Stanley Jaki Foundation International Congress 2015
Edited by Paul Haffner and Joseph Laracy
On
April 15, 2015, a diverse, international group of scholars with expertise in fields
such as philosophy, theology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and computer science,
gathered at Seton Hall University (SHU) in South Orange, New Jersey, USA for the
Father Jaki International Congress. Dr. Anthony Troha of the SHU Department of Physics
gave the first presentation, focusing on Fr. Jaki’s early career work in experimental
physics. Dr. Troha’s paper offers a fascinating look into Jaki’s doctoral research
in experimental physics under the direction of the Austrian-American physicist and
Nobel laureate who discovered cosmic rays, Dr. Victor Hess. Program Chair, Father
Joseph R. Laracy, presented a paper entitled, “Creation, Revelation, and the Emergence
of Empirical Science.” Laracy develops Jaki’s research on the important connection
between the theology of creation and the emergence of natural science in medieval
Europe. Monsignor Richard M. Liddy, Professor of Religion and Director of the Center
for Catholic Studies at SHU, presented a very interesting paper entitled, “Jaki and
Lonergan: Confrontation or Encounter?” Liddy shared a number of thought-provoking
and sometimes humorous vignettes from his experience working with Stanley Jaki at
SHU. Dr. Peter Floriani, an experienced computer scientist, as well as a student
of the works of G. K. Chesterton, John Henry Newman, and Stanley Jaki, gave the next
paper. Based on the insights of these three Catholic writers, Floriani suggests a
new approach to higher education, distinctly Catholic, that he instantiates in a
yet to be founded university called “The Ambrosian.” Dr. Tracy Trasancos, a research
chemist turned theologian, and faculty member at Holy Apostles College and Seminary
in Cromwell, Connecticut, offered the paper, “Science was Born of Christianity: The
Facts of Fr. Jaki’s Research.” Following Jaki, Transacos advances the thesis that
the cause of the stillbirths of science in ancient pre-Christian cultures was theological,
not geophysical nor socio-economical. Father Paul Haffner, Visiting Professor of
Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, President of the Stanley Jaki Foundation,
and General Conference Chairman, submitted a paper entitled, “Christology and the
Cosmos in Stanley Jaki.” It offers a lucid Christological perspective on the doctrine
of creation and its implications. Finally, the Italian engineer and friend of Stanley
Jaki, Antonio Colombo, offered the keynote address to conclude the Conference. Colombo’s
paper offers a detailed biographical sketch of Jaki’s journey of life from his birth
in Győr, Hungary to his death in Madrid, Spain.
978 085244 936 3
228 pages
£15.99
Stanley Jaki Foundation International Congress 2024
Edited by Paul Haffner and Joseph Laracy
On April 24, 2024, at Seton Hall University leading scholars from throughout the world in theology, philosophy, and the sciences gathered for the 2024 Stanley Jaki International Congress. This event marked the centenary of Father Stanley Jaki's birth in 1924, and examined the enduring significance of his thought.
These proceedings of the Congress explore foundational questions concerning metaphysics, creation, and the intelligibility of nature, while also engaging historical debates about the emergence of modern science within the Christian intellectual framework. Ranging from Aristotelian-Thomistic analyses of matter and causality to investigations into evolution, transhumanism, and artificial intelligence, these studies demonstrate the continued vitality of a realist synthesis in dialogue with contemporary scientific developments. The proceedings offer a rigorous and interdisciplinary account of how the Catholic Intellectual Tradition can illuminate both the origins of science and its future trajectory
978 085244 960 8
520 pages
£45.00