claim that God and the cosmos are intimately inter-related, with the cosmos being in God and God being in the cosmos. What does this exactly mean? The aim of this paper is to address this question by sheding light on four possible models of God-world-inter-relatedness. Being critical of those models, which understand maximal immanence in a literal, spatial sense, the paper argues in favor of a model, which cashes out immanence in terms of divine activity. God is, where God acts. Since God acts upon all of creation everywhere and anytime, God is omnipresent to it at all times. Thus, the proposal is to read the 'en' in 'panetheism' in an 'agential sense': God is in the cosmos by creating and sustaining it and the cosmos is in God by constantly being within the sphere of divine activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers an argument for a form of panentheism in which the divine is conceived as both 'God the World' and 'God the Good'. 'God the World' captures the notion that the totality of everything which exists is 'in' God, while acknowledging that, given evil and suffering, not everything is 'of' God. 'God the Good' encompasses the idea that God is also the universal concept of Goodness, akin to Plato's Form of the Good as developed by Iris Murdoch, which is inextricably conjoined with God the World because it is the nature of the world which determines the nature of perfect Goodness. This form of 'conjoined' panentheism yields a concept of divine personhood which includes both divine agency and human/divine engagement. God the Good is an agent of change by providing human persons with a standard of Goodness against which to measure the goodness of their own actions, while God the World provides the physical embodiment through which God acts. Human engagement with the divine may take a number of forms and may lead to moral action, the means by which the divine acts upon the world and changes it for the better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I develop a theory of personhood which leaves open the possibility of construing the universe as a person. If successful, it removes one bar to endorsing pantheism. I do this by examining a rising school of thought on personhood, on which persons, or selves, are understood as identical to episodes of consciousness. Through a critique of this experiential approach to personhood, I develop a theory of self as constituted of qualitative mental contents, but where these contents are also capable of unconscious existence. On this theory, though we can be conscious of our selves, consciousness turns out to be inessential to personhood. This move, I then argue, provides resources for responding to the pantheist's problem of God's person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I suggest that we should identify panentheism on a scale, with deism at one extreme and pantheism at the other. The surprising outcome of the analysis is that many of the things which in the philosophical and theological debate are simply taken for granted as distinguishing panentheism from traditional theism (and vice versa) turn out to be possible extension claims rather than core doctrines of these different conceptions of God. Nevertheless, I maintain that it remains possible to draw a line between them. It is also emphasized that the greatest challenge many panentheists face is to give a convincing argument why we should think that God's power can never be coercive, but must always be persuasive. The good news is that there is nothing in panentheism that requires that we must accept this particular doctrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to study the behavior of recoiling radon atoms 222Rn after decay of parent 226Ra and the effect of parameters on their access to the surrounding medium. The present study was carried out using CR-39 detector to study the effect of grain size on the correlation between surface and mass exhalation rates and the correlation between emanation coefficient and exhalation rate at different masses of soil and phosphate fertilizer. In addition, the relationship between emanation coefficient and the sample mass was studied for different grain sizes (0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 1 mm). The results showed that there is no effect of grain sizes on the correlation coefficient between surface and mass exhalation rates in soil and fertilizer. The correlation coefficient between emanation coefficient and exhalation rate in different masses of soil was slightly influenced by the grain sizes. While the correlation coefficient between emanation coefficient and exhalation rate in different masses of phosphate fertilizer samples was not affected by the grain sizes (0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mm). However, it was found that the emanation coefficient decreases exponentially with the mass for soil and phosphate fertilizer. This relationship was not significantly affected by grain size in soil except grain size 1 mm. While this relationship was affected by grain size >0.3 mm in phosphate fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient storage zones (TSZs) are located at the interface of rivers and their abutting aquifers and play an important role in hydrological and biogeochemical functioning of rivers. The natural radioactive tracer 222Rn is a particularly well‐suited tracer for studying TSZ water exchange and age. Although 222Rn measurement techniques have developed rapidly, there has been less progress in modeling 222Rn activities. Here, we combine field measurements with the numerical model HydroGeoSphere (HGS) to simulate 222Rn emanation, decay and transport during steady state (riffle‐pool sequence) and transient (bank storage) conditions. Comparing the HGS mean water ages with the conventional 222Rn apparent ages during steady state showed a systemic underestimation of apparent age with increasing dispersion and especially where large concentration gradients exist within the subsurface. A large underestimation of apparent water age was also observed at the advective front during bank storage where regional high 222Rn groundwater mixes with newly infiltrated surface water. The explicit modeling of radiogenic tracers such as 222Rn offers a physical interpretation of this data as well as a useful way to test simplified apparent age models. Article impact statement: This work couples a physically based model (HydroGeoSphere) with radon measurements to understand water ages in transient storage zones during steady and nonsteady states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newton’s suggestion in Query 31 of the Opticks (1718) that infinite space is the sensorium of God and that God “is more able by his Will to move the Bodies within his boundless uniform Sensorium, and thereby to form and reform the Parts of the Universe, than we are by our Will to move the Parts of our own Bodies” has recently been shown to be both philosophically coherent and compatible with contemporary religious views. This paper explores the further meaning of this and what it tells us about Newton’s theology, and his attempts to maintain immanentism while avoiding pantheism. It is suggested that Newton’s evident equivocation in discussing these matters stems in large part from the fact that there was no designation in his day for his position, but it can now be understood as panentheism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Field experiments on soil radon and radium concentrations were carried out in eighteen locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Soil radon depth profiles (10–100 cm) of loam, sand and clay soil samples in the rainy season were measured using RAD7 radon detector. Mean concentrations of 222Rn and 226Ra were found to be 28.6 ± 2.0 Bq.kg−1 and (1.56 ± 0.06) × 104 Bq.m−3 in clay soil while they are 31.2 ± 2.5 Bq.kg−1 and (1.15 ± 0.05) × 104 Bq.m−3 in loam soil. They are 30.7 ± 2.0 Bq.kg−1 and (9.37 ± 0.52) × 103 Bq.m−3 in sandy soil, respectively. Values of radon diffusion length and diffusion coefficient for different soils were obtained using semi-empirical fit method linked to the poor diffusion of gas in clay soil (0.2 × 10−6 m2 s−1), the moderate diffusion coefficient (0.9 × 10−6 m2 s−1) in loam and good diffusion of radon gas in sandy soil (1.4 × 10−6 m2 s−1). An unexpectedly unclear linear relation was found between soil radon concentration and radium content. The grain size smaller than 0.1 mm was dominant reason for the lowest (0.15 ± 0.01) and highest (0.40 ± 0.03) values emanation coefficient for sand and clay soil, respectively. A strong positive correlation was found between radon concentration and soil pH level leads to soil pH is an indirect dynamic parameter affecting the migration of radon in soil. Highlights • We studied radium and radon levels of loam, sand and clay soil samples in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. • The linear relation between soil radon concentration and radium content is unexpectedly unclear. • Precipitation is one of the primary weather factors that influence radon diffusion length. • Poor diffusion of soil radon gas in clay soil and good diffusion in sandy soil. • Soil pH is an indirect dynamic parameter affecting the migration of radon in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the shaping and development of Anne Conway's thought in relation to her early modern contemporaries. In one part of her only surviving treatise, The Principles, Conway criticises "those doctors" who uphold a dualist theory of soul and body, a mechanist conception of body (as dead and inert), and the view that the soul is "intimately present" in the body. In this paper, I argue that here she targets Walter Charleton, a well-known defender of Epicurean atomism in mid-seventeenth-century England. My intention is to highlight the sophistication of Conway's theory of soul-body relations vis-a-vis that of Charleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses German originals of two texts from 1911 and 1916 edited by author Christian Dambock and others. Topics discussed include discussion on Freiburg Freischar's study "Religion & the Church" to observe the concrete processes for emanations, issues related to moral laws that religions establish and promulgation of knowledge statements by religion.

The present study intends to demonstrate that there is no logical-formal inconsistency in the Christian Trinity. However, the demonstration requires specific tools, other than those of classical logic. There are many older or newer attempts that try to remove the thesis of the inconsistency of the Christian Trinity. There is often a call for mathematical tools. As far as we are concerned, we will appeal to co-inherence and the nesting relationships specific to the Christian Trinity, as they appear especially in Augustine's work. We advance the hypothesis that Augustine's metaphor "heaven of heavens" has a foundational role in the logical plane of explanation. In this sense, Augustine points out that in the "heaven of heavens", reason does not know "in part", but it knows everything suddenly, entirely, as in a totality. This totality with a founding role functions as a principle, which we can call the principle of free totality (PFT). But the cobelonging of entities in the free and founding totality also expresses co-inherence (Leibniz). Divine persons are an emanation of God. That is why we are talking about co-inherence. The "co" particle points out that the starting point is in the free totality of God, and that this totality logically precedes the rest of the process. Thus, we can consider the term "the Christian Trinity" (in its plural sense) as a nested term, as co-habitation. The totality of God is not a generalization in the spirit of the Aristotelian abstraction, but rather a particularity, a "personalization" that does not cancel the individual, but it highlights in instantiation. In this sense, the Christian God is not an abstraction, but a divine Being in three persons, in whom He instantiates. The logic of this process is the one of vagueness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper deals with the concept of creativity and is aimed at demonstrating the paradoxical nature of the creative action. Generally, in modern world, creativity is defined as the «newness creating». However, this is not the only viewpoint, as in different cultures there traditionally compete three generalized definitions of creativity: 1) newness is a recurrence of the old; 2) newness is a unique synthesis of old forms; 3) newness arises from nothing. It has been demonstrated that the above formulas of creativity originate from the three equally strong religious traditions – pantheism, panentheism and monotheism. According to the author, the pantheistic scheme, being applied to human creativity, explains the specificity of scientific theoretical activity. In scientific sphere, as it is well-known, the highest creative achievement is related to discovery (not invention) of fundamental laws of nature dissimilated in a variety of natural phenomena, and predeter- mining them. From the panentheistic model, on the other hand, the secular philosophy deduces the special theory of human creativity, viewed as a free construction and invention, rather then simple discovery of something that already exists. Evidently, the given model appeals to the engineering sphere providing the basis for a number of theories related to inventions and rationalizations. Therefore, the mechanism of inventions is quite simple, and the mass creativity training is possible. Whereas, according to monotheism, creativity is necessarily related to mystery, and therefore, this sort of training is impossible, and the pedagogic technology of creativity is regarded as non- sense. However, such opposing views are quite lawful being proved by the numerous facts of innovations in human history. Using the method of philosophic dialectics, the author achieves a paradoxical synthesis of the above mentioned alternative positions. In author’s opinion, the paradox of creativity, stimulating discussions about man’s creative dimension, can not be eliminated, and should be taken into account in creativity studies.

Abstract: A number of theologians engaged in the theology and science dialogue—particularly Pentecostal theologian Amos Yong—employ emergence as a framework to discuss special divine action as well as causation initiated by other spiritual realities, such as angels and demons. Mikael and Joanna Leidenhag, however, have issued concerns about its application. They argue that Yong employs supernaturalistic themes with implications that render the concept of emergence obsolete. Further, they claim that Yong's use of emergence theory is inconsistent because he highlights the ontological independence of various spirits in the world concurrently with his advocation of supervenience theory. In view of these concerns, Leidenhag and Leidenhag urge Yong to depart from his application of emergence theory. In what follows, we plan to address each of these criticisms and demonstrate that they are tenuous, if not unwarranted, especially in light of a kenotic‐relational pneumatology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catherine Keller’s constructive theology includes an original and very interesting combination of process theology, feminist theology and negative theology. This combination culminates in the articulation of an “apophatic panentheism” that is urgent for its accentuation of connectivity and interdependency in our global world. In this article, Keller’s apophatic panentheism is clarified on the basis of her major works on the relational self, creation, apocalyptic patterns of thought, and negative theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World, Jonathan Edwards frequently uses the term "emanation" and associated metaphors. Because of this, ever since 1850 Edwards has often been classified as a Neoplatonist. The aim of this article is to show that these judgments are incorrect. The concept of emanation is explicated from its crucial appearances in Edwards' argumentation in End of Creation. The claims of several Edwards commentators are then examined and compared to what Edwards actually wrote. It is concluded from an explication of his argumentation and from his statements that, being neither Neoplatonist nor pantheistic, the concept of emanation in Jonathan Edwards' End of Creation is Holy Spirit emanationism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known difficulty of the interdisciplinary dialogue beyond the limits of particular disciplines is the lack of common ground regarding their metaphysical and methodological assumptions and commitments. This is particularly evident for the precarious relationship between science and religion. In a 2016 conference entitled 'The Many Faces of Panentheism' held in Zurich, and now in this introduction as well as this section, we try to counteract this situation by choosing a focus theme located at the interface between nature and the divine. Thus, key perspectives, arguments, and implications of panentheism are introduced not only from one selected point of view but in relation to others. This allows us to explore territory beyond the boundaries of disciplinary backgrounds and to address intellectual and practical consequences for current debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What reasons and resources can Christian theology find for developing a panentheist position that is also able to engage with contemporary science? By taking its point of departure in basic human experiences, Christian theology can, even in a Trinitarian fashion, be developed as a way to understand God's presence in the world as a presence where the actual occurrences point towards God's own work. This point is especially related to the experience of love. Furthermore, God's presence can be understood as sacramental in the Augustinian sense. Moreover, the contributions of the Danish philosopher of religion Knud E. Løgstrup on God's presence and transcendence, as well as Niels Henrik Gregersen's elaborations on deep incarnation. Prove to offer important reasons for considering panentheism a viable option for the articulation of Christian theology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is panentheism a metaphysical and religious understanding of the divine and of the world that aligns better with science than classical theism? In order to address this question, I'll present brief descriptions of theism, pantheism, and panentheism, and of religious visions as integrating models of the world and models for the world. In this respect, science has its limitations. The conclusion that I will argue for is that naturalistic varieties of theism, pantheism, and panentheism do equally well with respect to the natural sciences, and hence that there is no argument from science that favors a panentheistic metaphysics. There may be philosophical or religious arguments that make one prefer one position over another. Science can be involved in the choice for one interpretation of a religious-metaphysical view such as panentheism. Thus, science might play a role in the development of positions, once chosen, and hence in intra-religious competition, even though it cannot be decisive on fundamental choices in metaphysics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is argued that when it comes to the hard problem of consciousness neutral monism beats out the competition. It is further argued that neutral monism provides a unique route to a novel type of panentheism via Advaita Vedanta Hinduism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I draw on historical and conceptual arguments to show, first, that disenchantment and the influential view of the relationship between science and religion to which disenchantment gives rise are rooted in the metaphysics of theism. I then introduce the alternative metaphysical position of panentheism and identify Jungian psychology as an important, if implicit, mid-twentieth-century instance of panentheistic thought. Using the example of Jungian psychology, I demonstrate how the viewpoint of panentheism undoes the implications of disenchantment for the relationship between science and religion, promoting greater opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation between science and religion. I note, however, that these closer relations may depend on understanding science and religion differently from how they are understood under disenchantment. While the original tension between science and religion is eased, another tension-between panentheistic and disenchanted understandings of science and religion-is exposed. I conclude by reflecting on some implications of this discussion for sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panentheism has often been put forward as a means for bringing theology and science into dialogue, perhaps even resolving some of the major tensions between them. A variety of 'faces' of panentheism are distinguished, including conservative, metaphysical, apophatic, and naturalist panentheisms. This series of increasingly radical panentheisms is explored, each one bringing its own core commitments, and each describing very different relationships between religion and science. We consider, for example, the diverse ways that the radical panentheisms construe emergent phenomena in the natural world. In the end, comparing the increasingly radical forms of panentheism yields a new understanding of the state of the religion/science dialogue today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We briefly clarify Tetens's concept of God and argue that there are some problems regarding both the precise formulation of his panentheism as well as its implications for sin and special divine action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against a background of increasing concern over climate change and other instances of ecological degradation, this paper aims to explore two ideas in the thought of Anglican theologian and biochemist Arthur Peacocke in relation to their ecotheological promise. First, Peacocke’s understanding of ‘emergence’ affirms the diversity of the created world and makes possible the understanding of Jesus Christ as the emergence of a new reality; these concepts resonate with the value given to biodiversity in ecological thought. Second, the idea that God expresses Godself through the material world in the process of creation, together with an emphasis on the biophysical composition of Jesus Christ, allows a high claim to be made for matter which resonates with an ecological affirmation of the value of the natural world. By asserting the prevalence of diversity and the value of matter, Peacocke’s thought provides a theological framework which coheres with an ecological ethos. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article is written in the style and method of an autoethnography that focuses on the author’s spiritual journey with God while living with chronic pain. The labyrinth is used as a metaphor and spiritual tool to describe this journey. The author’s personal experience with religion and spirituality is described as well as the choice of moving from thinking about God being ‘out there’, far away and looking upon God’s creation (supernatural theism) to discovering God within – God ‘right here’ (panentheism). The affects and effects of living with chronic pain are discussed in reference to the process of walking the circuits of a labyrinth. The role of different people who played a part in this journey is highlighted. This way of writing corresponds with a narrative way of living which concentrates on deconstruction of dominant discourses and looking for outcomes that may lead to hope and transformation. The difference between rainbow hope and reasonable hope is explained and the consequence of choosing reasonable hope is discussed. Transformation of the person through the journey becomes apparent in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]