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James M Arcadi

Wheaton College, Biblical and Theological Studies, Adjunct

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I am the Rector of All Souls Anglican Church. I also teach theology in the Graduate School at Wheaton College.

Prior to this appointment I was an Associate Professor in Biblical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where during the spring of 2021 I was a Research Fellow at the Carl F.H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding. Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Analytic Theology Project at Fuller Theological Seminary. From 2015-2017 I was also a Research Fellow for the Jewish Philosophical Theology Project at the Herzl Institute. I taught theology, history, and writing at Gordon College from 2008-2015, where from 2014-2015 I was a Visiting Fellow in the Center for Faith and Inquiry.

I generally work at the intersection of theology, biblical studies, philosophy, and practical ministry.

My first book proffers a biblically-based, historically-informed, philosophically-savvy incarnational model of the metaphysics of the Eucharist (...at least I think it's savvy). This book appears in Cambridge University Press' Current Issues in Theology series.

My current research extends my examination of the Eucharist to Christology, God's presence, and theological methodology. Further, I am engaging in a biblical-philosophical examination of the nature of holiness, especially as that pertains to holy objects and God's presence. A monograph on this topic is under contract with Fortress Academic/Lexington Books.

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Charles Sturt University

Free Church College

Fordham University

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West University Timisoara

Lewis University

St Mellitus College

Southern Federal University

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Books by James M Arcadi

An Incarnational Model of the Eucharist chapter summaries

Papers and Chapters by James M Arcadi

Recent developments in analytic Christology

A later iteration has been published in *Philosophy Compass*

The Word of God as truthmaker for Church proclamation

A later iteration was published in *The Task of Dogmatics: Explorations in Theological Method*, e... more

An instrumental explication of Hunsinger's Eucharistic real predication

in Marking the Church, ed Greg Peters and Matt Jenson (Pickwick: 2016): http://wipfandstock.com/m... more

Analytic Theology as Declarative Theology

Analytic theology seeks to utilize conceptual tools and resources from contemporary analytic phil... more Analytic theology seeks to utilize conceptual tools and resources from contemporary analytic philosophy for ends that are properly theological. As a theological methodology relatively new movement in the academic world, this novelty might render it illegitimate. However, I argue that there is much in the recent analytic theological literature that can find a methodological antecedent championed in the fourteenth century known as declarative theology. In distinction from deductive theology—which seeks to extend the conclusions of theology beyond the articles of faith—declarative theology strives to make arguments for the articles of faith. It does it not to provoke epistemic assent to the truth of the articles, but serves as a means of faith seeking understanding. In this paper, examples are drawn from recent analytic discussions to illustrate the manner that analytic theology has been, is, and can be an instance of declarative theology, and thus a legitimate theological enterprise for today. Analytic theology is a recent movement at the nexus of theology and philosophy that aims to utilize the tools, methods, and conceptual resources of contemporary analytic philosophy for the purpose of constructive theology. In light of this novelty, one might aver that it is a sui generis methodology that renders it illegitimate as a mode of Christian theological reflection. 1 However, despite the novelty of the name 'analytic theology', I here argue that one way of practicing analytic theology is to see it as a modern instantiation of the category 'declarative theology', which was the subject of much analysis by Christian theologians of the fourteenth century. By demonstrating that analytic theology has a methodological antecedent in a mode of theologizing that is 1 Although I see no objection to this methodology bring utilized by practitioners of a variety of religious traditions, much of the recent work and my own theological perspective fall within the Christian theological tradition.

Kryptic or cryptic? The Divine Preconscious Model of the Incarnation as a concrete-nature Christology

Andrew Ter Ern Loke has proffered a creative, novel, and bold model of the Incarnation as a contr... more Andrew Ter Ern Loke has proffered a creative, novel, and bold model of the Incarnation as a contribution to analytic theological discussions of Christology. Recent work in this field has offered a distinction between abstract-nature and concrete-nature conceptions of natures. The former holds that entities have properties which entail their membership in a particular kind, the latter holds that being a member of a certain kind entails the having of certain properties. Loke’s model, what he calls the Divine Preconscious Model, holds that at the Incarnation the divine attributes of the Word were submerged into the Word’s preconscious, while the conscious of the Word took on certain human properties. This model, Loke holds, entails Christ’s full divinity and full humanity without falling into Apollinarianism or Nestorianism. However, I argue that because Loke avers that his model runs on a concrete-nature account of natures, he is not able to maintain the full humanity of Christ. I suggest two ways Loke might be able to maintain the integrity of his model, either by embracing a form of new-Apollinarianism or by adopting the abstract-nature perspective of natures.

God is where God acts: reconceiving divine omnipresence

In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. Howev... more In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. However, this attribute often falls prey to two puzzles, the immateriality puzzle and the intensity puzzle. A recent explication of omnipresence by Hud Hudson, falls short of solving these puzzles. By attending to key narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures, I argue that one ought to conceive of God’s presence at a location as God’s acting at that location. Thus, God’s omnipresence is God’s acting at all locations.

Recent philosophical work on the doctrine of the Eucharist

Forthcoming in Philosophy Compass The doctrine of the Eucharist has been one of the more fruitfu... more Forthcoming in Philosophy Compass

The doctrine of the Eucharist has been one of the more fruitful locales of philosophical reflection within Christian theology. The central philosophical question has been, " what is the state of affairs such that it is apt to say of a piece of bread, 'This is the body of Christ'? " In this article, I offer a delineation of various families of answers to this question as they have been proffered in the history of the church. These families are distinguished by how they view the presence of the body of Christ as well as the continued presence of the bread and wine after consecration. I then provide a specific examination of some recent attempts to explicate these views. A number of the recent work has focused on the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, but I also survey consubstantiation, transignification, and a recent revival of impanation as potential means for describing the metaphysical realities of the Eucharist.

Idealism and Participating in the Body of Christ

Idealism and Christian Theology, 2016

Impanation, incarnation, and enabling externalism

Religious Studies

I articulate a real presence theory of the Eucharist that is coherent, attractive, and utilizes t... more I articulate a real presence theory of the Eucharist that is coherent, attractive, and utilizes the resources of contemporary Christology. First, I review some of the recent analytic discussions of the metaphysics of the incarnation. From this, I distinguish two types of impanation, which I name Type-H and Type-S Impanation. I then exposit Type-S Impanation utilizing the notion of enabling externalism. I raise two potential objections to this view, the responses to which allows me to highlight the incarnation-like coherence and attractiveness of this view as an exposition of the liturgical utterance, ‘This is my body.’

A Theory of Consecration: A Philosophical Exposition of a Biblical Phenomenon

The Heythrop Journal, Nov 2013

I employ William Alston’s account of speech act theory in order to analyze the concept of consecr... more I employ William Alston’s account of speech act theory in order to analyze the concept of consecration. I describe consecrations as EXERCITIVE-type illocutionary acts, whereby objects are distinguished for God’s use. I test my reasoning and definition on the first instance of consecration in Scripture, the consecration of the Sabbath. This allows me to probe further the necessary and sufficient conditions for veridical consecrations. Finally, I describe that the speech act of consecration brings about an ownership relation between God and the consecrated object.

Grants by James M Arcadi

Belonging to the Lord: consecration, divine presence, and the metaphysics of holiness in the Hebrew Scriptures

Holy objects are ubiquitous in the world's religions. Further, in the monotheistic religions of J... more Holy objects are ubiquitous in the world's religions. Further, in the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Christianity, God is said to be and act at certain locations. The Hebrew Scriptures describe God as being present at various places, indeed, God's presence is one of the central features of many biblical narratives. Similarly, the concept of holy objects runs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, Scripture does not provide a clear or systematic discussion of how God is present nor what makes an object holy. By focusing on instances of divine action in the Hebrew Scriptures, I will elucidate a scripturally-grounded notion of divine omnipresence. This will then provide the means for expositing the a power-based metaphysics latent in Scripture that describe how physical objects mediate God's presence, and thus deserve the designation "holy." Thus, I will uncover the connections in the Hebrew Scriptures between God's presence, action, speech, and the nature of holy objects to argue that holy objects are specific loci of divine presence when that object becomes owned by God through an act of consecration. This project will have implications on how we conceive of God's presence, holy objects, how a biblical metaphysic works, and how the faithful worship God.

God is where God acts: reconceiving omnipresence as divine action

Adherents to classical theism have standardly held that God enjoys the attribute of being everywh... more Adherents to classical theism have standardly held that God enjoys the attribute of being everywhere present. Recent omnipresence theorists have developed an occupancy account of omnipresence. However, these theories do not pay adequate attention to Scriptural material or the experience of the faithful practitioners of the monotheistic religions, and conceive of God as a material object, contrary to the tradition of classical theism. By attending to instances of God's presence in Scripture, I argue that conceiving of divine presence as divine action yields a better account of the divine attribute of omnipresence. This account better comports with the Scriptural data, makes better sense of the experience of the faithful, and avoids the pitfalls of occupancy accounts.

The problem of suffering

A discussion group among Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary faculty, co-admin... more

Impanation & Incarnation: applying metaphysics of the Incarnation to Eucharistic Theology

My research will attempt to apply recent discussions of the metaphysics of the Incarnation to Euc... more My research will attempt to apply recent discussions of the metaphysics of the Incarnation to Eucharistic theology. On my current view of the result of Christ's speech acts undertaken at the Last Supper, both Christ's body and the sacramental bread (also, Christ's blood and the sacramental wine) are present after the consecration. This seems to have the implication of there being two things present where prima facie there appears to be only one. This metaphysical state of affairs is parallel to the Chalcedonian explication of the two natures/one person reality of Christ. It may not be accurate to map Christological metaphysics onto Eucharistic theology exactly, but there seems to be resources in the recent analytic literature to aid in an explication of a "two natures" Eucharistic metaphysic.

A biblical-philosophical theory of consecration

I will propose a theory of the Biblical phenomena of consecration, focusing on linguistic and met... more I will propose a theory of the Biblical phenomena of consecration, focusing on linguistic and metaphysical considerations. This project will first appropriate William Alston's philosophy of language to elucidate the speech-act of consecration. This explication will focus on an analysis of the consecration of the Eucharistic elements at the Last Supper, but will also seek to provide a general theory of consecration that engages with many instances of consecration in Scripture. I will then tease out the metaphysical implications for objects that have been consecrated, to determine the extent to which these objects have undergone ontological changes due to their consecration. Finally, I will reexamine the special case of the consecrated Eucharistic elements with specific respect to their metaphysical relationship to the body of Christ.

Conference Presentations by James M Arcadi

Divine omnipresence: a view from Jewish Philosophical Theology

Discerning the body of Christ: Incarnational models of the Eucharist

How to make the Church with words: the perlocutionary effect of the Eucharistic illocutionary acts

This paper utilizes the resources of contemporary speech-act theory in order to exposit the maxim... more

Divine instrumental action composites in the Incarnation and the Eucharist

An Incarnational Model of the Eucharist chapter summaries

Recent developments in analytic Christology

A later iteration has been published in *Philosophy Compass*

The Word of God as truthmaker for Church proclamation

A later iteration was published in *The Task of Dogmatics: Explorations in Theological Method*, e... more

An instrumental explication of Hunsinger's Eucharistic real predication

in Marking the Church, ed Greg Peters and Matt Jenson (Pickwick: 2016): http://wipfandstock.com/m... more

Analytic Theology as Declarative Theology

Analytic theology seeks to utilize conceptual tools and resources from contemporary analytic phil... more Analytic theology seeks to utilize conceptual tools and resources from contemporary analytic philosophy for ends that are properly theological. As a theological methodology relatively new movement in the academic world, this novelty might render it illegitimate. However, I argue that there is much in the recent analytic theological literature that can find a methodological antecedent championed in the fourteenth century known as declarative theology. In distinction from deductive theology—which seeks to extend the conclusions of theology beyond the articles of faith—declarative theology strives to make arguments for the articles of faith. It does it not to provoke epistemic assent to the truth of the articles, but serves as a means of faith seeking understanding. In this paper, examples are drawn from recent analytic discussions to illustrate the manner that analytic theology has been, is, and can be an instance of declarative theology, and thus a legitimate theological enterprise for today. Analytic theology is a recent movement at the nexus of theology and philosophy that aims to utilize the tools, methods, and conceptual resources of contemporary analytic philosophy for the purpose of constructive theology. In light of this novelty, one might aver that it is a sui generis methodology that renders it illegitimate as a mode of Christian theological reflection. 1 However, despite the novelty of the name 'analytic theology', I here argue that one way of practicing analytic theology is to see it as a modern instantiation of the category 'declarative theology', which was the subject of much analysis by Christian theologians of the fourteenth century. By demonstrating that analytic theology has a methodological antecedent in a mode of theologizing that is 1 Although I see no objection to this methodology bring utilized by practitioners of a variety of religious traditions, much of the recent work and my own theological perspective fall within the Christian theological tradition.

Kryptic or cryptic? The Divine Preconscious Model of the Incarnation as a concrete-nature Christology

Andrew Ter Ern Loke has proffered a creative, novel, and bold model of the Incarnation as a contr... more Andrew Ter Ern Loke has proffered a creative, novel, and bold model of the Incarnation as a contribution to analytic theological discussions of Christology. Recent work in this field has offered a distinction between abstract-nature and concrete-nature conceptions of natures. The former holds that entities have properties which entail their membership in a particular kind, the latter holds that being a member of a certain kind entails the having of certain properties. Loke’s model, what he calls the Divine Preconscious Model, holds that at the Incarnation the divine attributes of the Word were submerged into the Word’s preconscious, while the conscious of the Word took on certain human properties. This model, Loke holds, entails Christ’s full divinity and full humanity without falling into Apollinarianism or Nestorianism. However, I argue that because Loke avers that his model runs on a concrete-nature account of natures, he is not able to maintain the full humanity of Christ. I suggest two ways Loke might be able to maintain the integrity of his model, either by embracing a form of new-Apollinarianism or by adopting the abstract-nature perspective of natures.

God is where God acts: reconceiving divine omnipresence

In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. Howev... more In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. However, this attribute often falls prey to two puzzles, the immateriality puzzle and the intensity puzzle. A recent explication of omnipresence by Hud Hudson, falls short of solving these puzzles. By attending to key narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures, I argue that one ought to conceive of God’s presence at a location as God’s acting at that location. Thus, God’s omnipresence is God’s acting at all locations.

Recent philosophical work on the doctrine of the Eucharist

Forthcoming in Philosophy Compass The doctrine of the Eucharist has been one of the more fruitfu... more Forthcoming in Philosophy Compass

The doctrine of the Eucharist has been one of the more fruitful locales of philosophical reflection within Christian theology. The central philosophical question has been, " what is the state of affairs such that it is apt to say of a piece of bread, 'This is the body of Christ'? " In this article, I offer a delineation of various families of answers to this question as they have been proffered in the history of the church. These families are distinguished by how they view the presence of the body of Christ as well as the continued presence of the bread and wine after consecration. I then provide a specific examination of some recent attempts to explicate these views. A number of the recent work has focused on the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, but I also survey consubstantiation, transignification, and a recent revival of impanation as potential means for describing the metaphysical realities of the Eucharist.

Idealism and Participating in the Body of Christ

Idealism and Christian Theology, 2016

Impanation, incarnation, and enabling externalism

Religious Studies

I articulate a real presence theory of the Eucharist that is coherent, attractive, and utilizes t... more I articulate a real presence theory of the Eucharist that is coherent, attractive, and utilizes the resources of contemporary Christology. First, I review some of the recent analytic discussions of the metaphysics of the incarnation. From this, I distinguish two types of impanation, which I name Type-H and Type-S Impanation. I then exposit Type-S Impanation utilizing the notion of enabling externalism. I raise two potential objections to this view, the responses to which allows me to highlight the incarnation-like coherence and attractiveness of this view as an exposition of the liturgical utterance, ‘This is my body.’

A Theory of Consecration: A Philosophical Exposition of a Biblical Phenomenon

The Heythrop Journal, Nov 2013

I employ William Alston’s account of speech act theory in order to analyze the concept of consecr... more I employ William Alston’s account of speech act theory in order to analyze the concept of consecration. I describe consecrations as EXERCITIVE-type illocutionary acts, whereby objects are distinguished for God’s use. I test my reasoning and definition on the first instance of consecration in Scripture, the consecration of the Sabbath. This allows me to probe further the necessary and sufficient conditions for veridical consecrations. Finally, I describe that the speech act of consecration brings about an ownership relation between God and the consecrated object.

Belonging to the Lord: consecration, divine presence, and the metaphysics of holiness in the Hebrew Scriptures

Holy objects are ubiquitous in the world's religions. Further, in the monotheistic religions of J... more Holy objects are ubiquitous in the world's religions. Further, in the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Christianity, God is said to be and act at certain locations. The Hebrew Scriptures describe God as being present at various places, indeed, God's presence is one of the central features of many biblical narratives. Similarly, the concept of holy objects runs throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Yet, Scripture does not provide a clear or systematic discussion of how God is present nor what makes an object holy. By focusing on instances of divine action in the Hebrew Scriptures, I will elucidate a scripturally-grounded notion of divine omnipresence. This will then provide the means for expositing the a power-based metaphysics latent in Scripture that describe how physical objects mediate God's presence, and thus deserve the designation "holy." Thus, I will uncover the connections in the Hebrew Scriptures between God's presence, action, speech, and the nature of holy objects to argue that holy objects are specific loci of divine presence when that object becomes owned by God through an act of consecration. This project will have implications on how we conceive of God's presence, holy objects, how a biblical metaphysic works, and how the faithful worship God.

God is where God acts: reconceiving omnipresence as divine action

Adherents to classical theism have standardly held that God enjoys the attribute of being everywh... more Adherents to classical theism have standardly held that God enjoys the attribute of being everywhere present. Recent omnipresence theorists have developed an occupancy account of omnipresence. However, these theories do not pay adequate attention to Scriptural material or the experience of the faithful practitioners of the monotheistic religions, and conceive of God as a material object, contrary to the tradition of classical theism. By attending to instances of God's presence in Scripture, I argue that conceiving of divine presence as divine action yields a better account of the divine attribute of omnipresence. This account better comports with the Scriptural data, makes better sense of the experience of the faithful, and avoids the pitfalls of occupancy accounts.

The problem of suffering

A discussion group among Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary faculty, co-admin... more

Impanation & Incarnation: applying metaphysics of the Incarnation to Eucharistic Theology

My research will attempt to apply recent discussions of the metaphysics of the Incarnation to Euc... more My research will attempt to apply recent discussions of the metaphysics of the Incarnation to Eucharistic theology. On my current view of the result of Christ's speech acts undertaken at the Last Supper, both Christ's body and the sacramental bread (also, Christ's blood and the sacramental wine) are present after the consecration. This seems to have the implication of there being two things present where prima facie there appears to be only one. This metaphysical state of affairs is parallel to the Chalcedonian explication of the two natures/one person reality of Christ. It may not be accurate to map Christological metaphysics onto Eucharistic theology exactly, but there seems to be resources in the recent analytic literature to aid in an explication of a "two natures" Eucharistic metaphysic.

A biblical-philosophical theory of consecration

I will propose a theory of the Biblical phenomena of consecration, focusing on linguistic and met... more I will propose a theory of the Biblical phenomena of consecration, focusing on linguistic and metaphysical considerations. This project will first appropriate William Alston's philosophy of language to elucidate the speech-act of consecration. This explication will focus on an analysis of the consecration of the Eucharistic elements at the Last Supper, but will also seek to provide a general theory of consecration that engages with many instances of consecration in Scripture. I will then tease out the metaphysical implications for objects that have been consecrated, to determine the extent to which these objects have undergone ontological changes due to their consecration. Finally, I will reexamine the special case of the consecrated Eucharistic elements with specific respect to their metaphysical relationship to the body of Christ.

Divine omnipresence: a view from Jewish Philosophical Theology

Discerning the body of Christ: Incarnational models of the Eucharist

How to make the Church with words: the perlocutionary effect of the Eucharistic illocutionary acts

This paper utilizes the resources of contemporary speech-act theory in order to exposit the maxim... more

Divine instrumental action composites in the Incarnation and the Eucharist

Real Presence as Real Predication: a Linguistic Move past an Ecumenical Impasse

An Incarnational Model of the Eucharist

The Iron in the Fire: George Hunsinger's Ecumenical Explication of the Eucharist

Divine Presence as Divine Action: Applying Old Testament Theophanies to Contemporary Worship

In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. Howev... more In classical theism, God is typically conceived of as having the attribute of omnipresence. However, this attribute often falls prey to two puzzles, the immateriality puzzle and the intensity puzzle. A recent explication of omnipresence by Hud Hudson falls short of solving these puzzles. By attending to key narratives in the Hebrew Scriptures, I argue that one ought to conceive of God's presence at a location as God's acting at that location. Thus, God's omnipresence is God's acting at all locations.

From Secular to Sacred: Towards a Theory of Consecration

A Theory of Consecration

SA -Sentential Act IA -Illocutionary Act PA -Perlocutionary Act U -utterer/speaker R -take respon... more

What's in a Rename? That which we call bread would by another name be Christ's body

A speaker performs the EXERCITIVE action of attempting to bring about a conventional effect in ut... more

Thomas Cranmer's Eucharistic Parallelism

Thesis: I locate Thomas Cranmer's mature view on the Eucharistic presence of Christ's body on a s... more

"Presence: Omni- and Real"

"Some Eucharistic Speech Acts"

WI -Words of Institution (‚This is my body‛) SA -Sentential Act IA -Illocutionary Act PA -Perlocu... more

Andrew Loke, A Kryptic model of the Incarnation

Andrew Ter Ern Loke. A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation. Farnham: Ashgate, 2014. xiv +185 pp. $11... more

Debating Christian Theism

European Journal of Philosophy of Religion

Fallen: A Theology of Siin

Themelios, Apr 2014

St. Luke's sermons

Search for my name here: http://www.stlukesanglican.org/sermons

Christ the Redeemer sermons

Sermons preached at Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church. http://ctr-pulpit.blogspot.com/search?q... more

TheoLogica An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology NEW THEMES IN ANALYTIC DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

by Joshua Farris and James M Arcadi

Recent analytic theology has often focused on topics traditionally under the purview of natural t... more Recent analytic theology has often focused on topics traditionally under the purview of natural theology. When analytic theologians have ventured into topics under the rubric of revealed or dogmatic theology, they tend to concentrate on a narrow selection of Christian doctrines (such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, or providence). This issue of TheoLogica seeks contributions pertaining to topics underexplored in analytic theology that are derived from revealed or traditional sources (e.g., creeds, conciliar/confessional statements, midrash, etc.). Contributions from a variety of religious traditions, working from their own revealed or traditional sources, are welcome.

Open Theology special issue Authority CFP

by Joshua Farris and James M Arcadi

Analytic Perspectives on Method and Authority in Theology

Topic of special issue The present issue will contain topics on revelation, theological method, t... more