Top-Down Causation and Volition
19, 20, and 21 April, 2007
Yosemite National Park, California

How is free will possible in light of the physical and chemical underpinnings of brain activity and recent neurobiological experiments? How can the emergence of complexity in hierarchical systems such as the brain, based at the lower levels in physical interactions, lead to something like genuine free will? A key tool in understanding how free will may arise in this context is the idea of downward causation in complex systems, happening coterminously with bottom up causation, to form an integral whole. Top-down causation is usually neglected, but is explored in depth in this book, along with the ethical and legal implications of our understanding of free will. The Top-Down Causation and Volition symposium was chaired by Christof Koch.

Games, Groups, God(s) and the Global Good
4, 5, and 6 October, 2007
Princeton University

The first in a three-part series, this volume explores how game theory's strategic formulation of central problems in the analysis of social interactions is used to develop multi-level theories that examine the interplay between individuals and the collectives they form. The authors suggest that conventional analyses need to be broadened to explain how heuristics, like concepts of fairness, arise and become formalized into the ethical principles embraced by a society. The Games, Groups, God(s) and the Global Good symposium was chaired by Simon A. Levin, George M. Moffett Professor of Biology at Princeton University.

Games, Groups, God(s) and the Global Good
24, 25, and 26 June 2004
Vatican Observatory. Castel Gandolfo, Italy

Twelve renowned scientists, philosophers, and theologians examine the phenomenon of convergence in biology, exemplified by the very similar construction of the camera-eye of cephalopods and vertebrates, and discuss the metaphysical implications that emerge if it is determined that the processes of evolution are more ordered and predicable that we had thought heretofore. The Purpose in Evolution symposium was chaired by Simon Conway Morris, professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge.

Universe or Multiverse
March 27-29, 2003
Palo Alto, California

Recent developments in cosmology and particle physics have led to the remarkable realization that our universe - rather than being unique - could be just one of many universes. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers describe these recent developments and assess their implications, thus providing, for the first time, a broad and insightful overview of the subject. The Universe or Multiverse Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

Pneumatology: Exploring the Work of the Spirit from Contemporary Perspectives
November 2004
New York, New York

Ever since the sensational Azuza Street Revival in 1906, the global Pentecostal church has continued to explode numerically, pushing theological debates on the Holy Spirit to the forefront. This insightful collection draws together theologians, scientists, and Pentecostal scholars to make connections between the study and experience of the Holy Spirit. The Pneumatology Symposium was chaired by Michael Welker.

Emergent Reality
August 2002
Granada, Spain

This collection of essays debates the perplexing question of whether, and if so how, consciousness emerges from the functioning of the brain. It contains the work both of leading proponents of emergence theory and some of its outspoken critics. The Emergent Reality Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

Mind, Brain and Personhood
18, 19 and 20 January 2001
San Diego, California

This book takes an interdisciplinary look at the intersection of religion and science, exploring what new scientific knowledge does and does not say about religious views on personhood. The Mind, Brain and Personhood Symposium was chaired by Malcolm Jeeves.

Edited by Niels Henrik Gregersen
Oxford University Press USA, 2002.

Edited by George F.R. Ellis
Templeton Press, 2002.

The Far-Future Universe: Eschatology from a Cosmic Perspective
7, 8 and 9 November 2000
Rome, Italy

This compilation of essays offers speculations on various scenarios for the future, from the perspectives of cosmology, physics, biology, humanity and theology. The Far-Future Universe Symposium was held at the Pontifical Academy of Science and chaired by Martin Rees.