Welcome to Cosmic Scotus
Science, Franciscans, Christian Faith and an Evolving Cosmos
Fresh Expressions of Franciscan inspired faith and spiritual life for the modern world from Duns Scotus and Bonaventure
Can Christian faith make sense in the universe revealed by modern science?
We live in an evolving universe billions of years old. We are ourselves evolved beings, living within an extraordinary web of life. Yet Christian faith has often been presented in ways that seem difficult to reconcile with what we now know about the universe, evolution and our place within it.
Cosmic Scotus explores another possibility.
It brings together Christian faith, Franciscan theology, modern science, evolutionary thought and spiritual life, asking what the great Franciscan teachers can say to us today. While it focuses on the Franciscans it also includes inspiration from a range of other modern authors.
Explore Cosmic Scotus
God and the Cosmos
Who is God? What can we say about the Trinity, creation and the relationship between God and the evolving cosmos?
Humanity and Evolution
What does it mean to understand ourselves as evolved beings? How might this affect our understanding of human dignity, sin, love and our future? I explore both our great potentials of intellect and love, but also our chronic failures in relationships , that which we call Sin. I present the Franciscan theology that we can become our better selves and live according to higher principles of life that we are intended to have as Beings in Communion.
Jesus Christ
What does it mean to think of Christ as the centre and destiny of the Cosmos? How might the Incarnation of the Word in Christ be understood within an Evolving Creation? What have the stories and teachings about His Death and Resurrection from the dead to say to us among the complexities of the world? I present the Franciscan emphasis of God’s intention to make Christ the whole reason and focus of all life from before the very start of the Universe.
The Bible and Revelation
Much of the bible content has been critically questioned, so how can Scripture remain a living revelation while recognising the very different world views of its ancient writers?
I explore the Franciscan view that all scripture with all its diversity of content and circumstances of composition points to Christ as our ultimate need and answers to life in its greatness and suffering.
Life in the Spirit
How can Christian spirituality, prayer, devotion and transformation speak to people living in today’s world? How can we be changed and affected by the Spirit to transform our lives and global societies? The power of good change is always present for those ready to receive it.
Our Future and the Cosmos
What kind of humanity are we becoming, and what might our future be within God’s evolving creation and beyond physical life? What is the ultimate future of the Cosmos and all life?
The Virgin Mary
Important to Catholics and Orthodox , how may we think of Mary the Mother of Jesus and her role in bringing Jesus to birth, and what she also means for Christian devotion and Spiritual life?
The Franciscan Vision
At the heart of Cosmic Scotus is an exploration of the great Franciscan tradition, especially the writings and theological insights of:
The Blessed John Duns Scotus and St Bonaventure
Their Franciscan vision of creation, Christ, the spiritual journey and our ultimate union with God. Both have distinctive understandings of God, Christ, creation, individuality, freedom and divine love.
William of Ockham
Starting this year, in phase II of this project, I will begin to explore this controversial Franciscan theologian and philosopher whose thought also raises important questions about authority, the Church and society. He upset much of the philosophy and theology of his time and opposed the Pope.
These three thinkers lived many centuries ago, but their questions about God, humanity, Christ, freedom, society and creation remain capable of stimulating Christian thought today about the possibilities of better society.
Other authors
The project also includes inspiration from an Inter-Church collection of other more modern authors; that I feel concurs with the Franciscans that builds into a fresh expression of Christian faith for our modern era.
Catholics Karl Rahner , Teilhard de Chardin, and Ilia Delio
Reformed Jurgen Moltmann and Wolhart Pannenberg
Anglicans Charles Gore, Tom Wright and John Polkinghorne
Orthodox Kalistos Ware and Vladimir Lossky.
You can read about them all here : https://www.cosmicscotus.com/authors-and-sources/
Faith and Science
Is there really a conflict between faith and science?
Many people today may feel that they need to choose between Christian faith and the scientific understanding of the universe. The Bible and much traditional theology arose within very different understandings of the world from those we have today. At the same time, some scientific approaches have attempted to understand reality without reference to God or religious belief. I do not think that this means that faith and science must be enemies. My studies began and continue from the conviction that there is a fruitful dialogue to be had between Christian theology and our contemporary understanding of an evolving universe.
An Evolving Fresh Expression of Franciscan Faith
What does evolution mean for Christian faith?
We need a Christian faith that can connect with the developing earth and the long history of a cosmos billions of years old. We need also to see ourselves as evolved and developing beings, who have inherited both remarkable capacities for love and cooperation but also destructive tendencies of our tribal past.
Franciscan theology offers resources for thinking about these questions. It encourages us to look again at our relationship with God, with one another and with the whole of creation. To see all our lives as part of a whole with a future that goes beyond the material universe that may include other life far away.
Christ and the Cosmos
For me, Jesus Christ is not simply an answer to problems within human history. The Divine Word became human in Jesus of Nazareth. Christ is central to our understanding of God, humanity and the whole cosmos.
As an evolved humanity, we remain unfinished. The Christian hope is that in Christ we are called towards a New Humanity, a humanity transformed by divine love and capable of relationships that transcend selfishness, tribalism and division. We can have wholly New Being and be what we are intended to be.
Explore Christ and the Cosmos
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/historical-and-cosmic-significance-paultillich/
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/primacy-of-christ/
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/star-trek/
A Franciscan Way of Living for today
Cosmic Scotus is not intended to be theology for its own sake. The Franciscan tradition asks how our understanding of God should affect the way we live. Franciscan spirituality points towards poverty, humility, love, service, care for creation and solidarity with others. Our evolving world faces environmental damage, social injustice, conflict and continuing divisions between peoples. These things need commitment to change and reconciliation.
We need to ask what kind of people and what kind of society we are becoming and want to become
Explore Franciscan Spirituality
The Third Order of the Society of St Francis https://www.cosmicscotus.com/third-order-2/
Our life in the Spirit https://www.cosmicscotus.com/transforming-our-life-in-the-spirit/
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/life-in-the-spirit-2/
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/sacraments-1/
Why the Franciscans?
In discussions about Christianity and science, Thomas Aquinas is frequently brought into the conversation. Duns Scotus and Bonaventure in his era are much less often discussed. Yet I have found in their writings ideas that seem remarkably relevant to our own time. My own interest in the Franciscans developed after becoming a member of the Anglican Third Order of the Society of St Francis.
Much of my life has also been influenced by thinkers such as Paul Tillich and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, as well as Karl Rahner, Jürgen Moltmann, Ilia Delio and others from different Christian traditions. I am writing as a student rather than as an expert on all these thinkers. My purpose is to explore ideas that I find complementary, fruitful and worthy of further consideration.
The origin and reason for this project
See here an explanation of my original researches:
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/explorations/
Cosmic Franciscans
The Fresh Expressions of Franciscan faith explored on this website come together and are expanded in my book
Cosmic Franciscans: Duns Scotus, Bonaventure and Evolving World
The book brings together the further explorations of Franciscan theology, modern cosmology and evolutionary science, with insights from other Christian thinkers and traditions. Like this website it explores Franciscan theology and a Franciscan-inspired way of Christian living, with meditation and prayer at the end of each chapter.
If you find the ideas on this website interesting, the book takes them much further.
Discover Cosmic Franciscans and the Contents and purchase details
Read the Contents https://www.cosmicscotus.com/cosmic-franciscans/
Buy the Book:
The book is available as Kindle and Paperback from Amazon, and Paperback and Hardback from Booktopia, Barns and Noble, Readings , Book a Million, Blackwells, Fishpond, Google books, Abe Books, Biblio, Walmart, Adlibris, Waterstones
Most recent additions to the website
Enjoyment of God according to Duns Scotus, William Ockham, Bonaventure, Paul Tillich and Karl Rahner
Explore this recent reflection on the Christian understanding of our ultimate enjoyment of God.
Read the article https://www.cosmicscotus.com/enjoyment-of-god/
Other Essays
New essay posts and reflections, sermons and devotional material will continue to appear on the blog pages listed in the right hand panel Recent Posts , along with an archive of previous posts.
Where would you like to explore?
I want to explore God and the Trinity → https://www.cosmicscotus.com/cosmic-god/
I want to explore evolution and humanity → https://www.cosmicscotus.com/humanity/
I want to understand Jesus Christ →https://www.cosmicscotus.com/jesus-christ-focal-point-of-all-history-and-meanings/
I want to explore Christian spirituality → https://www.cosmicscotus.com/transforming-our-life-in-the-spirit/
I want to think about our future and the cosmos → https://www.cosmicscotus.com/our-future-and-the-cosmos/
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/our-future-part-2/
Begin your exploration
Cosmic Scotus is an ongoing exploration of Christian faith in an evolving universe. I hope you will find something here that informs your understanding, stimulates your thinking, deepens your faith and perhaps encourages you to explore a different way of living.
If you want some starting points I recommend
Cosmic God https://www.cosmicscotus.com/cosmic-god/
Primacy of Christ https://www.cosmicscotus.com/primacy-of-christ/
Modern Franciscan Life https://www.cosmicscotus.com/third-order-2/
Discover by book Cosmic Franciscans
https://www.cosmicscotus.com/cosmic-franciscans/