Society of Adventist Philosophers

*In light of the ongoing uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are carefully monitoring AAR/SBL’s plans for their scheduled November 2020 meetings in Boston. Should these larger groups cancel their meetings, the Committee has put in place a contingency plan to hold a virtual conference in November 2020 in an online format. Whichever the format, we expect an engaging meeting. 

The Society of Adventist Philosophers invites proposals for papers and panels to be presented at its eleventh annual symposium focusing on issues relevant to the philosophy of science.

Pertinent issues and questions include:

Epistemology – Is science primarily interested in discovering truth, as opposed to predictability and fruitful results? Is there fundamental and irreducible tension between religion and science’s search for truth? How, if at all, can a religious epistemology be scientific? Can or should science include religious forms of knowing in its methodology, and vice-versa? 

Metaphysics – Does science make metaphysical assumptions? Are science and religion non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA)? Do the findings of science better support naturalism or theism? 

Bioethics – Should the direction of scientific and technological advancement be informed by religious values? Should religious principles have anything to say about the principles governing the treatment of human and non-human subjects in scientific research? 

Theology –  Is there a role for Divine action in a world determined by mechanical causation? Does evolution change the way we think about theodicy? How did the scientific revolution change the way we do theology? How can eschatological beliefs, amongst others, impact views on environmentalism?

Creationism/Intelligent Design –  Can science give significant evidence for design in nature, or are its methods inherently skeptical and agnostic about design? Should religious principles have anything to say about the way that science education takes place, in both public schools and private schools? 

Hermeneutics – How do power relations in society influence the scientific enterprise? Do the currents of postmodernism and feminism, in their various forms, tend to undercut the claims of science? Do they, and should they, change the dynamic between science and religion?

Papers which address the theme of philosophy of science within the domain of any philosophical area/method including, but not limited to, logic, aesthetics, pragmatism, phenomenology, or politics are also welcome.  Proposals advancing a constructive thesis will be given preference over purely descriptive treatments of specific thinkers or movements. Prospective presenters are welcome to formulate their own questions relative to the central puzzles of this domain of philosophical inquiry, including its relevance/relationship to Christian reflection and life.

Submission Guidelines:

Proposals for papers or panels should be at least 300 words and not exceed 1000 words in length.  The deadline for submission is July 15, 2020.  Submissions should be forwarded to adventistphilosophy@gmail.com. Paper length should not exceed 10 pages, double-spaced, or 3000 words.  Presenters will be allotted 20 minutes for their presentation.  Additional time, as available, will be devoted to questions and discussion of presentations.