Divine Simplicity

– Perspectives from Philosophy and Theology

Time: June 16–17, 2025
Venue: Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, Fabianinkatu 24A, 3rd floor, Common Room

Program

Monday, June 16

9:45 Welcome

10:00 Olli-Pekka Vainio: Introduction to the Theme – The Grammar of Simplicity

11:00 Pauliina Remes: Plotinus on “How Shall we Speak of the One”

12:00 Lunch

13:00 Panu-Matti Pöykkö: Simply Put: Rambam on the Name

14:00 Ritva Palmén: Simply Powerful, Wise, and Good – Medieval Contemplations on the Trinity

15:00 Coffee

15:30 Jari Kaukua: An unproblematic kind of actual infinity? Avicenna on God's knowledge of particulars

16:30 Janne Mattila: Divine Simplicity and the Univocity of Being – al-Shahrastānī’s (d. 1153) Refutation and Ṭūsī’s (d. 1274) Defense of Ibn Sīnā’s Position

17:30 Reception

Tuesday, June 17

10:00 Simon Hewitt: The Doctrine of Divine Simplicity as Apophatic Theology

11:00 Risto Saarinen: Luther’s Relational Ontology and Divine Simplicity

12:00 Lunch

13:00 Filipe Pereira da Silva: From Material to Divine Simplicity

14:00 Hanne Appelqvist: Kant on Absolute Infinity

15:00 Ryan Mullins: Against Simplicity

16:00 Closing