Our world is more than physics: a constructive – critical comment on the current science and theology debate

Losch, Andreas

doi:10.1080/14746700500317271

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…One can even speak of humans as ‘created co-creators’. This nominalization, however, appears too strong to me, because of biblical reservations to safeguard the word for ‘creation’ to God alone, and hence I want to translate the respective deliberations by Philipp Hefner (Hefner 1995) here in that way, that it is humankind's purpose to shape nature in creative and responsible participation in God's creation and with the means of culture towards increasing realization of freedom in relationship (Losch 2005: 285). We human images of God, however, do not only participate co-creatively in shaping our habitat, but we also destroy it 20 , which is illustrated theologically by the concept of sin – this is why Christian theology has contributed to the ideas of environmental protection and of sustainability (see, for instance, Moltmann, 1985; Barbour, 1994).…”

Section: What Is Going On? a Constructive-critical Realist Interpretamentioning

confidence: 99%

The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability

Losch

2018

International Journal of Astrobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The concept of sustainability is widely acknowledged as a political guideline. Economic, ecological, social and cultural aspects of sustainability are already under discussion. Current space mining efforts demand that the discussion become a broader one about 'planetary sustainability', including the space surrounding Earth. To date, planetary sustainability has mainly been used with reference to Earth only and I will extend it here, elaborating on a similar NASA initiative. This article (1) sketches the contemporary economic-political initiatives which call for a special reflection of Earth's location in space, and then (2) discusses the meaning of the concept of sustainability in this context. Next, (3) I relate the discussion to the issue of planetary and environmental protection, before, (4) finally, presenting a philosophical and theological perspective that seems particularly able to broach the issue of the multiple dimensions of sustainability in this context. This is the concept of constructive-critical realism. My overview of the topic concludes with (5) a summarizing outlook.

show abstract

Section: What Is Going On? a Constructive-critical Realist Interpretamentioning

confidence: 99%

The need of an ethics of planetary sustainability

Losch

2018

International Journal of Astrobiology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Can theology build on modern physics? The development of the science–religion dialogue has been reviewed by Losch (), who points out that “our world is more than physics.” Christian hope for a new creation cannot be based on science (Benz , 162). The questions express doubts about a widespread philosophical attitude known as scientism or physicalism (Smedes ).…”

Section: Science and Religionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Astrophysics and Creation: Perceiving the Universe Through Science and Participation

Benz¹

2017

Zygon

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

I explore how the notion of divine creation could be made understandable in a worldview dominated by empirical science. The crucial question concerns the empirical basis of belief in creation. Astronomical observations have changed our worldview in an exemplary manner. I show by an example from imaginative literature that human beings can perceive stars by means other than astronomical observation. This alternative mode may be described as “participatory perception,” in which a human experiences the world not by objectifying separation as in science, but by personal involvement. I relate such perceptions to “embodied cognitive science,” a topical interdisciplinary field of research in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. Embodied cognitions initiate processes that can convey personal experiences of the stars. Such cognitions may involve religious apprehensions and give rise to sophisticated values. It is argued that the knowledge available through astrophysics and interpretation of the universe as divine creation represent two different ways of perceiving the same reality and should thus be seen as mutually complementary.

show abstract

“…The idea was to call it "constructive-critical realism". I sketched out elsewhere in detail what is meant by this term (Losch 2005(Losch , 2010. Here, I want to elaborate on this idea in such a way as to reconcile these epistemologically rival positions within one term.…”

Section: Comparison With Barbour's Critical Realismmentioning

confidence: 99%