Personal Being: Polanyi, Ontology, and Christian Theology (American University Studies)

Personal Being: Polanyi, Ontology, and Christian Theology contributes to Michael Polanyi studies, to the conversation between philosophy and theology, and to the contemporary renaissance in trinitarian theology. The author begins by elaborating the ontology implied by Polanyi’s theory of personal knowledge and argues that personhood is a fundamental category for understanding reality. He then explores the reception of Polanyi’s philosophy in theological studies and outlines a method responsive to interdisciplinary dialogue. Finally, he employs a Polanyian model of personhood to examine the doctrine of the Trinity and suggests that this effort anticipates the development of a personalistic Christian cosmology.