God out of Mind: Thought Experiments, Science, and Religion

Dear Colleagues,

There was a time when the method of thought experiments was discussed exclusively by philosophers of science. In the past thirty years the scope of the investigation has widened significantly. The enormous body of literature on thought experiments that is available today is truly interdisciplinary. This special issue is intended to facilitate further discussion on central topics at the intersection of thought experiments, science, and religion, such as: In what sense can we say that thought experiments are a method of theological inquiry? Does the employment of thought experiments for cognitive purposes rest on theological assumptions about the power of the mind? Is religion a function of thought experiments? What thought experiments can be found in the various religious traditions? Is the use of thought experiments in science, religion, and theology comparable? Given that thought experiments are conveyed by means of polished narratives, what links between science and literature are thereby established that could prove useful in understanding the important role of holy texts in religions? Is the imagination that we find utilized in religious frameworks to make sense of the world at the roots of the cognitive efficacy of some thought experiments? And, in what sense should the discussion of thought experiments at the intersection of science and religion inform theories of creativity?

Confirmed contributors to this special issue include Stefan Bauberger, James R. Brown, Marco Buzzoni, Valentina Savojardo, Travis Dumsday, Menachem Fisch, Steve Fuller, Ingrid Lindberg, Mark Shumelda, Uwe Meixner, Harald Wiltsche, and Ilana Kurshan. Unsolicited submissions are welcome. A Knowledge Unlatched Grant makes this special issue possible.

Prof. Dr. Yiftach Fehige
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.