Theistic Science Symposium
at Bryn Athyn College on Oct 12, 2019
Breaking The Shell:
Connecting the Spiritual Cascade to the Physical with New Church Science.Presented by Swedenborg Scientific Association and the Theistic Science Group.
The SSA would like to introduce the Theistic Science Group -- a collaboration of New Church scientists and theologians working on a model of scientific principles based on the axiom of spiritual-natural causation.If natural things and processes are derived from spiritual causes, how can these be described in scientific terms? Using doctrines from Swedenborg’s scientific and theological works, the Theistic Science Group asks “How does spirit descend into nature, creating as it comes?” Questions of the origin of matter, divine order, in nature, and the emergence of organic forms are being addressed by the group. Their process will be reported at this first Theistic Science Symposium.
This symposium was the culmination of about a year-and-a-half of Monday morning Skype meetings about New Church science – what it was and what it could be. We all agreed that the Heavenly Doctrine gives us a new perspective and new insights into the amazing workings of the natural world. During these Monday meetings we have been exploring what these are.
Several ideas and points of focus developed as we discussed what we called Theistic Science, science in which the Lord as God is ever present and always creating. One of the areas of focus was what part the highest of the three natural atmospheres plays in the physical world. The other area which caught our interest was how is it possible for the protein to fold into its useful form in less than a second?
For this article each us a wrote a brief summary of our presentations, highlighting the essential points of what we hoped to communicate to those who attended this symposium, and to those who read this article. We had two morning sessions and two afternoon sessions, followed by a panel discussion led by Dr. Dan Synnestvedt, a professor of philosophy at Bryn Athyn College.
Ron Horvath
"Theistic Science Group: Introduction to who and what is the Theistic Science Group, and what are we doing here?"
Reuben Bell
"Introduction to Theistic Science"
Slides: (soon). Final article.
Andy Heilman
"Introduction to discrete degrees in New Church Science: Seeing what is spiritual in the physical world"
Slides: powerpoint, ppt, handout: pdf. Final article.
Ian Thompson 1
"Expanding the idea of Discrete Degrees from Triads (3) to Enneads (9) and beyond"
Slides: powerpoint and pdf. Final article.
Steve Smith
"Protein Synthesis and Fine Tuning"
Slides: powerpoint, pdf. Final article.
Ian Thompson 2
"A mechanism for spiritual influx into the physical"
Slides: powerpoint (including movies), and pdf (no movies). Final article.
Agenda
Reuben Bell President, Swedenborg Scientific Association
-- WelcomeRon Horvath Chairman, Theistic Science Group
-- Introduction to who and what is the Theistic Science Group, and what are we doing here?Reuben Bell The Emergence of Organic Forms, with Q & A
Andy Heilman Introduction to discrete degrees in New Church Science
Ian Thompson Enneads of Spiritual and Physical Sub-degrees
Andy Heilman and Ian Thompson Q & A
Lunch
Available for purchase at the college cafeteria.
Book exhibit for review and purchase, including new releases.Steve Smith Puzzles and Fine-Tuning in Physics and Biology, with Q&A
Ian Thompson A Mechanism for Spiritual Influx into the Physical (the Nexus), with Q & A
Panel
Moderated by Dan Synnestvedt
Ron Horvath Summary remarks:
Where are we going from here? Not just an intellectual experience; a call to action in research and observations of spirit acting into nature according to the principles discussed today.