Against Physcialism-plus-God: How Creation Accounts for Divine Action in the World

It is often assumed that contemporary physics is more hospitable to divine action (and human freedom) than classical mechanics. This session criticises this assumption on the grounds of both physics and theology. Most currently discussed models do not challenge the physicalist assumption that physics provides a true and complete description of nature's causal web. Thus they resemble physicalism-plus-God. Taking up suggestions from Michael Polanyi, Herman Dooyeweerd, and Henri Blocher, this session proposes an alternative framework for divine action in the world. It takes creation as the starting-point to understanding the world and leads to a non-reductionist, multi-dimensional picture of reality.