The Process of the Cosmos: Philosophical and Theology and Cosmology (Paperback)

by Anthony B. Kelly (Author) "In the first chapter of this thesis I argue that Aristotle was correct in his conclusion that God could not cause a world which was..." (more)
Key Phrases: intrinsic ordering principle, spiritual stratum, physical stratum, Homo Sapiens Ethicus, Big Bang, Jesus Christ (more...)

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Abstract
This thesis argues that with the advance of scientific knowledge, particularly in cosmology, Natural Theology can now provide an answer to the question as to the reason for the existence of man and the world. Aristotle had reasoned from the contingency of the world to the necessity of a God. He had also concluded that the world was unworthy of God's concern, as God could not be concerned with a world which was significantly different from God himself. Aristotle's reasoning from the world up to God, together with his inability to reason down from God to the world, established an antinomy.

The history of subsequent attempts to avoid this antinomy, and to provide an explanation for the existence of the world, is considered. No such attempt is found to be successful. A hidden assumption in Aristotle's reasoning is exposed. Aristotle's conclusion that the world was not worthy of God's concern followed from his unstated assumption that the world was complete, rather than in process. The thesis argues that the world we know represents a stage in a process towards the possible self-creation of an entity which is similar to God, and so worthy of God's concern. Only a process of self-creation could produce an entity which would be self-existent, and so not significantly different from the self-subsistent God. Each stage of such a process of self-creation, before the final stage, would necessarily be less than perfect.

Early in the 20th Century the Emergent Evolutionists had sought to explain the emergence of the biological and mental levels from the material level, without success. Nicolai Hartmann's subsequent ontological investigations made clear the stratified nature of reality. Hartmann's ontology is brought to bear on the problem of Emergence. Hartmann's analysis of ethics and his phenomenology of human nature are also brought to bear on the problem of the nature and role of man in the world.

The thesis argues that the world can be understood as a process involving the possible self-creation of an entity like God. In the series of the emergent ontological strata of reality, the physical, biological, conscious and spiritual strata, each stratum is less rigidly determined, and exercises greater freedom than does the previous stratum. The laws of nature vary from stratum to stratum, becoming less deterministic at each new stratum. The present human moral-cultural, or spiritual stratum, exercises complete freedom in relation to the law of this stratum, the moral law. The moral law commands but can not compel. The possible outcomes of this process of Emergence could be either the self-creation of a stratum which is not significantly different from God, or the self-destruction of humanity. In this context, Christ could be considered to be a proleptic exemplar of the final emergent stage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Dissertation.com; 1st edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581120605
• ISBN-13: 978-1581120608
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,906,596 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the most coherent thesis I've ever read, June 9, 2000

By	LightJesusMaryLover "The *real* Christ is the... - See all my reviews

I've read many a book on Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible since 1976 through a myriad of sources from fundamentalism to liberalism and even New Age, and have found this book to contain the most satisfying explanations of the development of life and of the existence of evil I've ever read. Dr. Kelly builds his case so thoroughly, and comes up with an hypothesis dazzling in its simplicity. A must-read for all!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Process or Response?, October 29, 2001

By	Allan M. Savage (Thunder Bay, Ontario) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is not an easy read and I found myself having to re-read certain passages so I would not get lost in its argument. Kelly presents his case well. It is presented from the point of view of Natural Theology as he clearly states. Initially, for me, the book held more promise than it delivered. I concluded, however, that my disappointment is probably due to my understanding of theology and not Kelly's arguments or academic effort. I do not contest Kelly's thesis that "Natural Theology can now provide an answer to the question as to the reason for the existence of man and the world." But does this answer suffice? Can we expect another reason should circumstances change, or should our experience not bear out "that the world can be understood as a process involving the possible self-creation of an entity like God." These questions arise from my uneasiness about the conclusion Kelly draws from his investigation. He understands Natural Theology to be distinct from revelation (p.24). He initiates his investigation as a speculative activity but concludes it as an existential activity thus preserving a form of dualism in his thought. He writes: "When our contemporary understanding of the world is applied to the raw material of revelation, the essence [speculative term] of revelation will no doubt be maintained but the expression [existential term] of revelation may be quite different" (p.125). One way to overcome this dualism, to my mind, is to consider response in the existential theological interpretation. A responsive interpretation is a unified act which incorporates speculation and expression, be it to a set of circumstances or God's grace. In fact, need we preserve the distinction between Natural Theology (Philosophy) and Revealed Theology? In his Catholicism, (study edition), Richard McBrien (1981:113) notes: "It is not clear, for example, whether one can be both a philosopher and a theologian at the same time, or whether such a choice has to be made at all." If no such choice is made, one wonders what becomes of Kelly's concluding statement: "What will need to be considered in a future work is the extent to which this thesis is consistent with revelation" (p. 125). These remarks notwithstanding, Kelly's thesis is a challenging read worthy of the time and effort needed to do it justice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Process or Response?, October 28, 2001

By	Allan M. Savage (Thunder Bay, Ontario) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is not an easy read and I found myself having to re-read certain passages so I would not get lost in its argument. Kelly presents his case well. It is presented from the point of view of Natural Theology as he clearly states. Initially, for me, the book held more promise than it delivered. I concluded, however, that my disappointment is probably due to my particular understanding of theology and not Kelly's arguments or academic effort. I do not contest Kelly's thesis that "Natural Theology can now provide an answer to the question as to the reason for the existence of man and the world." (...) He understands Natural Theology to be distinct from revelation (p.24). He initiates his investigation as a speculative activity but concludes it as an existential activity. In this he perpetuates a dualistic way of thinking. He writes: "When our contemporary understanding of the world is applied to the raw material of revelation, the essence [speculative term] of revelation will no doubt be maintained but the expression [existential term] of revelation may be quite different" (p.125). A way to overcome this dualism, to my mind, is to consider the role of one's response in existential theological interpretation. (...) These musings notwithstanding, Kelly's thesis is a challenging read well worth the time and effort expended in doing it justice.