Michael Pugh

Orthodox Christianity has, unfortunately, a tumultuous relationship with natural theology. Some theologians, such as Vladamir Lossky and John Zizoulas, have appraised the philosophical projects of Medieval Scholasticism and its progeny with hesitant skepticism at best, and outright condemnation at worst. Others, like Richard Swinburne and David Bradshaw, not only have a positive view of natural theology, they have incorporated its methodology into their own philosophical and theological writings. In this paper, I will argue that natural theology plays an integral role in the development of orthodox spirituality by inspiring within persons a feeling of natural wonder. This feeling, over time, renders the individual more open to the full content of the Orthodox faith. First, I will define Natural Theology and explain why some are resistant to its methodology and conclusions and make a case for its historical existence within Orthodoxy. Next, I will offer an account of "natural wonder" and explain how natural theology generates this emotion in persons. Finally, I will explain how natural theology can assist in the development of Orthodox Spirituality through the use of natural wonder.

In classical theism, God is defined as being omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good at minimum, while often describing God as being imminent, immutable, impassible, and timeless as well. Richard Swinburne attempts to demonstrate the coherence of classical theism by expositing the meaning of these attributes while also showing the rationale behind believing a being with such attributes exists in his book The Coherence of Theism. In chapter 12, "Eternal and Immutable," Swinburne offers a thought-provoking argument for why proponents of classical theism should understand God as being eternal rather than timeless and explores the implications of an eternal God on the notion of Divine Immutability. In this paper, I will argue that Swinburne offers a convincing proposal for understanding God's eternality that insightfully connects this debate to related discussions concerning immutability, but fails to address certain metaphysical considerations on the nature of time.1 I will first clarify the distinction between eternal and timeless and explain the significance of this distinction. Next, I will review his arguments and evaluate their effectiveness. Finally, I will propose further questions not explored by Swinburne and briefly offer my own solution to the issue of eternality and timelessness. Eternality and Timelessness

The difficulty with typical depictions of Hell is that they lead one to objectionable understandings of God. Why would God be worthy of love if that love is, essentially, demanded under duress? Hell as a motivator for human ethical behavior, worship of the divine, or the enactment of the Christian life has been a target of criticism for those outside of the Christian community, but also from within by proponents of universal reconciliation and conditional immortality. The 7th-century Syrian theologian Isaac of Nineveh attempted to offer a more thoughtful interpretation of Hell in his Ascetical Homilies and an extended treatise on the topic. Although these writings lack systematic structure, they present ideas worth incorporating into contemporary debates surrounding the metaphysical and phenomenological nature of Hell. In this paper I will critically analyze Isaac's "Treatise on Gehenna" and references to Hell found in his Ascetical Homilies, develop a concise understanding of his theological position, and provide an analytical framework for his ideas. Then I will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of his theocentric and anthropocentric responses to the Problem of Hell and conclude by proposing areas of further inquiry.

Within the modern era, this a growing concern for the state of the environment and the impacts human civilization has on the stability of our ecological surroundings. This concern has recently found new life in the work of Christian theology. Central to the Christian narrative is the origins of the universe and our place within it. If humanity is to play a role in creation, what should that role look like, and how does that role shape our self-identity? The writers of ancient Christianity spent much time examining these questions in their context through the writing of Hexameron literature. By examining the insights from these texts more closely, we may find a new way forward, inspired by the old, that offers a more ecologically sound anthropology than contemporary notions of dominionism. In this paper, I will offer a new constructive theology of dominionism inspired by the Jacob of Serugh's Hexameron that reframes anthropocentric dominionism away from exploitative or tyrannical language. First I will lay out the ecological concerns of modern dominionism, then I will explore the Hexameron literature from two other ancient Christian witnesses, Ambrose and Basil of Caesarea, and explain how Jacob of Serugh expands and builds off of their theological anthropology to develop a new way of understanding humanities relationship to the environment.