Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) moment has stimulated multiple intellectual attempts to make sense of the pandemic. The complexity of the challenge obviously requires an interdisciplinary approach. The specific problem explored in the article is the question whether a dialogue between Virolo...

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Autor principal:	Rian Venter
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	AF DE EN NL
Publicado:	AOSIS 2021
Materias:	covid-19 creation evil equivocity interdisciplinarity ontology pandemic philosophy of biology virology Religion (General) BL1-50
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/0e66fdf408f54c059006acb219afd89e
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:0e66fdf408f54c059006acb219afd89e2021-11-24T07:50:53ZTheology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-191609-99822074-770510.4102/ve.v42i2.2354https://doaj.org/article/0e66fdf408f54c059006acb219afd89e2021-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/2354https://doaj.org/toc/1609-9982https://doaj.org/toc/2074-7705The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) moment has stimulated multiple intellectual attempts to make sense of the pandemic. The complexity of the challenge obviously requires an interdisciplinary approach. The specific problem explored in the article is the question whether a dialogue between Virology and Philosophy of Biology on the one hand and theology on the other may open new possibilities for understanding the very nature of reality. The point of departure is that the interdisciplinary conversation is a practice of negotiation and not of addition. New developments in Virology are narrated and the conventional association of viruses as mere pathogens is countered with an appreciation of their age, abundance and evolutionary impact. The discipline of Philosophy of Biology is included in the conversation to underline the metaphysical consequences of thinking about viruses. In the theology of creation, interpretations which resist equating viruses merely as natural evil are narrated. The central proposal of the article, transpiring from the conversation, identifies the notion of equivocity as fundamental description of reality. This ontological insight may do justice to contemporary Virology and to the sense of Mystery in theology and the Christian doctrine of creation. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article is an explicit attempt to engage two disciplines of the natural science – Virology and Philosophy of Biology, and theology. Contemporary developments in the state of scholarship of these disciplines are mentioned. A basis in ontology is proposed for the conversation, and a central insight transpiring from the disciplines is suggested – that of equivocity. An interdisciplinary conversation may give rise to a more nuanced insight into the nature of reality.Rian VenterAOSISarticlecovid-19creationevilequivocityinterdisciplinarityontologypandemicphilosophy of biologyvirologyReligion (General)BL1-50AFDEENNLVerbum et Ecclesia , Vol 42, Iss 2, Pp e1-e7 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	AF DE EN NL
topic	covid-19 creation evil equivocity interdisciplinarity ontology pandemic philosophy of biology virology Religion (General) BL1-50
spellingShingle	covid-19 creation evil equivocity interdisciplinarity ontology pandemic philosophy of biology virology Religion (General) BL1-50 Rian Venter Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
description	The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) moment has stimulated multiple intellectual attempts to make sense of the pandemic. The complexity of the challenge obviously requires an interdisciplinary approach. The specific problem explored in the article is the question whether a dialogue between Virology and Philosophy of Biology on the one hand and theology on the other may open new possibilities for understanding the very nature of reality. The point of departure is that the interdisciplinary conversation is a practice of negotiation and not of addition. New developments in Virology are narrated and the conventional association of viruses as mere pathogens is countered with an appreciation of their age, abundance and evolutionary impact. The discipline of Philosophy of Biology is included in the conversation to underline the metaphysical consequences of thinking about viruses. In the theology of creation, interpretations which resist equating viruses merely as natural evil are narrated. The central proposal of the article, transpiring from the conversation, identifies the notion of equivocity as fundamental description of reality. This ontological insight may do justice to contemporary Virology and to the sense of Mystery in theology and the Christian doctrine of creation. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article is an explicit attempt to engage two disciplines of the natural science – Virology and Philosophy of Biology, and theology. Contemporary developments in the state of scholarship of these disciplines are mentioned. A basis in ontology is proposed for the conversation, and a central insight transpiring from the disciplines is suggested – that of equivocity. An interdisciplinary conversation may give rise to a more nuanced insight into the nature of reality.
format	article
author	Rian Venter
author_facet	Rian Venter
author_sort	Rian Venter
title	Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
title_short	Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
title_full	Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
title_fullStr	Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
title_full_unstemmed	Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19
title_sort	theology, philosophy of biology and virology: an interdisciplinary conversation in the time of covid-19
publisher	AOSIS
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/0e66fdf408f54c059006acb219afd89e
work_keys_str_mv	AT rianventer theologyphilosophyofbiologyandvirologyaninterdisciplinaryconversationinthetimeofcovid19
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Theology, philosophy of biology and virology: An interdisciplinary conversation in the time of COVID-19

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