Doctoral Research in Philosophical Theology at Oxford

I’m currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki in the Templeton-funded project The Surface and the Deep. This project focuses on mysticism, ineffability and religious language. Generally, my work sits at the intersection of philosophy of religion and systematic theology, with a particular focus on ineffability and contemplative traditions. I’m also interested in the problem of evil, religious experience and practices, aesthetics, classical theism and Thomistic metaphysics. Across these topics, I am interested in how philosophical clarity and theological depth can mutually inform one another, especially when addressing existential and experiential dimensions of faith.

My doctoral dissertation examined theodical responses to the problem of evil — that is, attempts to defend the rationality of Christian theism by proposing morally justifiable reasons God might have for permitting suffering. I began by critically assessing both classical theodicies and their anti-theodical critics. While I argue that it is coherent to speak of God’s reasons for creating a world like ours, I suggest that many standard theodicies risk entangling divine agency too closely with evil. To avoid this, I develop what I call a “grammar” for speaking about divine reasons — one that is epistemically minimalistic and acknowledges the limits of our access to God’s purposes.

This epistemic modesty does not, however, require abandoning the claim that Christian faith can be shown to be coherent and credible in the face of evil. Rather than relying solely on speculative accounts of divine reasons, I argue that we should situate theodical questions within the lived practices of Christian faith. In particular, I explore how aesthetic religious experience, trust, openness to God, and the search for meaning function as practical resources that contribute to the lived credibility of faith. At the same time, I take seriously the way suffering poses not only an intellectual challenge but also an extended practical challenge to central Christian claims.

Current Research

Since completing my DPhil (2025) under Profs. Mark Wynn and Thomas Simpson, I have taken up a postdoctoral fellowship with the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame to explore the theme of ‘prayer and providence’.

My current project explores practices of prayer in the Christian tradition: If answered petitionary prayer amounts to some kind of evidence (maybe that God cares, or is attentive) why doesn’t unanswered prayer amount to counter-evidence? While we need not think that it does, certainly we sometimes feel like it does—what relational dynamics are in play when we grapple with what CS Lewis calls ‘emphatic or unmistakable refusals’? Can ordinary relational practices of requesting, granting, and refusing in the context of trusting relationships help us better understand our experience in prayer?

Doctoral Research

Thesis title: Faith and Trust: A Theological and Philosophical Study

Thesis abstract: Is Christian faith basically trust? Yes and no—a lot hangs on how one defines trust. This study aims to articulate the nature and character of Christian faith and to elucidate its relation to trust. I argue that Christian faith is a practical, relational disposition of trust and loyalty toward God in Jesus Christ. My analysis begins with three biblical ‘faith-data’ that constrain legitimate accounts of Christian faith: the Greek pistis, the Hebrew ʾemunāh, and Abraham as a biblical exemplar of faith. Recent work by classicist Teresa Morgan suggests that pistis is centrally associated with trust, but her account (among others in the literature) lacks specificity. To address this, I draw on contemporary philosophy of trust to develop the notion of pistis as a form of nondoxastic, relational trust. I do so by proposing a functional account of trust that captures diverse intuitions about trust and underpins a practical interpretation of faith. Together with the faith-data, these insights from trust yield a characterization of faith as a practical, relational disposition. I evaluate how three philosophical accounts of Christian faith—Trust with Belief, Faith-as-faithfulness, and Trust-Loyalty—align with this characterization. The results are mixed, but each offers insights. I suggest revisions to better align them with my characterization, and through that dialogue refine the details of my view, particularly its salient relational features. This positions me to meet the primary aim of this study: I articulate the nature and character of Christian faith as a practical, relational disposition of trust and loyalty toward God in Jesus Christ. Thus, the secondary aim is also met: I elucidate the relation between faith and trust by showing that Christian faith is a species of engaged, relational trust. I close by demonstrating how this view of faith opens new avenues for both theological and philosophical reflection.

Research Interests

My research focuses on questions in philosophy of religion, epistemology, and ethics—with particular interest in the intersection with Christian theology. I am also interested in moral / religious disagreement, evidential ambiguity, epistemic humility, grit, and resilience.

Contact

See Liz's personal website.