Submitted by Mrs Jane Wallace on Mon, 01/11/2021 - 14:55
William Simpson (Junior Research Fellow) and James Orr (University Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion) have released a new book, co-edited with Robert Koons (Professor of Philosophy, University of Texas at Austin), called: Neo-Aristotelian Metaphysics and the Theology of Nature. This edited collection explores the relationship between a scientifically updated Aristotelian philosophy of nature and a scientifically engaged theology of nature, demonstrating how ‘the new Aristotelianism’ changes the philosophical landscape for a number of traditional topics, including God’s action within the world and the place of human beings within nature. It features original contributions from some of the best scholars engaging with ‘neo-Aristotelianism’ in contemporary metaphysics, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology, and has attracted a number of endorsements from a wide range of scholars in both theology and philosophy.
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Sarah Coakley, FBA, Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity Emerita at Cambridge, writes:
"Despite its long neglect in mainstream philosophy of science, neo-Aristotelian metaphysics has enormously interesting and creative applications for contemporary science, as this new collection of essays amply demonstrates. But perhaps even more importantly, the question of God can then be manoeuvred back into contestation in a way occluded or outlawed by other metaphysical alternatives. This important new book brings together senior and junior scholars to help carve a new trajectory through long-disputed territory." –
Thomas Joseph White, OP, the Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St Thomas (The Angelicum) in Rome, writes:
"While scholasticism has been on the margins of Christian theology for some decades, this volume suggests the possibility of a powerful and fruitful intellectual revival. The talented authors of this conceptually well-organized volume orchestrate the use of scholastic principles to analyze some of the most important and difficult questions in contemporary theology, with both clarity and depth. In doing so they delineate a compelling vision of harmony between revealed theology, philosophy, and modern science. A wonderful book!" --.
Mark Harris, Professor of Natural Science and Theology at Edinburgh, writes:
"When the Scientific Revolutionaries of the seventeenth century left their Aristotelian homeland for a far country, little did they realise that their distant descendants might need to return one day. I have heard much whispered about the promise of neo-Aristotelianism for the science-and-theology enterprise, but until seeing this volume had never been able to grasp the vision. This book will surely be an indispensible guide for years to come, providing lucid overviews of contemporary historical, philosophical, scientific and theological perspectives on neo-Aristotelianism, as well as much original research looking forward." –
Anna Marmodoro, Professor of Metaphysics at Durham, writes:
"This book offers a fresh, bold, stimulating take on some of the hardest questions philosophers and theologians alike are engaged with, arguing that only a metaphysics developed on the basis of the Abrahamic-Aristotelian tradition can enable us to understand today’s world of science, the relation of God to it, and our place within it. A hugely enjoyable read – even for those who will find themselves in disagreement."
John Marenbon, Professor of Medieval Philosophy at Cambridge, writes:
"Neo-Aristotelianism is one of the important movements in contemporary metaphysics: this collection provides a wide-ranging sample of the state of the art from its outstanding exponents and shows how it can also be an important force in theology." –
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The book’s contributors include:
Stephen Boulter, Reader in Philosophy at Oxford Brookes University; Janice Tzuling Chik, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ave Maria University; Daniel D. De Haan, the Frederick Copleston Senior Research Fellow & Lecturer in Philosophy and Theology in the Catholic Tradition at Blackfriars and Campion Hall, University of Oxford; Travis Dumsday, Associate Professor of philosophy at Concordia University of Edmonton; Edward Feser, Professor of Philosophy at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California; Christopher Hauser, Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Scranton; Ross D. Inman, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Robert C. Koons, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin; Simon Maria Kopf, Principal Investigator on a Templeton-funded project based at Humboldt University of Berlin (2021–22), a visiting research fellow at King’s College London (2020–23), and a visiting lecturer in systematic theology at the International Theological Institute, Austria; Timothy O’Connor, Mahlon Powell Professor of Philosophy and a core member of the Cognitive Sciences Program at Indiana University; David S. Oderberg, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading; James Orr, University Lecturer in Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge; Anne Siebels Peterson, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah. Alexander R. Pruss, Professor of Philosophy at Baylor University; Antonio Ramos-Díaz, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico (Ponce Campus); William M. R. Simpson, Junior Research Fellow of the University of Cambridge, and Honorary Research Fellow of the University of St Andrews.
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The book can be obtained from Routledge and will shortly be available for ordering from Amazon.
The first two chapters are “open access” and can be read for free online.
- Chapter 1: From Quantum Physics to Classical Metaphysics, by William M. R. Simpson
- Chapter 2: Essential Thermochemical and Biological Powers, by Robert C. Koons