Divine Providence from Plato to Aquinas: An Interdisciplinary Symposium
8th December: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm GMT
Few concepts have exercised as much influence on Western thought as divine providence, shaping debates about divine agency, cosmic order, human freedom, and the problem of evil from antiquity onwards. Although providence occupies a central place in Christian theology, its development was deeply influenced by ancient philosophical traditions, particularly Platonism.
This symposium brings together scholars of ancient philosophy, patristics, medieval philosophy, and theology to explore the development of the concept of divine providence from Plato to Aquinas. Moving from ancient Greek philosophy through patristic thought to scholasticism, the papers will trace both the continuities and transformations that shaped philosophical and theological accounts of divine providence.
Programme
Papers will be 30 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of discussion.
10:30–11:00 Arrival and coffee
11:00–11:10 Welcome and introduction
11:10–11:55 Cristiana Sessini (Blackfriars Hall, Oxford):
Plato and the ‘Invention’ of Divine Providence
11:55–12:40 Joseph Murphy (Oriel College, Oxford):
Providence, Predestination, and Free Will in Origen
12:40–13:40 Lunch
13:40–14:25 Nathan Coundon (University of Oxford):
“He Is a Rewarder of Them That Diligently Seek Him”: Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa on the Discovery of God in the Spiritual Life
14:25–15:10 Andreea-Maria Lemnaru Espuna (University of Vienna):
God’s eros ekstatikos as a Manifestation of Divine Providence in Pseudo-Dionysius
15:10–15:30 Coffee
15:30–16:15 Daniel De Haan (Blackfriars and Campion Hall, Oxford):
God, Creation, and Providence: Avicenna’s Influence on the Structure of the Philosophical Theology in Aquinas’s Contra Gentiles
16:15–16:35 Concluding discussion
18:00 Optional dinner (registration required, details to follow)
Venue: Blackfriars Hall -
St Giles
Oxford,
OX1 3LY
United Kingdom
Contact:
Aquinas Institute
aquinas@bfriars.ox.ac.uk