Divine Action: Examining God’s Role in an Open and Emergent Universe

Divine Action by philosopher, theologian, and scholar Keith Ward was briefly available in 1990, before a publishing consolidation took it out of circulation. In this edition, the author has added a new preface that reflects on the argument in the light of the recent resurgence of naturalism in philosophy. In an intellectual counterpoint to antispirituality arguments, Ward explores what is involved in the idea of creation and of particular divine actions in a world of scientific law and intelligibility. He presents his argument for the presence of divine action in the natural world and offers a rationale for divine operation as a continuous spiritual-natural conversation.Dr Ward defends the Christian doctrine of Incarnation, but is also concerned more widely with discussion of the big questions in science and religion - those concerning existence, purpose, and inner process. His study embraces an analysis of freedom and necessity, the origins of suffering, constraints of creation, prayer as participation in divine action, miracles as epiphanies of the spirit, divine nature and human nature, and redemption.