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This article attempts to explain the peculiar role of Isaac Newton in the poetry of Friedrich Schiller. I show that Newtonian ideas appear from the earliest poems in Anthologie auf das Jahr 1782 wherein gravity is used mainly as a metaphor for love. Newton is made a culprit, in Schiller's cosmological poems, for the destruction of the spheres and for the poet's despair in the ‘empty’, Newtonian universe. I chart the changing role of Newton in the later poetry of Schiller, where it is mainly his Opticks that interests the poet, who at this point has a thoroughly negative idea of the scientist, probably inspired by Goethe. Newton's famous experiment with the prism is figured as being the opposite of the poetry with which Schiller sought to unify (rather than refract) nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an underappreciated value for traditional natural theology and its familiar arguments for the existence of God, without endorsing the soundness or the rational cogency of these arguments. Famously, Aquinas and Kant represent two extremes, with Aquinas endorsing some natural theology arguments for God's existence and Kant opposing such arguments. This article recommends a moderating approach, on the grounds that while Aquinas is unduly optimistic here by the epistemic standards of many inquirers, Kant is too pessimistic regarding the heuristic value of the relevant natural theology arguments. The neglected heuristic value of these arguments, according to this article, is in their prompting in unique ways some challenging and fruitful questions for inquiry about God. The disputed natural theology arguments have not achieved anything near a consensus on their soundness or rational cogency, but they still can have significant heuristic value aside from their soundness or rational cogency. This article identifies the relevant fruitful questions and their theoretical importance for human inquiry about God. Ultimately, a heuristic interrogative approach to familiar arguments of natural theology gives these arguments a new role with resilient heuristic value for inquiry about God, even if they do not justify the belief that God exists. Such moderation, this article contends, is rationally defensible with regard to these arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Eastern Orthodox understanding of science—that of Christopher C. Knight—is presented as a contribution to science-engaged theology that has implications for western Christian reflection on science as a contemporary locus theologicus. Three areas of enquiry are discussed: natural theology, the human mind in its relationship to God, and divine action. It is suggested that in each of these areas, Orthodox perspectives can provide links between the differing perspectives to be found among western Christians and provide new pathways for theological exploration on an ecumenical basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on how natural theology influenced John Gardner Wilkinson's Egyptology, balancing Biblical views with emerging geological theories. It reexamines Wilkinson's scholarship, presenting him as someone who integrated religious and scientific perspectives, rather than adhering strictly to fundamentalist views.

This paper examines the work of one of Russia's greatest philosophers, Vladimir Solovyov (1853–1900), from the perspective of natural theology and attempts to distil the original natural theological arguments which we find in his work. Solovyov's arguments are rarely presented in clarity or with a detailed critical analysis. The current paper thus hopes to offer some amendment to this unfortunate deficiency in the secondary literature. It will become evident that Solovyov's relation to natural theology contained two distinct layers. There is, on the one hand, the external polemical and publicist layer of discourse, where Solovyov rejects natural theology outright. On the other hand, there is the deeper metaphysical layer, where Solovyov's own arguments, hidden within his elaborate metaphysical structures, can themselves be considered as a form of natural theology. The paper will conclude that, despite the overall failure of his arguments, Solovyov can still provide inspiration for Orthodox theologians by attempting a form of natural theology within an Orthodox context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The text provided analyses nihilism in terms of the absence and ignorance of God, starting from the interpretations of Christos Yannaras and others. It discusses the transformation of European nihilism into a theology of absence, the denial of the metaphysics of God's divinity and philosophical influences such as those of Nietzsche and Heidegger. The nihilistic nature of the West is discussed, as well as the evolution of Western metaphysical concepts throughout history, including Augustine's interpretation and influences on later philosophy. It also addresses the concept of God in the philosophy of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and others, discussing the transformations brought about in the interpretation of divinity and the relationship with rationalism and empiricism. Emphasis is placed on the contrast between Nietzsche and Descartes, as well as criticisms of atheistic theism and how natural theology has been transformed into rational science. The text explores the changes in philosophical thought brought about by philosophers such as Kant, Fichte, Hegel and others, highlighting their conceptual renovations. It discusses the theology of the cross and the meeting of religion and philosophy. At the same time, Husserl's phenomenology and Heidegger's existential-phenomenological ontology are considered, highlighting the differences between being and Being in the proposed philosophical context. Conclusions drawn include the affirmation of apophaticism in theology as an emphasis, highlighting how nihilism can influence faith and non-faith and how Western metaphysics has been transformed by the ideas proposed.

Today's culture is becoming increasingly secularized and characterized by social fragmentation. Christian teachers in public schools should no longer expect to share the same worldview as their students. It is only natural to ask the question: can anything good come about in a public-school classroom? This essay outlines a Christian vision for individual educators in public and pluralistic contexts that draws from a scripturally informed view of natural law. This paper answers this question in the affirmative: not only can it be good, but it can also be glorious, even if such glories are diminutive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I reconceptualise some of the most general coordinates of the history of modern British aesthetics. My central claim is that a renewed grasp of the relationship between aesthetic sense theory and natural theology fundamentally alters our narrative of British writing on aesthetics, beauty and art. I trace an intellectual genealogy stretching from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, considering, among others, the work of Walter Charleton, Francis Hutcheson, Kames, William Paley and Thomas Chalmers. I argue that these authors can be understood in terms of a common teleological architecture I designate the ‘double teleological condition.’ In turn, I explore how commonly relayed accounts of the ascendency of associationist thought over aesthetic sense have failed to adequately capture the later philosophical interest of aesthetic sense theory. There was no eclipse of aesthetic sense, which continued to assert a profoundly important and innovative role through the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The official adoption of Buddhism by the Tibetan state in the mid-8th Century (761-762 CE) was relatively late compared to its permeation from northern India to elsewhere in south and east Asia, due to the country’s geographical isolation. Whilst reasons for its adoption remain uncertain, it is thought that the religion provided a strong unifying influence permitting both the consolidation and subsequent expansion of the Tibetan Empire. Early historical records suggest that the religion was prohibited in 739-741 CE and again in 841-842 CE, the latter coinciding with the fall of the Tibetan Empire. This research presents a detailed examination of Tibetan and Chinese historical records and also of recent fine-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstructions to demonstrate that the ‘oscillating fate’ of Buddhism during the Tibetan Empire (618-842 CE), was not only linked to the economic fortunes of the Tibetan state as previously envisaged, but also inextricably to disease, the long-term regional climatic deterioration and possibly also to a series of natural disasters, many of which were recorded in the north and north-west of the Tang Empire adjacent to Tibet, as well as in Tibet itself. These ‘disasters’ noted in the historic records, and both catalogued and quantified here, indicate extreme pressures placed on the rural economy of the Tibetan Plateau and adjoining areas by crop failures, the death of many livestock and associated widespread famine and human mortality. The ‘chaos & disorder’ of the latter stages of the reign of Emperor Ralpachen (815-836/838 CE), as well as the Second Prohibition of Buddhism by the last Tibetan Emperor Lang Darma can therefore now not only be related to climatic-environmental deterioration, but also to the likely loss of public faith in both Tibetan Emperors and in Buddhism. It is possible that in the eyes of superstitious Tibetans, neither their rulers nor the state religion could address an accelerating spiral of crises. Devine displeasure could have been further signified by a devastating earthquake in Tibet sometime between 839-842 CE and the subsequent ‘implosion’ of the Tibetan Empire should no longer be considered surprising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zhuang people, a significant ethnic minority in China, practise a unique Mo religion that profoundly shapes their spiritual and daily lives. Although the theology and rituals of the Mo religion have been extensively studied, its temporal perspectives still need to be explored. This study addresses this gap by comprehensively analyzing how the Mo religion integrates natural, cultural, calendar, and theological elements to create a sacred temporal framework central to the Zhuang people's social life and material production. Drawing from primary sources such as religious texts, a rigorous text-based research approach is employed to gain a profound understanding of the Mo religion's temporal perspectives. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to enriching our knowledge of the Mo religion's sacred temporal frameworks, providing valuable insights for interdisciplinary research, and fostering mutual respect and appreciation among diverse cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the life and work of the Spanish missionary Antonio de Santa Maria Caballero (1602-1669), who played a significant role in re-establishing the Franciscan presence in the Catholic missions of China during the 17th century. Caballero began his active missionary work in 1633 and became proficient in the Chinese language and culture, mainly focusing on understanding the works of Confucius and other classics. His dedication allowed him to pass the ri�-gorous imperial exams in Lipu, northeast of Guangxi, in 1653. Caballero's work, published in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Chinese, includes books, treatises, comments, and letters that identify his missionary theory and practice. He strongly opposed the accommodation model promoted by the Jesuits, which allowed Chinese converts to Christianity to continue practicing ancestor rituals and worshiping Confucius. Caballero criticized any blending of traditional Chinese beliefs with Christian doctrine. In 1666, together with 24 other Catholic missionaries in China, Caballero was arrested and exiled to Canton, where he died three years later. During exile, the surviving missionaries, 20 Jesuits, three Dominicans, and Caballero, held from December 18, 1667, to January 26, 1668, a series of meetings that, later known as "Canton Conferences", intended to develop a consensual text on the missionary strategy. Dominated by the Jesuit accommodationist model, all the missionaries present signed the final document known in Latin as Acta Cantoniensia authentica, except Caballero, who immediately worked on a document justifying his critical position. The result was a long letter written originally in Spanish addressed in 1668 to the Portuguese Jesuit Luís da Gama (1610-1672), then provincial of China and Japan, entitled "Tratado que se remitió al muy R. P. Luís de Gama de la Compañia de Jesús sobre algunos puntos de esta misión de la Gran China" (Treatise sent to the very R. P. Luís de Gama of the Society of Jesus on some points of this mission in Great China). Mobilizing the main Confucian and neo-Confucian classics that Caballero shared in-depth, the text criticized in detail the cults of ancestors and Confucius as pagan, also denying any possibility of finding even remote forms of natural theology and an approach to the Christian God among the ancient school traditions that underpinned traditional cults. At the same time, seeking to substantiate his critical positions with works produced by some Jesuits, Caballero translated into Latin during this period of exile a treatise initially written in Portuguese by the Italian Jesuit Nicolò Longobardo, the successor of Matteo Ricci, critic of the accommodationist model and, in particular, of the proposed Chinese translations of the name of God. The two texts, Caballero's letter and Longobardo's treatise were translated into French and published in Paris in 1701 by the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, a congregation extremely hostile to the Jesuit missionary model in China. Entitled "Anciens Traitez de divers auteurs sur les ceremonies de la Chine" (Ancient Treatises of various authors on the ceremonies of China), the work would be offered in 1715 to the German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz at the end of 1715 by his French correspondent Nicolas-François Rémond de Montfort. The critical reading of Leibniz produced his unfinished reflections, written in 1716, on the ethical compatibility between Chinese classical moral thought and Christian doctrine written in French as "Lettre sur la philosophie chinoise à Monsieur de Rémond" (Letter on the Chinese Philosophy to M. Remond). Republished since 1977 as "Discourse on the Natural Theology of the Chinese," Leibniz's text is a defense of the Jesuit missionary accommodation system, stressing its contribution to his personal ongoing research on the possibilities of an autonomous, universal moral philosophy grounded in transcultural foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Society: Chinese Journal of Sociology / Shehui is the property of Society: Chinese Journal of Sociology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The early Baroque, characterized by the skeptical spirit of the 16th century, reaches its peak in the following century with Descartes' hyperbolic doubt. The purpose of this paper is to analyze two of Hume's works, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding in order to place the philosopher in the tradition of Baroque thought. First of all, we will show that David Hume pushed skepticism far beyond its ancient or Cartesian limits, attacking even our way of formulating sentences, which is a subjective one, the result of some psychological factors that cannot be the basis of science. Secondly, we will demonstrate that Hume's skepticism belongs to the late Baroque and is, by its radical character, a form of metaphysical denial of any universal certainties. In conclusion, Hume's skeptical spirit, manifested in relation to the authority constructed by the post-Westphalian ideology, overcame the past, which was at the time denied, and represents, from a philosophical point of view, the origin of the revolutionary spirit of the second half of the 18th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes its cue from an unpublished manuscript by the Victorian polymath William Stanley Jevons (1835–1882). I elucidate how he attempted to integrate science and religion through natural theology. I argue that Jevons's manuscript shows that he took the theory of probability to be the most appropriate tool for finding evidence of divine design in natural phenomena. Jevons thus took part in the nineteenth-century natural theology debate, specifically between William Whewell and Charles Babbage. This debate was about both how to interpret the analogy between natural and human contrivances, and about the tools which should be used in natural theology. After introducing the manuscript, I present Jevons's religious ideas about Unitarianism and the relationship between chance and design in his writings. I show Jevons's commitment to natural theology and his idea that humans, due to their finite intellect, should use the theory of probability to investigate divine providence. I then compare Jevons's position to Whewell's and Babbage's Bridgewater Treatises. I show how they had different conceptions of natural theology compared to Jevons, and different ideas about the tools that should be used to investigate natural laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss with some contemporary Thomists the possibility of re-actualizing Thomas's fifth way to God in the science–theology dialogue. We start with a reference to Spinoza's critique of teleology in light of some recent Spinoza studies, and after summarizing several Thomistic defenses of Aquinas's teleological argument, we interpret that critique as targeting the fifth way as well. We then focus on Darwin's impact on biological design arguments. We argue that his naturalistic explanation of biological teleology also affects the fifth way. The distinction between internal-Aristotelian and external-Platonic conceptions of teleology does not seem to be able to protect the teleological argument from a Darwinian critique. We conclude by stressing the importance and fruitfulness of Thomas's thought for contemporary interdisciplinary dialogue, provided that Darwin's impact on the biological version of the fifth way is taken into due account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the rise of logical positivism, even in the realm of theology, there was a trend to give up on accepting the actions of God in history as objective acts and to create an atmosphere of separating faith and reason. Wolfhart Pannenberg's work presents a compelling integration of theology with the rational and empirical rigors of the scientific age. Through a comprehensive theological method, he aimed to establish a dialogue between faith and scientific inquiry, challenging the exclusivity of logical positivism by proposing a theological metaphysics grounded in the concept of retroactive ontology. Pannenberg's approach is distinguished by its systematic application of hermeneutics, considering the totality of history as the context for divine revelation, and positioning the resurrection of Jesus Christ as a pivotal event that embodies God's influence on the world. His innovative ontology, which enables one to consider divine action as objective, seeks to validate theology as a science, engaging with natural sciences to foster a mutual enrichment between faith and reason. Pannenberg's methodological rigor and metaphysical framework offer a robust foundation for a theology that is both intellectually defensible and deeply rooted in Christian faith, advocating for a theology of nature that reconciles the divine with the empirical world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental philosophy of religion is the project of taking the tools and resources of the human sciences—especially psychology and cognitive science—and bringing them to bear on issues within philosophy of religion toward explicit philosophical ends. This paper introduces readers to experimental philosophy of religion. §2 explores the contours of experimental philosophy of religion by contrasting it with a few related fields: the psychology of religion and cognitive science of religion, on the one hand, and natural theology, on the other. §3 offers a brief history of experimental philosophy of religion. The goal in this section is to highlight the ancient pedigree of this emerging area of research; as the contemporary experimental philosophy of religion literature expands and proliferates, it's important to remember that this field has deep historical roots. Then, §4 focuses on the following questions: Why should we care about experimental philosophy of religion? And why is it needed? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Kuyper’s approach to natural theology and general revelation. Kuyper’s view of natural theology was that it is important but limited. Kuyper rejected the view that general revelation provides the foundations for special revelation as it results in the autonomy of reason. Furthermore, he rejected natural theology as rational proof or argument for the existence and nature of God. He distinguished but did not separate general and special revelation from each other. Kuyper also accepted “creational revelation”, which is a better term for his view of general revelation. OPSOMMING Hierdie artikel ondersoek Kuyper se benadering tot natuurlike teologie en algemene openbaring. Kuyper se siening van natuurlike teologie was dat dit belangrik maar beperk is. Kuyper het die siening verwerp dat algemene openbaring die grondslag vir spesiale openbaring bied, aangesien dit tot die outonomie van die rede lei. Verder het hy natuurlike teologie as rasionele bewys of argument vir die bestaan en aard van God verwerp. Hy het tussen algemene en spesiale openbaring onderskei, maar dit nie van mekaar geskei nie. Kuyper het ook “skeppingsopenbaring” aanvaar, wat ‘n meer gepaste begrip vir sy siening van algemene openbaring is. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.89.1.2547

The discovery of the planet Neptune in 1846, first theoretically and then observationally, was a 19th-century event that went beyond the interests of the narrow group of astronomers of the time. Indeed, the significance of this event is still a subject of interest among historians and philosophers of science. During the period discussed, natural theology played a special cognitive and social role, forming the basis for arguments based on the new knowledge of nature. This article discusses how the discovery of Neptune was received among the community of 19th-century British and American Protestant theologians, who were always open to scientific research and discoveries.

The argument from design used to prove the existence of God is one of the arguments to which David Hume has devoted the most attention. On the one hand, this analogical reasoning is based on observational evidence. For that reason, it could be considered a particularly attractive type of argument for an empiricist philosopher. In fact, Hume uses this a posteriori argument in several of his works. On the other hand, Hume's position on this type of reasoning is not entirely clear. The philosopher defends this argument on several occasions and criticizes it on others. This paper aims to investigate Hume's analysis of the argument from design. In particular, we will highlight the peculiarities of the philosopher's remarks in the Dialogues on natural religion. We will analyze the significance of Hume's position in the Dialogues regarding the so-called "Philon's conversion". We will show that "Philo's conversion" at the end of the work could represent the positive scope that Hume attributes to this type of arguments in his theoretical philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While natural law theory plays an important role for Catholic moral theology, it is true that Orthodox ethics has not endeavoured to develop its own theory of natural law. This article demonstrates the existence of the concept of natural law in Eastern Orthodox theology and argues that the main reason for this neglect is Eastern Christianity's traditional focus on faith rather than reason. In addition, the author, based on biblical and patristic grounds, highlights the necessity for a balance between the two to be found and provides a way in which Orthodox moral theology could develop a natural law theory, should it ever feel the need to do so, by first redefining its relationship with the science of philosophy, after so many years of disregard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a "neoclassical" reading of Ernan McMullin's thought on science and theology. McMullin's Augustinian convictions on God and the God–world relation coincide with those of some prominent scholars from two renowned schools of neo-scholastic philosophy of the twentieth century in Louvain and Milan. The school of Milan, thanks to the work of some disciples of its leading figure, Amato Masnovo, developed a neoclassical version of neo-scholasticism, articulating a fundamental theory of knowledge, as well as an essential, rigorous path to God. We recall the main tenets of a neoclassical path to God, and we interpret this path as a possible contribution to the science–theology dialogue, in line with McMullin's Augustinism. A neoclassical approach to science and theology, with its rediscovery and reactualization of some ideas of classic philosophy in an interdisciplinary context, grounds the intelligibility of the universe and safeguards its mystery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul Draper has expressed concerns regarding the current state of the philosophy of religion. Based on insights from Cornel West, in this article I will be giving a pragmatic response to Draper’s article “Partisanship and Inquiry in Philosophy of Religion”. More accurately, this article will be presenting what Draper calls “philosophy of theism” as a pragmatic tool for overcoming partisanship in the philosophy of religion. Ultimately, philosophy of theism is commendable insofar as it can overcome partisanship better than the alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines Mary Shelley's ambivalence in "Frankenstein," focusing on the protagonist's pursuit of Paradise through creating life, which contrasts with his eventual realization of failure and alienation. Topics discussed include Frankenstein's ambition to play God, his subsequent rejection by his creation, and the thematic juxtaposition of imaginary aspirations with the harsh realities of paralysis and decay.

The text discusses the book "Hume's Philosophy in Historical Perspective" by M. A. Stewart and expresses the hope for a second edition. The author believes that the book deserves a corrected edition, indicating that there may be some errors or issues with the current version. The text does not provide any specific details about the content of the book or its subject matter. [Extracted from the article]

The central metaphor of nature as a watch Ims colored the debate about natural theology silice Paley and Darwin. However. a chemical interpretation of natural history will dger because cheinical systems do not work like watches. Here. a natural history of chemical constraints proposed by R. J. P. Williams is interpreted Nirough Joseph Earley's two modes of chemical becoming" with classical realism and the philosophy Of emergence. 171is interpretation shi#s attention./)00111 a system's irreducible complexity to its irreducible novelty, focusing on its novel existence and its transcendental truth, goodness, and beauty. A view of natural history in which irreducible novelty evolves through chemistry has several advantages: it accommodates continuous change (giviiig direction to a gradual mechanism of evolution) and irreversible change (providing an importantyet limited rolejor chance rather than denying its existence oroveremphasizing its power). A chemical perspective perceives the inherent "makeability" and manifest order of the universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many philosophers of theistic religions claim (1) that there are powerful a posteriori arguments for God's existence that make it rational to believe that He exists and at the same time maintain (2) that God always has the freedom to do otherwise. In this article, I argue that these two positions are inconsistent because the empirical evidence on which the a posteriori arguments for God's existence rest can be explained better by positing the existence of a God-like being without the freedom to do otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Famously, in the essay Inquiry Concerning the Distinctness of the Principles of Natural Theology and Morality (Prize Essay), Kant attempts to distance himself from the Wolffian model of philosophical inquiry. In this respect, Kant scholars have pointed out Kant's claim that philosophy should not imitate the method of mathematics and his appeal to Newton's "analytic method." In this article, I argue that there is an aspect of Kant's critique of the Wolffian model that has been neglected. Kant presents a powerful attack of the idea that philosophy should proceed through the analysis of concepts and argues that we should give up the aim of arriving at "complete" concepts as one of its fundamental desiderata. Importantly, this attack of philosophy conceived as conceptual analysis is distinctive and original if one compares it with Kant's critique of analysis in the Critique of Pure Reason , which rests on the idea that analysis is insufficient to ground substantial metaphysical truths. I also make an additional point: Scholars have debated whether the appeal to Newton's analytic method involves a form of empiricism. I submit that this debate is ill-conceived because Kant uses a notion of "given concepts" that is indeterminate with respect to their a priori or a posteriori status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the significance of olfaction for philosophical aesthetics are justifiably interested in innovative literary explorations of links between aesthetic values and olfactory perceptions. In this context, the early Enlightenment poetry by Barthold Heinrich Brockes has remained neglected: literary historians rarely pay attention to his approaches to smell, and the few pertinent studies appeared in German only. This article introduces the English-speaking public to the valuation of smell in the theological aesthetics of Brockes’ poems, and it concludes with a sketch of his contribution to the tradition of modern cultic smelling, in which the olfactory and the aesthetic are variously intertwined. He thematises smelling as an emotional climax of human relations to external nature which are validated by a sacred essence of the experiential world, the awareness of which can be conjured up through innerworldly poetic thought. This interpretive pattern of olfactory culture has remained relevant to the present day.

This article discusses the use of ancient church fathers and commentators in the modern creation debate. The author argues that these ancient voices have been misinterpreted and misused to support various positions on the literal six-day creation. The article provides an overview of ten chapters that examine the works of these ancient commentators in chronological order, offering interpretations of their passages in their historical and theological contexts. The author emphasizes the importance of understanding the different perspectives and debates of the ancients, which were more philosophical and theological rather than scientific. The conclusion highlights that the ancients cannot be recruited for the creation debate as their focus was on understanding the saving purposes of God in history. Overall, the article provides valuable insights into the interpretations and misinterpretations of ancient theologians in the creation debate. [Extracted from the article]

This article proposes an underappreciated value for traditional natural theology and its familiar arguments for the existence of God, without endorsing the soundness or the rational cogency of these arguments. Famously, Aquinas and Kant represent two extremes, with Aquinas endorsing some natural theology arguments for God’s existence and Kant opposing such arguments. This article recommends a moderating approach, on the grounds that while Aquinas is unduly optimistic here by the epistemic standards of many inquirers, Kant is too pessimistic regarding the heuristic value of the relevant natural theology arguments. The neglected heuristic value of these arguments, according to this article, is in their prompting in unique ways some challenging and fruitful questions for inquiry about God. The disputed natural theology arguments have not achieved anything near a consensus on their soundness or rational cogency, but they still can have significant heuristic value aside from their soundness or rational cogency. This article identifies the relevant fruitful questions and their theoretical importance for human inquiry about God. Ultimately, a heuristic interrogative approach to familiar arguments of natural theology gives these arguments a new role with resilient heuristic value for inquiry about God, even if they do not justify the belief that God exists. Such moderation, this article contends, is rationally defensible with regard to these arguments.

An Eastern Orthodox understanding of science—that of Christopher C. Knight—is presented as a contribution to science-engaged theology that has implications for western Christian reflection on science as a contemporary locus theologicus. Three areas of enquiry are discussed: natural theology, the human mind in its relationship to God, and divine action. It is suggested that in each of these areas, Orthodox perspectives can provide links between the differing perspectives to be found among western Christians and provide new pathways for theological exploration on an ecumenical basis.

The text provided analyses nihilism in terms of the absence and ignorance of God, starting from the interpretations of Christos Yannaras and others. It discusses the transformation of European nihilism into a theology of absence, the denial of the metaphysics of God's divinity and philosophical influences such as those of Nietzsche and Heidegger. The nihilistic nature of the West is discussed, as well as the evolution of Western metaphysical concepts throughout history, including Augustine's interpretation and influences on later philosophy. It also addresses the concept of God in the philosophy of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz and others, discussing the transformations brought about in the interpretation of divinity and the relationship with rationalism and empiricism. Emphasis is placed on the contrast between Nietzsche and Descartes, as well as criticisms of atheistic theism and how natural theology has been transformed into rational science. The text explores the changes in philosophical thought brought about by philosophers such as Kant, Fichte, Hegel and others, highlighting their conceptual renovations. It discusses the theology of the cross and the meeting of religion and philosophy. At the same time, Husserl's phenomenology and Heidegger's existential-phenomenological ontology are considered, highlighting the differences between being and Being in the proposed philosophical context. Conclusions drawn include the affirmation of apophaticism in theology as an emphasis, highlighting how nihilism can influence faith and non-faith and how Western metaphysics has been transformed by the ideas proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National conservatism is a post-liberal political ideology associated with conferences held by the Edmund Burke Foundation. The intellectual core of this ideology is the use of natural theologies of gender to undergird a transnational and interfaith approach to political theology. This mode of political theology is analyzed in the thinking of political theorist Yoram Hazony, theologian R.R. Reno, philosopher Patrick Deneen, and theologian Albert Mohler. These thinkers do more than simply rejecting the premises of liberal democracy as a political order: they all assert the fundamental role of patriarchal gender roles in the survival and prosperity of the nation state. While they hold that the nation is the primary political unit, their understanding of gender is even more fundamental as a foundation for the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to relate natural teleology to the practice of governance. To do so, it presents the phenomenon of social fragmentation and evaluates it –following A. MacIntyre– as a negative aspect of contemporary social (dis)order due to the moral and psychological disintegration it promotes among ordinary people. Such disintegration leads to conflict and confusion between desires and goods. Among the causes of fragmentation, analytical philosophy and the social theory of existentialism stand out and, at their core, the abandonment of natural teleology. Institutional governance is not immune to fragmentation, so the author suggests that a perspective that explicitly integrates natural teleology in the practice of governance may have practical implications in decision-making and can constitute a significant, albeit partial, contribution to achieving social and moral cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops Mark D. Linville's brief description of "a sort of moral fine-tuning argument". I develop the argument in four ways: I unpack the argument and give it a clear formulation, I unpack the theistic explanation of why a somewhat reliable moral capacity is expected, I point to the significance of not seeking to explain a perfect moral capacity, and I put the argument up against the recent work on non-theistic moral epistemology by Derek Parfit, David Enoch, and Erik Wielenberg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of natural theology is a key one in the work of Augustine who, as a Roman formed from the coordinates of the classical canon, builds within his work the necessary devices to give legitimate, although partial, entry to Greco-Roman elements that will be guide his own argument in the territory of Christian literature. The eighth book of his treatise The City of God allows us to observe the extraction of that notion from its area of origin, especially the texts of Varro and Cicero, which in turn have their antecedents in the academic and Stoic philosophical tradition, their adaptation to the horizon of biblical-Christian meaning and its interested use within it. The operation carried out by Augustine gives us a glimpse of his knowledge and ability to manipulate the Roman-Republican literary tradition, in addition to certain conceptions from the doxographic vulgate in force in his context, such as those of "schools" and philosophical "successions." We are interested in focusing, above all, on the games of amalgamations and semantic shifts that Augustine rehearses on the profile of Socrates, with very specific purposes, and which lead us to observe, also, the circulation of ideas in the North African Roman area, for which we have some interesting antecedents, such as the Latin apologetics books of Tertullian and Minutius Felix, between the 2nd and 3rd centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Editorial Board of Circe de Clásicos y Modernos supports the statement of the National Interuniversity Council regarding the situation of public universities in Argentina. They express their concern about the lack of funding for education and scientific research. Despite the economic difficulties, the journal continues to publish high-quality academic articles. In this issue, translations of classical texts and studies on topics such as natural theology and the myth of the abduction of Europa are included. There is also a review of a book on Philo of Alexandria. The issue concludes with a tribute to Silvia Calosso, a prominent scholar in classical studies in Argentina. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Theology & Morality / Teologia I Moralmosc is the property of Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza (IH UAM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

"The Epistemology of Spirit Beliefs" by Hans Van Eyghen is a book that explores the epistemic credentials of beliefs in spirits, focusing on the existence and nature of lesser spirits rather than a Supreme Being. Van Eyghen argues that the epistemology of spirit beliefs can be supported by arguments from religious experience, drawing analogies to arguments for theism. The book examines different categories of spirit-human interaction, such as perception, contact via mediums, spirit-possession, and animistic experience, and provides arguments for the existence of finite spirits. However, the book has methodological difficulties and does not provide a successful apologetic for spirit beliefs. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Praxis Filosófica is the property of Universidad del Valle and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Anales del Seminario de Historia de la Filosofía is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cardiometabolic disorders (CMD) such as hypertension and diabetes are increasingly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, placing people living with HIV at risk for cardiovascular disease and threatening the success of HIV care. Spouses are often the primary caregivers for people living with CMD, and understanding patients' and partners' conceptions of CMD could inform care. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 couples having a partner living with HIV and either hypertension or diabetes. Couples were recruited from HIV clinics in Malawi and were interviewed on beliefs around symptoms, causation, prevention, and treatment for CMD. Data were analyzed at the individual and dyadic levels using framework analysis and Kleinman's theory of explanatory models as a lens. On average, participants were 51 years old and married for 21 years. Approximately 57%, 14%, and 80% had hypertension, diabetes, and HIV. Couples endorsed a combination of biomedical explanatory models (beliefs around physical and mental health) and traditional explanatory models (beliefs around religion and natural remedies), although tended to emphasize the biomedical model. Half of couples believed stress was the main cause of hypertension. For diabetes, diet was believed to be a common cause. In terms of prevention, dietary changes and physical activity were most frequently mentioned. For disease management, medication adherence and diet modifications were emphasized, with some couples also supporting herbal remedies, stress reduction, and faith in God as strategies. Participants were generally more concerned about CMD than HIV due to poor access to CMD medications and beliefs that CMD could lead to sudden death. Within couples, partners often held many of the same beliefs but diverged around which etiological or preventive factors were most important (e.g., stress versus diet) and the best diet for CMD. Health education programs should involve primary partners to build knowledge of CMD and address overlap with HIV, and reinforce accurate information on lifestyle factors for the prevention and treatment of CMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Critique of the Power of Judgment, Kant claims organisms are to be judged as 'natural ends', which are products of nature but inexplicable by mechanical laws of nature. The conception of natural ends necessarily leads to the idea of nature in its whole as a system of ends. This paper proposes an interpretation of Kant's biological teleology that can be compatible with modern science. Mechanical laws in the third Critique are understood as empirical causal laws that determine all phenomena. A living organism is mechanically inexplicable, not because it falls outside of mechanical laws, but because the reciprocal productions of its parts are unifiable under its whole, as if designed by an intelligent agency according to the concept of the whole. Once we judge teleologically the mechanical laws determining the organic productions, we must judge teleologically all productions determined by these laws and therefore conceive nature in its whole as a system of ends, to which natural mechanism is subordinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noting that the doctrine of the general resurrection attracted renewed attention after the Reformation, and after the atomist revival led to the displacement of traditional hylomorphism by alternative matter theories, this article surveys the ways in which the resurrection was discussed by leading natural philosophers in seventeenth‐century England. These include discussion of how bodily resurrection might be possible, what resurrected bodies will be like; as well as the nature of living conditions after the resurrection. It is indicated that the resurrection seems to have played a much less prominent place in the writings of natural philosophers than the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and other issues of natural theology. Reasons for this lack of prominence are tentatively offered, chiefly focusing on its unsuitability for combatting the perceived atheism of the time. It is hoped that this preliminary survey might inspire others to extend the survey, especially to cover Continental philosophers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of historic Christian philosophical theology has affirmed that God not only exists, but is Existence itself. Nowadays, this claim is widely rejected as unintelligible by theists and non-theists alike. I argue in contrast that if there is such a thing as Existence itself, that thing must be a maximally excellent being, which is what many philosophers call God. This is because Existence would itself need to exist, which is only possible if Existence exists in a paradigmatic way, that is, as a perfect instance of existence. My argument thus offers both a defence of the coherence of the claim that God is Existence itself, and a new way of arguing for theism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]