Divine Creativity and Participatory Cosmologies: Theological Perspectives on Science, Technology, and the Future of Humanity

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid advancements in science and technology continue to provoke philosophical theology to reimagine divine creativity and humanity’s role in cosmic evolution. This Special Issue of Religions invites scholars to explore how contemporary participatory approaches to cosmology—or approaches recognizing the co-creative participation of individuals and communities (including nonhumans) in bringing forth worlds—challenge and enrich traditional theological doctrines. How might a broadly participatory approach foster novel spiritual perspectives and practices responsive to the existential and ethical challenges posed by our increasingly technocratic civilization?

The editors are pleased to invite submissions of original research articles and reviews from scholars taking a broadly participatory (integral, metamodern, or process, etc.) approach to these and related questions. We particularly welcome those emphasizing relational ontology, experiential and embodied ways of knowing (e.g., imaginative and sacramental epistemologies), the rejection of reductionism (e.g., purely sociological accounts of religion, as well as purely mechanistic accounts in science), a commitment to pluralism, and liberatory engagement in social struggles.

Further topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Theological interpretations of process-relational metaphysics and their implications for addressing various planetary challenges.
• The relevance of integral ecology for rethinking creation, human dominion, and the ethical use of technology.
• Participatory frameworks for reconciling natural science with spiritual experience and metaphysical inquiry.
• Explorations of metamodernism and integral theory as new methodologies for addressing the relationship between science, religion, and cultural life.
• Critical engagements with the influence of technology on human values, ethics, and spirituality.
• The role of imagination, intuition, and esthetic experience in theological and scientific creativity.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for dialog across disciplines and spiritual/religious traditions, fostering a nuanced understanding of how participatory cosmologies can help scholars reimagine divine creativity in ways responsive to the ecological and social crises currently threatening our fledgling planetary civilization with catastrophe.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Dr. Matthew Segall
Dr. Ashton Arnoldy
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• participatory theory
• process philosophy
• integral theory
• sacramental epistemology
• relational ontology
• pluralism
• divine agency
• science
• technology
• spirituality
• metamodernism