About Viktor
Rev. Dr. Viktor J. Tóth completed his PhD in Philosophical Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA. In connection with theological resources, his fields of research include paleoanthropology, evolution of human culture, complex systems theory, philosophy of mind, and brain sciences. He recently was a guest researcher in paleoanthropology at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and in philosophy of mind and Phenomenology at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. He is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ, USA. He holds various ecclesiastical positions.
Education
Fuller Theological Seminary
2015
Master of Divinity
Saint Paul Academy
BA in Biblical Studies
1999
Dissertation
Research Interests
Theological anthropology, philosophical anthropology, paleoanthropology, systems thinking
Publications
“Human Universal Religiosity: Evolutionary Advantage or Real Encounter?” in On Human Nature: Biology, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, and Religion, ed., Michel Tibayrenc
Academic Press (in print)
The book chapter is an assessment of human religiosity from an evolutionary point of view. First, it evaluates two contemporary fields of enquiry: Evolutionary Psychology and Evolutionary Developmental Psychology, highlighting their strength and weaknesses. After the assertion is made that both lacks satisfactory explanatory power, an attempt is made to form one, strongly relaying on systems thinking.
“Ultimate Reality in Three Distinctive Traditions,” in Interfaith Engagement Beyond the Divide: Approaches, Experiences, and Practices, eds., Johannes M. Luetz, Denise A. Austin, Adis Duderija
2023, Springer
This chapter has two primary objectives: to highlight some remarkable similarities about “Ultimate Reality” in three major traditions: Zen Buddhism, Eastern Christianity, and Western Christianity. One of the major themes draws on the parallels between the Buddhist notion of arriving at śūnyatā, the Orthodox notion of seeking union with God through the practice of unknowing (ἀγνωσία), and Eckhart’s notion of reaching God via “undifferentiation.” My second objective is to utilize neurotheology, a relatively new research field, in interreligious dialogue. Thus, in the second part, I focus on neuro-theological perspectives, linking them to the unique religious practice called “speaking in tongues” (glossolalia) at the end. I claim that these similarities not only signify the shared evolutionary past and neurobiological present of every human being but, from a religious point of view, even indicate the same Ultimate Reality as our shared telos.
“Creation and Humanity: Veli-Matti Kärkäinen’s Answer to the Ultimate Question” in Dialog: A Journal of Theology 59, no. 4
2020
This article focuses on the third volume of Vel-Matti Kärkkäinen’s systematic theology, titled Creation and Humanity. After a brief overview of the volume the article offers some clarification on the tenth chapter, especially on its interaction with paleontology. After that, two constructive observations follow. The first is related to Kärkkäinen’s notion of the embeddedness of human nature, and the second is to further employ systems thinking in his constructive work on creation and human evolution.
“Visions and Visionaries at the Dawn of Humanity: Stone Age Religion and Spiritual Neuroscience,” 2023 Engaging Particularities Conference, March 12-13, 2023, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
2023
This presentation s an interdisciplinary approach to mystical experiences. It utilities the most recent findings in the fields of paleoanthropology, cultural anthropology, different fields of neurosciences, evolutionary biology, philosophy, and theology to shed a distinct light on visions and visionaries. I claim that my approach facilitates a unique systematic methodology. The plan of the presentation is tripartite: (1) introduction to Stone Age religions and shamanism focusing on its visionary nature, (2) introduce findings in neurotheology that can help us to understand how visons are biochemically and culturally interpreted, and finally (3) short concluding remarks drawing from four distinct traditions: Western Christian mysticism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Zen Buddhism, and Presocratic Greek philosophy.
“The Final Ethical Thing to Do,” 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Western Conference
2022
This presentation uses systems thinking, Evolutionary Theory, and Systematic Theology in order to establish new guidelines for Christian ethics for the twenty-first century. In the first section an introduction to systems thinking is provided, with special emphasis on the hallmarks of Complex Adaptive Systems (CASs). Special attention is given to emergence of complexity and how complexity effects freedom from external constraints. The second section delas with basic principles of evolutionary development. The bottom line here is that every living being is a CAS. From this point of view evolutionary development is perceived as the organization into ever-increasing complexity. Relating to the fact that complexity creates freedom, this section ends up by presenting human society as the most complex, and thus, most independent/free system on Planet Earth. The third section raises the question of human responsibility. What should be the most ethical thing to do in reaction to the above? Where can we find adequate guidelines? The paper argues that religion (and Systematic theology in a Christian context) provides such guidelines.
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