Panentheism: A Way of Seeing God’s Presence in the World
Noreen Herzfeld, M. Div, '15
Synchronous Presentation, Saint John’s University - Collegeville, MN
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Colossians 3:11 tells us "There is only Christ. He is everything and he is in everything." Panentheism views God as present in the universe yet more than the universe. It underlies Fr. Richard Rohr’s “Universal Christ.” It is also found in the writings of Muslim Sufi mystics, Celtic spirituality, and has recently found favor with many in the science and religion dialogue. What would a panentheistic God imply for our salvation, creation, and God’s agency in the world?
Noreen Herzfeld, Ph. D., is the Nicholas and Bernice Reuter Professor of Science and Religion at Saint John’s University and the College of St. Benedict and a research associate with the Science and Research Center, Koper Slovenia and the Research Institute for Theology and Religion at the University of South Africa. She holds degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from The Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Theology from The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Herzfeld is the author of several books including The Limits of Perfection in Technology, Religion, and Science (Pandora, 2010) and editor of Religion and the New Technologies (MDPI, 2017). She has published numerous articles and book chapters and is a frequent speaker on the prospects for AI, ethical issues in technology, and Islam.