God in an Open Universe

A new book, God in an Open Universe: Science, Metaphysics, and Open Theism, has just been released. The book offers essays on the interconnections between Open theism and the natural sciences.

As a co-editor of the book, I’m really happy with the way it is already being received. My co-editors, William Hasker and Dean Zimmerman, worked with me to bring this meaty collection of essays together.

Here are words of praise from the book’s endorsers:

“These essays present what is, in my view, the most promising development in theological thinking in our time, and they do so in a way that is both scholarly and accessible. The book is a must for anyone interested in Christian faith and in science.” – Keith Ward, University of Oxford

“Open theists affirm the same openness of the future that religious believers assume when they pray and almost all humans assume when they act. The open future is intuitive; but can it be rigorously defended? God in an Open Universe shows that it can. Open theism has always been an attractive view of God; now it becomes a philosophically rigorous one as well.” – Philip Clayton, Claremont School of Theology

I’m tempted to quote the preface or the introductory blurb on the back. Instead, I think I’ll just list the chapter titles and writers to give an idea of the book’s contents:

Introduction: Open Theism and the Challenge of Science

Open Theism and the Greatness of God

1.            Hasker, William   “The Need for a Bigger God”

Science and Open Theism: Some Methodological Insights

2.            Koperski, Jeffrey  “Metatheoretic Shaping Principles: Where Science Meets Theology”

3.            Basinger, David,   “Religious Belief Formation: A Kantian Perspective Informed by Science”

Open Theism, Time, and Relativity

4.            Rhoda, Alan R.       “The Fivefold Openness of the Future”

5.            Woodruff, David,    “Presentism and the Problem of Special Relativity”

6.            Zimmerman, Dean   “Open Theism and the Metaphysics of the Space-Time Manifold”

Open Theism and Religious Life

7.            Collins, Robin         “Prayer and Open Theism: A Participatory, Co-Creator Model”

The essays in this book are written by philosophers. Some are technical; others more accessible. The book represents a powerful foray into key issues of science by Open theism advocates.

This book is also a companion to a book released last year titled, Creation Made Free: Open Theology Engaging Science. As the second book’s title suggests, the thirteen essays in this book are more theologically oriented.

Not only do I invite you to join me in celebrating these two important books, I encourage you to consider reading one or both. They represent an important development in the rapidly growing theological perspective called “Open theology!”