God, Genetics, and Event Phenomenology

• Authors: Carolyn J. Love
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the classical Christian theological understanding, God and time are tightly interwoven (e.g. time and eternity, the Incarnation, and liturgy) and inform how we comprehend the presence and absence of the Incomprehensible in our day-to-day lives. Yet the classical Christian understanding of temporality does not take into account scientific discoveries pertaining to time, and how this influences our experience of temporality. It is within the fabric of God and time that this paper will bring together the concept of time in event phenomenology and biology, namely genetics, to construct a more robust understanding of temporality, a genetic-event model of temporality, that avoids the classical Christian issues of temporal/eternal antinomy, mind soul location, metaphysics of transcendence, or transcendental epistemology. Thus, providing an original approach to how we think about God today in a culture that seeks answers from science, as well as religion. This paper will discuss the usefulness of the geneticevent model in theology, in science, and in the dialogue between theology and science, demonstrating that these two ways of knowing can benefit each other.

Keywords

EN

Time; Temporality; History; Event; Duration; Religion; Science; Theology

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Open Theology
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 1

Dates

received

2015-07-23

accepted

2015-09-23

online

2015-10-27

Contributors

author

Carolyn J. Love

• Loyola University Chicago, Lewis University, U.S.A.

References

• Amundson, Ron. The Changing Role of the Embryo in Evolutionary Thought: Roots of Evo-Devo. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
• Aquinas, Thomas, The Suma Theologica. Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press., 1981.
• Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Barbour, Ian. When Science Meets Religion? New York: HarperCollins, 2000.
• Brandon, Robert N. Concepts and Methods in Evolutionary Biology. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
• Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatic. Translated by J. W. Edwards, O. Bussey, and H. Knight. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. 1958.
• Buckland, Karen F. and H. Bobby Gaspar. “Gene and Cell Therapy for Children - New Medicines, New Challenges?” Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. http://dx.dio.org/10/1016/j.addr.2014.02.010 (accessed April 29, 2014).
• Buhusi, Catlin and Warren H. Meck. Nature Reviews 6, (October, 2005): 755-765.
• Buhusi, Catlin and Warren H. Meck.” Relativity Theory and Time Perception: Single Or Multiple Clocks?” Plos One 4, no. 7 (2009): August 2012-1-13 (accessed August 2012).
• Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 1, (2000): 59-67.
• Cilliers, Johan. “Liturgy as Space for Anticipation.” HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 67, no. 2 (October, 2011): 80-86.
• Cobb, Jr., John B. “The Meaning of Pluralism for Christian Self-Understanding.” Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984. 161-179.
• Cobb, Jr., John B. “Salvation and Health: A Pluralistic Perspective.” Treasure of Earthen Vessels: Explorations in Theological Anthropology. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994. 36-51.
• Curtin, Maurice. “God’s Presence in the World : The Metaphysics of Aquinas and some Recent Thinkers (Moltmann, MacQuarrie, Rahner).” At the Heart of the Real: Philosophical Essays in Honour of Desmond Connel. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1992. 123-136.
• Dalferth, Ingolf U. “God, Time, and Orientation: “Presence” and “Absence” in Religious and Everyday Discourse.” The Presence and Absence of God. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008. 1-20.
• Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man. New York: Penguin Group, 2007.
• Darwin, Charles. The Origin of the Species. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1959.
• Denbigh, K. G. “The Objectivity, Or Otherwise, of the Present.” The Study of Time Volume III, Edited J. T. Fraser, N. Lawrence and D. Park. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1978. 307-329.
• Dickens, Andres Janelle. “A God Who Hides, A God Who Seeks: Revelation and Desire in Augustine’s Confessions.” Journal of Theology 110, (2006): 57-68.
• dos Reis, Mario. Jun Inoue. Masami Hasegawa. Robert J. Asher. Philip C. J. Donoghue. and Ziheng Yang. “Phylogenomic Datasets Provide both Precision and Accuracy in Estimating the Timescale of Placental Mammal Phylogeny.” Proceeding- Royal Society. Biological Sciences 279, (September 7, 2012,): 3491-500 (accessed August 8, 2012).
• Durand, J. J. F. “God in History – an unresolved problem.” Meaning of History. Edited by Adrio König and H. Keane. Pretoria : University Of South Africa, 1980.
• Eaves, Lindon and Lora Gross. “Exploring the Concept of Spirit as a Model for the God-World Relationship in the Age of Genetics.” Zygon 27, no. 3 (September 9, 1992): 261-285.
• Engel, Andreas, Alexander Maye, Martin Kurthen, and Peter Konig. “Where’s the action? The pragmatic turn in cognitive science.” Trends in Cognitive Science 17, no. 5 (May 2013): 202-209.
• Fagg, Lawrence W. The Becoming of Time: Integrating Physical and Religious Time. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995.
• Falk, Dan. In Search of Time: Journeys Along a Curious Dimension. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2008.
• Fraga, Mario F., Esteban Ballestar, Maria F. Paz, Santiago Ropero, Fernando Setien, Maria L. Ballestar, Damia Heine-Suner, et al. “Epigenetic Differences Arise during the Lifetime of Monozygotic Twins.” Pnas 102, no. 30 (2005).
• Fraiser, John M. “A Relational View of God and Time.” The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005.
• Fredriksen, Paula. “Augustine on God and Memory.” Obliged by Memory: Literature, Religion, Ethics. Edited Steven T. Katz and Alan Rosen. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 2006. 131-138.
• Frumkin, Dan, Adam Wesserstrom, Shai Kaplan, Uriel Feige, and Ehud Shapiro. “Genomic Variability within an Organism Exposes its Cell Lineage Tree.” PLOS Computational Biology 2005; 1(5):e50. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010050.
• Goodwin, Brian C. How the Leopard Changed its Spots. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1994.
• Goodwin, Brian. Temporal Organization in Cells. New York: Academic Press, 1963.
• Gregersen, Niels Henrik and Wentzel Van Huyssteen. Rethinking Theology and Science : Six Models for the Current Dialogue. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
• Haight, Roger D. “Trinity and Religious Pluralism.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 44, no. 4 (09/01, 2009): 525-540.
• Haight, Roger D. An Alternative Vision: An Interpretation of Liberation Theology. New York: Paulist Press, 1985. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed April 10, 2015).
• Hassold, Terry, Stephanie Sherman, and Patricia Hunt. “Counting Cross-Overs: Characterizing Meiotic Recombination in Mammals.” Oxford Journals Life Sciences & Medicine Human Molecular Genetics 9, no. 16 (2000).
• Hefner, Philip J. The Human Factor: Evolution, Culture, and Religion. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993.
• Hegel, Georg. The Philosophy of History. Translated J. Sibree. Kitchoner, Ontario: Batoche Books, 2001.
• Heidegger, Martin. The Concept of Time. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 1992.
• Hodgson, Peter, and Robert King. Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994.
• Jenson, Robert W. “The Hidden and Triune God.” International Journal of Systematic Theology 2, no. 1 (03/01, 2000): 5-12.
• Jones, Steven. The Language of the Genes. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
• Kiesling, Christopher. “Translation of Tillich’s Idea of God.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 4, no. 4 (09/01, 1967): 700-715.
• Kirwin, Christopher. “More Meditations on Time.” Augustine. London: Routledge, 1989. 167-186.
• Larson, Elisabeth Clare, Ole Bjarne Christiansen, Astrid Marie Kolte, and Nick Macklon. “New Insights into Mechanisms Behind Miscarriage.” BMC Medicine 11, no. 154 (2013): May 22, 2014.
• Leeuw, G. van der. “Primordial Time and Final Time.” Man and Time. Edited Joseph Campbell, New York: Bollingen Foundation, 1957. 324-350.
• Li, Chengwei, Shuaug Yu, Xiaoling Zhong, Jianguo Wu, and Xiaodong Li. “Circadian Rhythms of Fetal Liver Transcription Persist in the Absence of Canonical Circadian Clock Gene Expression Rhythms in Vivo.” POLS One 7, no. 2 (2012) (accessed May 22, 2014).
• Love, Carolyn. “Re-thinking Anthropomorphism through a Genetic-Event Philosophy of Time.” PhD Dissertation, Loyola University, 2014.
• Luther, Martin. The Bondage of the Will. Acheron Press. E-book 2012.
• Machado, Armando, Maria Teresa Malheiro, and Wolfram Erlhagen. “Learning to Time: A Perspective.” Journal of Experimental Analysis of Behavior 92, no. 3 (November 2009, 2009): August 2012-1-22, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (accessed August 2012).
• Messer, Neil G. “Human Genetics and the Image of the Triune God.” Science and Christian Belief 13, no. 2 (10, 2001): 99-111.
• Mocellin, Simone, Karen A. Pooley, and Donato Nitti. “Cellular Senescence in Cancer Ageing”.” Cell 130, (2007): 223.
• Moritz, Joshua M. “Natures, Human Nature, Genes and Souls: Reclaiming Theological Anthropology through Biological Structuralism.” Dialog 46, no. 3 (Fall, 2007): 263-280.
• Murphy, Nancey. Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1900.
• Olson, Steve. Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past through our Genes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.
• Otto, Randall E. “The Doctrine of God in the Theology of Paul Tillich.” Westminster Theological Journal 52, no. 2 (09/01, 1990): 303-323.
• Palmer, John D. The Living Clock: The Orchestrator of Biological Rhythms. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
• Pannenburg, Wolfhart. “Eternity, Time and the Trinitarian God.” A Journal of Theology (Spring, 2000): 9-14.
• Paulson, Steven D. “Luther on the Hidden God.” Word & World 19, no. 4 (09/01, 1999): 363-371.
• Polkinghorne, John C. “Anthropology in an Evolutionary Context.” In God and Human Dignity, 89-103. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.
• Polkinghorne, John C. Quantum Physics and Theology. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007.
• Polkinghorne, John C. Science and Theology: An Introduction. London; Minneapolis: SPCK; Augsburg Fortress Pubs, 1998.
• Polkinghorne, John C. “Space, Time, and Causality.” Zygon 41, no. 4 (12/01, 2006): 975-983.
• Polkinghorne, John C. “Space, Time, and Theology: An Unexpected Kinship.” Zygon (12/1, 2006): 975-982.
• Pollard, Katherine S. “What Makes Us Human?” Scientific American 300, no. 5 (2009).
• Price, Huw. Time’s Arrow & Archimedes’ Point. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
• Rabin, A. I. “Future Time Perspective and Ego Strength.” In The Study of Time, edited by J. T. Fraser, N. Lawrence and D. Park. Vol. III, 294-305. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1978.
• Rahner, Karl. “The Hiddenness of God.” In Theological Investigations: Experience of the Spirit: Source of Theology. Translated by David Morland. Vol. XVI, 227-243. New York: Seabury Press, 1961.
• Rahner, Karl. “An Investigation of the Incomprehensibility of God in St. Thomas Aquinas.” In Theological Investigations: Experience of the Spirit Source of Theology. Translated by David Morland. Vol. XVI, 244-254. New York: Seabury Press, 1961.
• Rahner, Karl. “Observations on the Doctrine of God in Catholic Dogmatics.” Theological Investigations. Translated by Grahm Harrison. Vol. IX, 127-144. New York: Herder and Herder, 1965.
• Rahner, Karl. “Theological Observation on the Concept of Time.” Theological Investigations. Translated by Cornelius Ernst. Vol. II, 289-308. Baltimore: Helicon Press, 1961.
• Richardson, W. M. and Wesley J. Wildman. Religion & Science : History, Method, Dialogue. New York: Routledge, 1996.
• Ricoeur, Paul. “The Aporias of the Experience of Time Book 11 of Augustine’s Confessions.” Time and Narrative. Vol. 1, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1983. 5-29.
• Romano, Claude. Event and World. New York: Fordham University Press, 2009.
• Rose, Steven. Lifelines: Biology Beyond Determinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Ross, Robert R. N. “Non-Existence of God : Tillich, Aquinas, and the Pseudo-Dionysius.” Harvard Theological Review 68, no. 2 (04/01, 1975): 141-166.
• Russell, Bertrand. Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2012.
• Russell, Bertrand. “Saint Augustine’s Philosophy and Theology.” History of Western Philosophy. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1945.
• Russell, Peter. Genetics. Glenview, IL: Foresman Company, 1990.
• Russell, Robert John. “Time in Eternity: Special Relativity & Eschatology.” A Journal of Theology (Spring, 2000): 46-55.
• Schaltenbrand, G. “Cyclic States as Biological Space-Time Fields.” In The Study of Time, edited by J. T. Fraser and N. Lawrence. Vol. II. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1975.
• Shay, J. W. and W. E. Wright. “Hayflick, His Limit, and Cellular Ageing.” Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 1, no. 1 (2000): 72-76.
• Snaider, Javier, Ryan McCall, Stan Franklin. “Time production and representation in a conceptual and computational cognitive model.” Cognitive Systems Research 13 (2012): 59-71.
• Stoeger S.J., William R. “God and Time: The Action and Life of the Triune God in the World.” Theology Today 55, no. 3 (10/1, 1998): 365-388.
• Sumova, A., Z. Bendova, M. Sladek, R. El-Hennamy, K. Mateju, L. Polidarova, S. Sosniyenko, and H. Illnerova. “Circadian Molecular Clocks Tick Along Ontogenesis.” Physiological Research 57, no. 3 (May 13, 2008): August 2012-S139-S148, www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres (accessed August 2012).
• Taylor, Charles. Sources of the Self. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998.
• Tracy, David W. Blessed Rage for Order. New York: Seabury Press, 1975.
• Tracy, David W. “Form and Fragment: The Recovery of the Hidden and Incomprehensible God.” The Concept of God in Global Dialogue, Edited,Werner G. Jeanrond and Aasulv Lande, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005. 98-114.
• Tracy, David W. “The Post-Modern Re-Naming of God as Incomprehensible and Hidden.” Cross Currents 50, no. 1-2 (03/01, 2000): 240-247.
• Van Huyssteen, Wentzel. Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2006.
• Watson, James D. The Secret of Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003.
• Wetzel, James. “Time After Augustine.” Religious Studies 31, no. 3 (1995): 341-357.
• Wright, Karen. “Times of our Lives.” Scientific American (3/5, 2012): 35-41.
• Young, Michael W. “The Tick-Tock of the Biological Clock.” Scientific American (3/1, 2000): 64-71.

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/opth-2015-0024