God and Gravity: A Philip Clayton Reader on Science and Theology

by Philip Clayton, Bradford McCall (Editor)

Overview

Philip Clayton is well known as a major thinker working at the interface of science, philosophy, and Christian theology. Here, for the first time, a representative selection of his far-reaching works have been brought together into one place. After a general introduction to the breadth of Clayton's writing, the book is divided into six main sections: 1) Science & Religion; 2) Science, Faith, & God; 3) Panentheistic Reflections on Science & Theology; 4) Science & Emergence; 5) Science, Spirit, & Divine Action; and 6) Progressive Theology. This introduction and reader will become the go-to text for all inquiries regarding Philip Clayton's expansive theology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532649561
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	08/23/2018
Pages:	386
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Philip Clayton is the Ingraham Professor of Theology at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA.



Bradford McCall is a PhD student at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA. He is the author of A Modern Relation of Theology & Science (Wipf and Stock, 2018) and many peer-reviewed journal articles.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Editorial Introduction ix

Practicing Dialogical Theology: An Intellectual Autobiography xxxiv

Acknowledgements xlv

Part I Science & Religion

1 Explanation in Science and Religion 3

2 Systematic Theology and Postmodernism 9

3 What Theologians Can and Cannot Learn from Scientific Cosmology 16

4 On Religion: A Speech to Its Scientifically Cultured Despisers 25

5 The Basic Question: Science or Religion, or Science and Religion? 33

6 Science and the World's Religions 37

7 The Future of Science and Religion 48

Part II Science, Faith, & God

8 The Context for Modern Thought about God 59

9 The Personality of God and the Limits of Philosophy 67

10 Biology and Purpose: Altruism, Morality, and Human Nature in Evolutionary Perspectives 74

11 Reason for Doubt 82

12 The Ultimate Reality 89

13 Doubt and Belief 96

Part III Panentheistic Reflections on Science & Theology

14 Spinoza's One and the Birth of Panentheism 103

15 Rethinking the Relation of God and the World: Panentheism and the Contribution of Philosophy 110

16 Panentheism in Metaphysical and Scientific Perspective 118

17 Panentheism Today: A Constructive Systematic Evaluation 126

18 Panentheisms East and West 133

19 "Open Panentheism" and Creation as Kenosis 138

Part IV Science & Emergence

20 The Rise and Fall of Reductionism; The Concept of Emergence; The Pre-history of the Emergence Concept; Weak and Strong Emergence 147

21 Defining Emergence 156

22 Eight Characteristics of Emergence 164

23 Emergence in Biology; Emergence in Evolution; Toward an Emergentist Philosophy of Biology 167

24 Conceptual Foundations of Emergence Theory 176

25 Emergence from Quantum Physics to Religion 189

26 Why Emergence Matters: A New Paradigm for Relating the Sciences 196

27 Theological Reflections on Emergence: From Emergent Nature to the Emerging Church 204

Part V Science, Spirit, & Divine Action

28 Scientific Causality, Divine Causality 215

29 A Panentheistic Theory of Divine Action 223

30 Natural Law and the Problem of Divine Action: Can Contemporary Theologians Still Affirm That God (Literally) Does Anything? 230

31 Rethinking Divine Action 238

32 On Divine and Human Agency: Reflections of a Co-laborer 246

Part VI Progressive Theology

33 Things Have Changed, or "Toto, we're not in Kansas Anymore" 261

34 Why the Answers Must Be Theological 266

35 Postmodern Believing 273

36 A Theology of Self-Emptying for the Church 281

37 Toward a Progressive Theology for Christian Activism 288

38 Introducing Organic Marxism 295

39 The Ecology and Praxis of Organic Marxism 301

40 The Many Faces of Integration: Liberal Faith between Church, Academy, and World 304

Select Bibliography 317

Books Written Philip Clayton 329

Books Edited Philip Clayton 331

Index 333

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Bringing together a ‘highlight reel’ of Philip Clayton’s writing is a daunting task! But Bradford McCall does it well in this Reader. In addition to forty of Clayton’s sophisticated writings on theology, philosophy, and science, we get a testimonial of his personal journey of faith and questioning. The Clayton synthesis of wide-ranging ideas, diverse traditions, various fields of inquiry, and experiences provides an open-ended, transformative theology-in-dialogue worth embracing!”

—Thomas Jay Oord, Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID



“It is indeed a matter of festive gravity that Philip Clayton’s vast spectrum of writing between science and religion has been here so richly and accessibly collected. Clayton is our leading theologian of science. His panentheism, with its concept of divine action evolved so far beyond the contradictions of traditional theism, is itself a dauntless labor of emergence. So what a gift it is for thinkers in science or religion to find this treasure chest of gem-like excerpts selected from the cosmically wide spectrum of Claytonian writings.”

—Catherine Keller, The Theological School at Drew University, Madison, NJ



“Philip Clayton is a philosopher and theologian to be reckoned with, and one of the most positive and creative writers on religion and science. This is a very illuminating introduction to his thinking.”

—Keith Ward, Gresham College, London



“Readers fulfill at least the following roles: (1) introduce a prolific thinker to new audiences in one place; (2) cover the gamut of such a thinker's oeuvre in ways that enable

comparative and analytical perspective on the parts in relationship to the whole and vice-versa; and (3) provide a vista for the evolution of an important and influential set of ideas vis-.-vis the shifting contexts being navigated. God and Gravity meets these objectives, in particular situating Philip Clayton’s three-decades-plus engagement with the science-and-theology conversation against what manifests gradually as a triadic backdrop that includes the emerging church grappling with developments in the theological academy and the field of philosophy of science. Those new to the intersection of these three spheres seeking orientation will benefit from this volume

even as it serves as a handy reference for seasoned scholars and theologians wishing to engage Clayton’s achievements.”

—Amos Yong, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA



“This new edited collection is without a doubt the most comprehensive and in-depth look into the fascinating work and mind of its author’s endeavor to situate primal and important questions about religion and science, evolution, the human mind, ecology, and their theological treatments in search for responding and responsible visions of panentheism in the current context of the pressing issues of and for the future of

humanity.”

—Roland Faber, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA

Editorial Reviews

Bringing together a ‘highlight reel’ of Philip Clayton’s writing is a daunting task! But Bradford McCall does it well in this Reader. In addition to forty of Clayton’s sophisticated writings on theology, philosophy, and science, we get a testimonial of his personal journey of faith and questioning. The Clayton synthesis of wide-ranging ideas, diverse traditions, various fields of inquiry, and experiences provides an open-ended, transformative theology-in-dialogue worth embracing!”

—Thomas Jay Oord, Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID



“It is indeed a matter of festive gravity that Philip Clayton’s vast spectrum of writing between science and religion has been here so richly and accessibly collected. Clayton is our leading theologian of science. His panentheism, with its concept of divine action evolved so far beyond the contradictions of traditional theism, is itself a dauntless labor of emergence. So what a gift it is for thinkers in science or religion to find this treasure chest of gem-like excerpts selected from the cosmically wide spectrum of Claytonian writings.”

—Catherine Keller, The Theological School at Drew University, Madison, NJ



“Philip Clayton is a philosopher and theologian to be reckoned with, and one of the most positive and creative writers on religion and science. This is a very illuminating introduction to his thinking.”

—Keith Ward, Gresham College, London



“Readers fulfill at least the following roles: (1) introduce a prolific thinker to new audiences in one place; (2) cover the gamut of such a thinker's oeuvre in ways that enable

comparative and analytical perspective on the parts in relationship to the whole and vice-versa; and (3) provide a vista for the evolution of an important and influential set of ideas vis-.-vis the shifting contexts being navigated. God and Gravity meets these objectives, in particular situating Philip Clayton’s three-decades-plus engagement with the science-and-theology conversation against what manifests gradually as a triadic backdrop that includes the emerging church grappling with developments in the theological academy and the field of philosophy of science. Those new to the intersection of these three spheres seeking orientation will benefit from this volume

even as it serves as a handy reference for seasoned scholars and theologians wishing to engage Clayton’s achievements.”

—Amos Yong, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA



“This new edited collection is without a doubt the most comprehensive and in-depth look into the fascinating work and mind of its author’s endeavor to situate primal and important questions about religion and science, evolution, the human mind, ecology, and their theological treatments in search for responding and responsible visions of panentheism in the current context of the pressing issues of and for the future of

humanity.”

—Roland Faber, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA

From the Publisher