School of Theological Studies

In the debate over the theology of the soul's origin, there have traditionally been three broad views on origins. These include creationism, traducianism, and Origen's pre-existence view. In the recent philosophy of religion and mind literature, William Hasker posits an alternative view of origins called emergent substance dualism. As a contribution to this discussion, I put forward one novel option as a via media between simple creationism and Hasker's emergent substance dualism, wherein it has relevant overlapping features found in the two contrary positions. I suggest that this view is a variation of creationism like emergentism where the material part (i.e. the brain) has some positive causal role in the soul's coming to be as a discrete effect of one divine cause. I argue that emergent creationism (as I call it) is a viable option deserving the attention of philosophers and theologians.

As a contribution to the discussion over ramied natural theology, I put forward a some lines of thought for a distinctively Cartesian variation of natural theology that points in the direction of the Christian God as a mind and as personal. I propose that Cartesian natural theology, as commonly seen in the literature on substance dualism, see the soul as a “sign” or “pointer” to God such that we, as human persons, seem to have access to God’s nature and existence via the soul (mind) as a rationale for the world full of persons. On this basis, I respond to a common anti-Cartesian charge(s) from subjectivism and suggest that this approach deserves further consideration concerning theological prolegomena.

The notion of the soul has come under attack in contemporary philosophical, scientific, and theological literature. In this essay, the question is raised as to whether or not the soul has meaning and ought to be affirmed as a real metaphysical entity. I affirm that the soul is rooted in a common-sense framework reaching back through history, and is not only intuitive but is still commonly accepted. I put forth three arguments in favor of the soul-concept and argue that it is not only meaningful, but ought to be affirmed by  persons. I see these arguments as inter-related and mutually affirming. First, I consider the argument from first-person knowledge. Second, I put forth a variation of the knowledge argument. Third, I  put forth an argument from personal identity. All three arguments comprise a robust cumulative case argument wherein one can derive meaning and content concerning the soul-concept. I conclude that the  soul-concept is meaningful and ought to be accepted.

Presently, there remains an aversion for substance dualism in both philosophical and theological literature. However, there has been a renewed interest in substance dualism within philosophical literature. In the present article, I advance substance dualism as a viable position that persuasively accounts for the Scriptural and theological data within Christian thought. I make a specific argument in favor of a metaphysically simple substance. Along the way, I note the overlap between the philosophical and theological literature and suggest that a simple soul as substance is a metaphysical presupposition grounding the data.

In Screening the Afterlife, Christopher Deacy critically and insightfully pushes the discussion on theology and film forward. Deacy, being no stranger to this discussion, has constructively engaged with a variety of topics including Christology, faith and theology in general. Here he is concerned with a particular doctrinal locus within Christian thought traditionally referred to as eschatology, or the study of the afterlife. Having said this, his approach is distinct from others that have preceded it. He is not much interested in criticizing the culture through the lens of film, nor is he interested in developing a systematic theology by drawing from film (20-21). Instead, Deacy's focus is on the correlations and distinctions found between theology (especially academic and historical theology) and film as a reflection of cultural phenomena and its emerging social consciousness (33). Thus, his view is that theology and film have equal "voice" and ought to be in dialogue with each other, mutually developing and extending knowledge (x).

Substance dualism has received much attention from philosophers and theologians in contemporary literature. Whilst it may have been fashionable in the recent past to dismiss substance dualism as an unviable and academically absurd position to hold, this is no longer the case. My contention is not so much the merits of substance dualism in general, but a more specified variation of substance dualism. My specific contribution to the literature in this article is that I argue for the viability of pure substance dualism as a more satisfactory option in contrast to compound or composite varieties of substance dualism. I put forth one argument and tease out the implications that make compound dualism less than satisfactory. I conclude that, minimally, more work is required on compound variations of dualism to make it a more appealing and a philosophically satisfactory option. KEYWORDS I-concept, soul, substance dualism, pure, compound As of late, there has been a renaissance in the contemporary literature exploring substance dualism as a viable philosophical anthropology. 1 Given the recent discussion, it is simply not responsible to dismiss substance dualism as it has been fashionable to do in the recent past. 2 My contention here is not so much

As the first full-length treatment of Jonathan Edwards and the Bible Stephen R.C. Nichols (not to be confused with the other Edwards scholar named Nichols) helpfully contributes to the growing literature on Edwards's theology. Nichols analyses Edwards's view of the Bible as a piece of metaphysical theology and hermeneutics. He shows that Edwards was not only a pastor, but also a philosophical theologian and a biblical exegete. Anyone familiar with Edwards will realize that there is not a sharp distinction between his radically Theo-centric metaphysics and his reading of Scripture. As such, Nichols carefully advances the discussion on Edwards studies and demonstrates the contribution Edwards makes to hermeneutics and systematic theology.

Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, 2014. 185 pages. Hardcover. $109.95. A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation is a significant contribution to Christological studies. In it, Andrew Ter Ern Loke not only offers several novel insights into the Christological discussions, but advances a novel model of the incarnation. He calls this the Kryptic (i.e., hidden) model or the Divine preconscious model of the incarnation, not to be confused with the Divine subconscious model (49).