Pacific Coast Theological Society

Theology, Science & the Human Person

Classroom B at Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP), Berkeley, California

NOTE: Paper sessions are held in the same classroom as the Spring 2015 meeting (and just down the hall from Tucson room where previous meetings were held).

Schedule

Friday, Nov 6

Saturday, Nov 7

Topic

The papers for the Fall 2015 meeting examine aspects of theological anthropology while incorporating a scientific perspective.

Paper Session - Friday, Nov 6, 2-5 pm

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (Fuller, webpage)

"Multidimensional Monism: A Constructive Proposal for the Nature of Human Nature"

Indeed, it is “a strange fact about our culture that we are operating with a variety of radically different views of the basic nature of human beings.” As if that were not enough, “[e]ven stranger is the fact that so few people seem to notice.” Not only is this true of society at large, but perhaps even more surprisingly, it is true of theology! No wonder inquiry into human nature has been compared to a “labyrinth” where there are “blind alleys” and where it is difficult to “find one’s goal.” (p. 306)

We will discuss selected chapters from Creation and Humanity: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 3 of Kärkkäinen's five volume systematic theology.

Chapter 12 "“Multidimensional Monism”: The Nature of Human Nature" is the primary chapter we will discuss.

Chapter 10 "An Evolving Humanity: Uniqueness and Dignity in Scientific Perspective" will also be discussed.

In Chapter 11, pages 289-98 deal with embodiment, emotions, and sociality, and will also be pertinent to the discussion.

You may purchase Creation and Humanity (e.g., through Amazon), or a pdf of the chapters will be made available to attendees via email before the meeting (either registering in advance or requesting it from markgraves at fuller dot edu, if needed).

Respondent is Robert J. Russell (CTNS)

Braden Molhoek (GTU)

"Revitalizing the Originals: Reinhold Niebuhr’s Original Sin and Original Righteousness in Light of Theology and Science" (pdf)
Respondent is Brian Green (SCU)

Public Lecture - Friday, 7-8:30 pm

Public Lecture, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (Fuller)

Held in the Tucson Room.
Three Conversions of a Theologian and the Ways they have Helped Transform - and Complicate - Constructive Theological Work.

Paper Session - Saturday, Nov 7, 9:30 am-noon

Alan Weissenbacher (GTU)

"The Neuroscience of Wesleyan Sotierology" (pdf)
Respondent is Arvin Gouw (UC Berkeley, Stanford)

Mark Graves (Fuller)

"Shared Spirituality Among Human Persons and Artificially Intelligent Agents" (pdf)
Respondent is Andrew Porter (GTU/CTNS)




You may register at the meeting or online via the PCTS registration page. To renew full yearly membership for 2015-16 and register for the Fall 2015 meeting simultaneously via Pay Pal, you may:

Student members and nonmember attendees, please use the PCTS registration page.