Christopher Oldfield

Curriculum Vitae (PDF here), last updated June 2024

christopher.oldfield@kcl.ac.uk; co429@faraday.cam.ac.uk

    • MPhil/Ph.D (ABD), Philosophy, King’s College London 2014-2?

    • MSci (First Class), Physics and Philosophy, University of Bristol, 2001-05

    • Pg-Cert (Distinction) Christian Apologetics, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, 2007-08

    • Other (EPFC 9/11): Français: Langue Etrangère, Formation Continue Université Libre de Bruxelles, 2006-07

    • A-Level (A-grade): Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Sevenoaks School, 2000-01

    • Visiting Lecturer, Metaphysics, University of Hertfordshire (2025)

    • Research Associate, Faraday Institute for Science and Religion (2021-2024)

  • Areas of Specialisation

    • Interpretations of Physicalism, Mereological Pluralism, The Metaphysics of Constructive Empiricism

    Areas of Competence

    • Scientific Metaphysics, Ontology, Mereology, Philosophy of Mind, History of Ethics, Science and Religion

  • Unpublished Dissertations

    • 2023 The Logic of the Special Composition Question(s)
      PhD thesis supervised by Prof. Matthew Soteriou and Prof. Bill Brewer at King’s College London

    • 2015 The Role of Intuitions in Naturalistic Responses to Hempel’s Dilemma (upgrade to PhD)
      MPhil upgrade, supervised by Prof. David Papineau and Prof. Mark Textor at King’s College London

    • 2005 The Status of Spacetime in Canonical Theories of Quantum Gravity (Distinction)
      MSci dissertation supervised by Prof. James Ladyman in the University of Bristol

    • 2005 New PALS Studies of the Glassy-Rubber Transition in Amorphous Carbohydrates (Distinction)
      MPhys research, supervised by Prof. Ashraf Alam in the University of Bristol Condensed Matter Group 2005

    Book Reviews

    Manuscripts in Preparation

    • Mereology Naturalised? Not Yet (Under Review, British Journal for Philosophy of Science)

    • The Attentional Stance: McGilchrist for Dennettians

    • Naturalism without Content: where Plantinga’s Conflict Actually Lies

    • The Myth of Classical Extensional Mereology

  • Awards and Honours

    • 2017 Best Graduate Teacher, Institute for Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London

    • 2017 Honorable Mention for Teaching Excellence in the Department of Philosophy, King’s College London

    Grants and Fellowships

    • 2023 Grant Writing and Management Course, Templeton World Charity Foundation

    • 2021 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Topic: the Activity View, Fetzer Institute

    • 2018 Sorabji Scholarship, Department of Philosophy, King’s College London

    • 2017 Conference Bursary, Center for Theology, Science and Human Flourishing, University of Notre Dame

    • 2015 Doctoral Fellowship, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford

    • 2014 Doctoral Bursary, Uses and Abuses of Biology Project, Faraday Institute for Science and Religion

  • Invited Talks

    • (TBC)
      Our “Irrational” Past, Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick, 13 March 2025

    • Categorical Dualism (abstract)
      The Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, University of Oxford, 20 November 2024

    • The Activity View of Physicalism
      Serious Metaphysics Group, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, 6 November 2024

    • What Counts as a Life in the Science of Life? (audio, slides)
      Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, University of Cambridge, 17 May 2024

    • Mereology Naturalised? Not Yet
      Serious Metaphysics Group, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, 24 January 2024

    • The Metaphysics of Pregnancy: Dispatches from the B.U.M.P. Debates (podcast, slides)
      Yale Program for Medicine, Spirituality and Religion, Yale University, 17 January 2024

    • The Priority of Parthood (slides, audio)
      Grounding and Metaphysical Explanation, University of Southampton 29 March 2023

    • Science, Faith and the Ethics of Belief
      Institute of Physics (Northern Branch), University of Leeds 4 May 2017

    • Science, Religion and the Business of Knowledge (video)
      Faraday Institute (short course), Department of Physics, University of Hull, 27 February 2016

    Conference Presentations

    • Pan-Psyche-Ism (abstract)
      HEAT25: Exploring the Implications of Life Beyond Earth, University of Helsinki, 9-11 April 2025

    • Questions and Doubts as Modes of Holding Propositions (abstract)
      Newman, Wittgenstein and Hinge Epistemology, University College Dublin, 8-9 December 2024

    • When Are Fosters Parts? Lives Matter for the Metaphysics of Pregnancy and Beyond
      The Metaphysics of Pregnancy and Beyond, King’s College London, 25-27 October 2024

    • Naturalism without Content: Where Plantinga’s Conflict Actually Lies (abstract)
      Christianity Facing Naturalism Conference, Jesuit University Ignatium, Krakow, 25-26 September 2024

    • The Tragedy of Scientism in A Secular Age (abstract)
      20th European Conference for Science and Theology, ESSAT Croatia, 28 August - 1 September 2024

    • Hylomorphism and The Inverse Special Composition Question (video, slides)
      Why Middle-Sized Matters for Science, Theology and Metaphysics, University of Oxford, 1-3 May 2024

    • When Are Fosters Parts?
      History of the Philosophy of Pregnancy, University of Dayton, 6-8 October 2023

    • Mereology Naturalised? Not Yet (slides, audio)
      23rd European Conference for the Foundations of Physics, University of Bristol 8-10 July 2023

    • The Attentional Stance: McGilchrist for Dennettians (slides, audio)
      Spiritual and Artificial Intelligence, International Society for Science and Religion, 20-23 June 2023

    • Naturalism without Content: Where Plantinga’s Conflict Actually Lies
      Tyndale Fellowship (Philosophy of Religion) Annual Conference, 22-24 July 2022,

    • When Are Fosters Parts?
      Better Understanding the Metaphysics of Pregnancy, King’s College London 12-14 July 2021

    • The Meaning of Life in Peter van Inwagen’s Metaphysics
      Religion, Society and the Science of Life, Ian Ramsey Centre, St Anne’s College, Oxford 19-22 July 2017

    • The Book of Nature and the Language of Mathematics
      The Quest for Consonance: Theology and the Natural Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 2-4 April 2017

    • The Strange Place of Biology in the New Atheist Imagination
      Evolution and Historical Explanation, Ian Ramsey Centre, St Anne’s College, Oxford, 8-10 July 2014

    Workshop Replies

    • On the Prospects for a Scientific and Sacred Ontology (mine was one of 25 invited replies)
      Towards a New Narrative for Spiritual Transformation, Fetzer Institute, Kalamazoo MI, 18-21 Sep

    • A Real Definition of Token Physicalism: Reply to Alex Kaiserman
      Mind, Metaphysics and Psychology, King’s College London 12 October 2017

    • Episodic Memory and Mental Imagery: Reply to Alex Green
      London Warwick Mind Forum, University of Warwick 13 June 2017

    • Eliminativism about Categories: Reply to Javier Cumpa (cancelled)
      Mind, Metaphysics and Psychology, King’s College London, 16 May 2016

    • Inference in Bayesian Mind-Brain Science: Reply to Scott Sturgeon
      Naturalistic Approaches to Mind, King’s College London, 29 March 2016

    Research Seminars

    • 2023 Mereology Naturalised? Not Yet (audio, Q+A)
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London 21 September 2023

    • 2022 Naturalism without Content: where Plantinga’s Conflict Actually Lies (online)
      Faraday Institute Research Seminar, University of Cambridge, 1 November 2022

    • 2021 When Are Fosters Parts? (Reply to Kingma)
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, 12 January 2021

    • 2020 Mereology Naturalised? Not Yet (Reply to Waechter and Ladyman)
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, 6 October 2020.

    • 2018 Schaffer’s Gaps: Can There Be Structure Inside the Ontology Room?
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, 16 May 2018

    • 2016 Halvorson’s Challenge: Logical Physic(s)alism and the Measurement Problem
      Summer Seminar Series, King’s College London, 22 June 2016

    • 2016 Mathematical Physicalism Deserves the Name: Meeting Stoljar’s Challenge
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, 18 October 2016

    • 2016 All at Sea on Neurath’s Raft: the Spirit of Physicalism as a Matter of Concern
      Faraday Institute Research Seminar, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge 17 May 2016

    • 2015 Hempel’s Dilemma for Jackson’s Faith: on Montero’s “Triple Via Negativa"
      Department of Philosophy, King’s College London, 8 July 2015

    • 2015 Disenchantment with Intelligent Design and Ideological Darwinism
      Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, 11 June 2015

  • Lecturer

    • The Limits of Philosophy, Science and Religion (Short course, with Stephen Law)
      Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, October 2022

    • Philosophical Ethics (Undergraduate Full semester, Primary Instructor)
      London Faculty, Fordham University (Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Spring 2019)

    • The New Atheism (Level 6 BA/MA sub-module, Visiting Lecturer)
      St Mellitus College, University of Durham (Spring 2021, 2022, 2023)

    • Science, Faith and Evolution (level 6 BA/MA sub-module, Visiting Lecturer)
      St Mellitus College, University of Durham (Spring 2021, 2022, 2023)

    • Science and Faith (Undergraduate, Full Semester, Primary Instructor)
      Veritas International Study Abroad, University of Roehampton (Spring 2014, 2015, 2016)

    Tutor

    • The Lewis-Anscombe Debate (Short course, Tutor)
      Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford, Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge (Fall 2022)

    • Epistemological Issues: John Polkinghorne’s Critical Realism (sub-module, Tutor)
      Faraday Enrichment Programme in Science and Religion (Fall 2021, Fall 2022)

    • Metaphysical Issues: Quantum Non-Locality and Relativity (sub-module, Tutor)
      Faraday Enrichment Programme in Science and Religion (Fall 2021)

    • Epistemological Issues: Alternatives to Scientific Realism (sub-module, Tutor)
      Faraday Enrichment Programme in Science and Religion (Fall 2020)

    Teaching Assistant

    • Philosophy of Physics I: Space and Time (with Eleanor Knox), King’s College London (Fall 2016, Spring 2017)

    • Philosophy of Religion (with Maria Rosa Antognazza), King’s College London (Spring 2017)

    • Metaphysics I (with Jessica Leech), King’s College London (Spring 2017)

    • Philosophy of Psychology I (with Matthew Parrott), King’s College London (Fall 2016)

    • Philosophy of Mind (with Matthew Parrott), King’s College London (Fall 2015)

    Teaching Evaluations

    From anonymised student and staff teaching evaluations at King’s College London, average score: 4.6/5.0

    • “Rigorous, clearly explained technical concepts, always available and responsive to questions.”

    • “He’s great, absolutely wonderful. I think I want to take this subject for a Masters”

    • “Helpful, informative seminars, Chris went out of his way to help me when I was struggling”

  • Service to the Profession

    I have been an academic referee for submissions to the following international peer reviewed journals

    • Dialogue: Ancient Philosophy Today

    • Foundations of Science,

    • International Studies in the Philosophy of Science,

    • Science and Christian Belief

    • Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science

    Service to the University

    • 2024 Cordinated (with Boris Gunjevic) and Chaired Panel on Intelligence, Imagination and Illumination: Cambridge Theological Federation/Faculty of Divinity conference, Westminster College, Cambridge

    • 2023 Coordinator for Reading Group on The Matter with Things by Iain McGilchrist, Cambridge/Online

    • 2018 Coordinator for Annual Summer Seminar Series, Department of Philosophy, King’s College London

    • 2018 Coordinator for `Climate Change: Philosophical Ethics and Global Sustainability’, Fordham University

    • 2015 Researcher for `Science, Technology and Society’ MA module at St Mellitus College, London

    Service to the Public

    • 2022 The Limits of Philosophy, Science and Religion (Short course, with Stephen Law)
      Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, 22 October 2022

    • 2022 The Selfish Green? (with Mazviita Chirimuuta, Timothy Howles and Hannah Malcolm),
      Panel discussion on the religious roots of the Anthropocene, Greenbelt Festival, 29 August 2022

    • 2016 God and the Big Bang, A-Level Philosophy and R.E. day for schools, Bristol Cathedral, 10 March 2016

    Service to the Media

    • 2018 Consultant for `God and the Big Bang’, R.E. curriculum resource, unit 5: a question of language?’

    • 2018 Consultant for `Oxplore: the Big Questions’ on the interpretation of the books of nature and scripture

    • 2016 Interviewed for `Sunday Sequence’, BBC Radio Ulster on scientifically literate experience of scripture

    Service to the Church

    • 2023 Can a Rational Person Believe in Miracles? (1 minute video), UCCF Science Network, Jan 2023

    • 2022 Epiphany (article) Christchurch London, 6 Jan 2022

    • 2017 The Myth of Conflict (article) Christchurch London, 18 July 2017

    • 2016 Who’s Afraid of Naturalism? (article), Pulse 22 (Spring): 22-24

  • Natural Languages

    English (native), French (fluent), Latin (competent), Koine Greek (beginner)

    Artificial Languages

    HTML (competent), VBA (competent), LaTex (competent), Python (basic)

    • 2024-present: European Society for Science and Theology

    • 2023-present: British Society for the History of Philosophy

    • 2023-present: International Society for Science and Religion

    • 2022-present: Trinity College Postdoctoral Society, University of Cambridge

    • 2018-present: British Society for the Philosophy of Science

  • available on request