What is it about?
In what ways might God be like an abstract mathematical object, such as a number or a geometrical shape? The objects of mathematics are often regarded as having three key negative characteristics. They are unknowable by the senses, not located at any point in space-time, and are not involved in physical causal chains. God can also be thought of as possessing these three characteristics. Exploring this convergence between mathematical objects and the God of classical western theism opens up new lines of inquiry within the philosophy of religion.
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Why is it important?
The article brings philosophy of religion and philosophy of mathematics into a long overdue conversation. New light can be shed on familiar issues within philosophy of religion by looking at them through the lens of recent philosophy of mathematics.
Perspectives
I'm grateful to the Centre for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame for inviting me to present a paper at the Logos 2013 conference on 'Theorizing about God - Realism in Theology'. The present publication is the eventual result and it has benefited from comments received both at Notre Dame and at the British Society for Philosophy of Religion's biennial conference, where it was presented later in the same year.
Prof. Victoria S. Harrison
University of Macau
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This page is a summary of: Mathematical objects and the object of theology, Religious Studies, October 2016, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0034412516000238.
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