Joint Causation, Emergence Theory and Panentheism

In this paper I will discuss how joint causation as suggested by Arthur Peacocke can on the one hand serve us in the defense of downward causation within emergence theory and on the other hand lead to a deeper understanding of divine action and interaction in panentheism. The question of downward causation lies at the heart of emergence theory and is of great significance for the question whether emergent properties in general and the human mind specifically can have causal efficacy of their own. Peacocke's approach of joint causation seems to be a promising attempt to avoid the problems in common arguments against downward and mental causation like those by Jaegwon Kim -, which usually appear to be related to a linear understanding of causation. The idea of Peacocke's joint causation may be extended by understanding joint as jointly depended in a network. Such 'networked' joint-causation may not only make it possible to at least in principle understand downward causation and the interaction between the mental and the physical, but since in panentheism God is understood as being affected by the world, 'networked' joint-causation within a process philosophical framework may together with and in support of the analogy between mind/body and God/world' also open up for a better insight to how divine action may be possible in the world. This may also have the consequence that God alike to the mind develops and evolves during time.