The 6th Mariano Artigas Memorial Lecture will analyse the relationship between God's action in the world and the question of chance.

The group of research 'Science, Reason and Faith' (CRYF) of the University of Navarra celebrates this Friday, September 24 at 12.30 pm the VI Mariano Artigas Memorial Lecture. The speaker will be Professor Juan José Sanguineti, Full Professor emeritus of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome), who will focus his discussion paper on 'How does God act in casual events'. The session can be followed in person or online.

The director of the group 'Science, Reason and Faith' and researcher of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS), Javier Sánchez Cañizares, points out that the topic chosen for this edition is especially relevant because of the poles it studies: "On the one hand, the action of God in the world, a classic question of Christian thought that is increasingly difficult to present in an understandable way in our current cultural context; and on the other, the question of chance, an extremely complex concept and generally not well understood by contemporary thought".

He also stresses that "Professor Sanguineti will offer a relationship between the two poles that will allow us to understand each of them a little better". First of all, speaker will present a notion of chance inspired by a stratified view of nature. He will then present the views of Thomas Aquinas and some contemporary authors. He will conclude by arguing for the divine intentionality of creating a potential universe in which God's providence can act in respect of natural laws and in a way that is not rationally controllable.

Professor Sanguineti, Full Professor and author of about a hundred scientific papers

Juan José Sanguineti holds a doctorate in Philosophy and Letters from the University of Navarra and Full Professor emeritus from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome). He is the author of more than sixteen books and about a hundred scientific articles, especially on the topics of Philosophy of nature, Philosophy of science, cosmology, Philosophy of knowledge, Philosophy of the mind and neuroscience.

This is the sixth edition of the Memorial Lecture, which began in 2011 and is held every two years. Historians such as William Shea and John Brooke, scientists such as Karl Giberson and Tanzella-Nitti and philosophers such as Juan Arana have participated in it. The choice of Professor Juan José Sanguineti is, in the opinion of Professor Sánchez Cañizares, "a natural continuation of this line-up of speakers, as well as recognition by the CRYF of a thinker who has made an effort to use philosophical mediation in the dialogue between science and religion, very much in tune with Artigas' thinking".