Divine Action, Determinism, and the Laws of Nature

Abstract

A longstanding question at the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology is how God might act, or not, when governing the universe. Many believe that determinism would prevent God from acting at all, since to do so would require violating the laws of nature. However, when a robust view of these laws is coupled with the kind of determinism now used in dynamics, a new model of divine action emerges. This book presents a new approach to divine action beyond the current focus on quantum mechanics and esoteric gaps in the causal order. It bases this approach on two general points: First, that there are laws of nature is not merely a metaphor. Second, laws and physical determinism are now understood in mathematically precise ways that have important implications for metaphysics. The explication of these two claims shows not only that nonviolationist divine action is possible but also that there is considerably more freedom available for God to act than that which current models allow. By bringing a philosophical perspective to an issue often dominated by theologians and scientists, this book redresses an imbalance in the discussion around divine action. It will therefore be of keen interest to scholars of philosophy and religion, the philosophy of science, and theology.

God, the laws of nature, and occasionalism

“…A more comprehensive analysis shows that decretalism is among the strongest views in the literature. See Koperski (2020) and Hildebrand and Metcalf (2021). 10.…”

An Evaluation of the Biological Case for Design

“…To start with, I would suggest that there are no convincing scientific reasons for thinking that God does not act directly in the world in ways that go beyond secondary causation. There are good reasons to think that special divine action of this kind does not conflict with scientific laws such as conservation of energy (see Plantinga 2011; Koperski 2021). In fact, Plantinga argues that in the context of quantum mechanics it is not even possible to say what an intervention is (Plantinga 2008).…”

Scientific Uniformity or “Natural” Divine Action: Shifting the Boundaries of Law in the Nineteenth Century

“…Jeffrey Koperski and Sarah Lane Ritchie have probably produced the most recent and detailed work in this area currently. Koperski offers an alternative to noninterventionism, which he calls the neoclassical model , while Ritchie provides three different alternatives, including Thomism, Panentheistic naturalism, and Pneumatological naturalism (Koperski 2019; Ritchie 2019). From a historical vantage point, however, these contemporary conceptions reveal something very peculiar.…”