Author: Columba John Hawthorne

I'm an amateur philosopher and lay theologian based in Scotland, UK.

Being Before God: Heidegger on Christianity as a Way of Life

Heidegger’s examination of religious life emphasizes the interplay between lived experience and historical context in Christianity. He critiques metaphysical frameworks, advocating for a phenomenological approach that recognizes the significance of temporality and authentic existence. Faith, for Heidegger, transcends dogma, focusing on how one enacts life amidst historical reality and existential uncertainty.

Blossoming Forth: A Peircean Interpretation of St. Isaac’s Evolutionary Cosmology

The text discusses the creation narrative from a theological and philosophical perspective, linking St. Isaac’s teachings with C.S. Peirce’s concepts of chance and consciousness evolution. It emphasizes the universe’s transition from abstract potentiality to concrete reality, while highlighting the relationship between divine intention and human development, proposing a theory of Theological-Persuasive Tychism.

Faculty X: Theosis and Superconsciousness

This essay examines Colin Wilson’s Superconsciousness as a framework for understanding the Christian concept of theosis, which involves human transformation through divine grace. It outlines seven consciousness levels, culminating in mystical consciousness, and discusses how prayer and virtuous living facilitate this spiritual ascent towards unity with God, rooted in Eastern Orthodox theology.

The Quintessence of Dust: The Human Hypostasis as the Image and Likeness of God

This essay explores Eastern Orthodox process theology, focusing on human hypostasis as an embodiment of divine likeness. It examines the interactions of active and passive hypostases across the cosmos, emphasizes human dignity through autonomy and self-governance, and integrates insights from thinkers like Hans Jonas and William James to frame human experience within divine creation.

The Seamless Garment: A Groundwork for an Eastern Orthodox Process Theology

This essay explores the intersection of Eastern Orthodox theology and speculative empiricism, emphasizing a dynamic understanding of God and Creation. It critiques traditional thought, posits God as a catalyst of creativity, and frames Creation as an evolving tapestry of experiences, highlighting the relational unity of the Holy Trinity and the potential for human theosis.