Philip Clayton is a philosopher and theologian specializing in the entire range of issues that arise at the intersection between science and religion. Over the last several decades he has published and lectured extensively on all branches of this debate, including the history of modern philosophy, philosophy of science, comparative religions, and constructive theology. Clayton received the PhD jointly from the Philosophy and Religious Studies departments at Yale University and is currently Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University and Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology. In addition to a variety of named lectureships, he has held visiting professorships at the University of Cambridge, the University of Munich, and Harvard University. Above all, Clayton’s books and articles address the cultural battle currently raging between science and religion. Rejecting the scientism of Dawkins and friends, he argues, does not open the door to fundamentalism. Instead, a variety of complex and interesting positions are being obscured by the warring factions whose fight to the death is attracting such intense attention today. Clayton has drawn on the resources of the sciences, philosophy, theology, and comparative religious thought to develop constructive partnerships between these two great cultural powers. As a public intellectual he seeks to address the burning ethical and political issues at the intersection of science, ethics, religion, and spirituality (e.g., the stem cell debate, euthanasia, the environmental crisis, interreligious warfare). As a philosopher he works to show the compatibility of science with religious belief across the fields where the two may be integrated (emergence theory, evolution and religion, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and consciousness). Office: Craig 209; Claremont School of Theology 1325 North College Avenue Claremont, California 91711 (909) 447-2570 email: pclayton@cst.edu

Upcoming Talks & Lectures

  • April 25, Portland, OR: “This Sacred World: Irreducible Complexity in Science and the Emerging God,” Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Click here to visit the website and/or purchase tickets.
  • May 1, Claremont, CA: “A Process-Oriented Approach to Emergence in Contemporary Evolutionary Biology,” a debate with Professor Joseph Bracken, Center for Process Studies.
  • May 29 - June 1, Doha, Qatar: “Respect without Identity: Why the Warfare Model Must be Wrong,” summit meeting on “Science, Cultures and the Future of Humanity: Could Knowledge, Spirituality and Action Re-Shape the World?” for broadcast on Al Jazeera Television; also “Seeing the Limits of Science from within Science” and “The Six Most Common Errors in Relating Science and Religion.”
  • July 10, Monterey, CA: “Panentheism in Comparativist Perspective, with special focus on Hinduism and the Abrahamic Faiths,” Society of Asian and Comparative Philosophy annual meeting, Asilomar Conference Center.
  • July 9-11, Paris: “Doing Science-Religion Research Outside the Context of Western Europe and North America,” workshop sponsored by Global Perspectives on Science and Spirituality.
  • July 26 - August 2, Star Island, NH: “Sociality and the Emergence of Culture,” lectures and seminars at the annual conference of the Institute for Religion in an Age of Science, “Emergence: Nature’s Mode of Creativity — The Human Dimension.”
  • September, Claremont, CA: “God Beyond Orthodoxy: Process Theology for the 21st Century,” fall Co-Director’s lecture, Claremont School of Theology.
  • October 9-21, Beijing, China: Lectures at various universities.

[ complete list of talks & lectures ]

Books: Forthcoming Titles

  • In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, October 2008).
  • Adventures in the Spirit: New Forays in Philosophical Theology (Fortress Press, October 2008).
  • Beyond the Religion Wars: The Path from Reduction to Reenchantment (Eerdmans, October 2008).
  • The Challenge of Ultimacy (with Steven Knapp), in preparation.
  • This Sacred World: What the New Integration of Science and Religion Has to Say about Ecology, Politics, and Human Spirituality, in preparation.

[ complete list of books ]