I am an assistant professor of philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University, and my work is primarily in metaphysics, medieval philosophy, Chinese philosophy (程朱理学), and philosophy of religion.
I am also a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Albert the Great (Chicago, IL) and a Catholic priest.
My e-mail address is "jdrooney[at]hkbu.edu.hk"
Whoever Hears You Hears Me: Dogmatic Authority as Testimony
Many oppose dogma fearing that heresy accusations lead to violence; similarly, opposition to claims of infallible church authority stems from fears of fanaticism, closed-mindedness, and blind obedience. The book justifies dogma while firmly opposing violence, fanaticism, closed-mindedness, and mindless deference.
Through philosophical reasoning, this title demonstrates that Christian theists who reject dogma or dogmatic authority ultimately adopt self-defeating positions. These insights reveal why Christians should unite to restore communion within one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. The work presents a fresh perspective, showing that anathemas and dogmatic authority are essential elements of Christian charity, even toward those who are anathematized. Additionally, it advances ecumenical dialogue by demonstrating how the best of various Christian theological traditions that uphold Scripture's truth and inspiration can find fulfillment in the restoration of an undivided Church.
The book will appeal to scholars of theology, philosophy of religion, and ecclesiology.
It is frequently claimed that an all-loving and good God cannot permit anyone to end up in hell. In this book, the author shows that this issue of God's permission of hell has an intimate connection with age-old questions regarding why God would permit sin. Indeed, focus on why an all-loving and good God would permit hell is the best lens through which to explain sin.
Many arguments against the possibility of hell require affirming that God permits sin because God could not achieve goods for us without allowing sin. The author argues that we have independent philosophical reasons to reject that sin is necessary for us in any way, and, further, we have similar reasons to hold that hell is necessarily possible if the God of classical theism exists. In the end, understanding why an all-loving and good God would permit hell reveals that there is always hope for us, even when things appear most hopeless.
The book will appeal to those working in metaphysics, theology, philosophy of religion, and medieval philosophy.
Endorsements
"Few issues in Christian theology are as electrically charged as is the issue of universalism. Opponents of universalist doctrine generally find themselves on the defensive, since everlasting damnation seems unworthy of both the God who allows it and the creature who chooses it. In this illuminating and boldly constructive book, James Dominic Rooney examines the main claims of universalists and shows that a different path is necessary. Metaphysically sophisticated and judicious in its treatments of divine permission and human personhood, this book is urgently needed." ―Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
“To understand contemporary debates about universal salvation, one needs genuine philosophical precision. James Dominic Rooney is the ablest champion of the traditional Catholic position, and his arms include modal metaphysics, possible world semantics, and a mastery of the texts of St. Thomas Aquinas. An extended defense of the 'metaphysical minimum' required for negative reprobation, Not a Hope in Hell is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to follow these debates and will continue to be so for years to come." ―Trent Pomplun, University of Notre Dame
"Christian hope partially lies in the moral plausibility of its claims about the afterlife. Debates over universal salvation and the doctrine of Hell are not merely an intellectual puzzle to be solved. They have a serious existential weight. Not a Hope in Hell offers a significant contribution to this ongoing debate. Father Rooney takes readers through these difficult topics with clarity and rigor. Theologians will profit greatly from reading this work." ―R.T. Mullins, University of Lucerne
"Starting from a minimalist metaphysics of hell, Fr. Rooney succeeds in three not easy objectives: he shows that universalism rests on premises about the nature of God that lead irremediably to make him the necessary author of sin; he elaborates a Thomistic theory of the permission of sin that allows complete providential control without making sin necessary; he proposes a defense of the benevolence of God that places the unconditional love for persons as the fundamental reason for God's permission of sin and eternal damnation. All this makes this book a must-read not only for anyone interested in the problem of evil but also in the philosophy of religion in general." ―Agustín Echavarría, Universidad de Navarra
Beyond Classical Liberalism: Freedom and the Good (edited with Patrick Zoll, SJ)
This book brings together diverse sets of standpoints on liberalism in an era of growing skepticism and distrust regarding liberal institutions.
The chapters in the book:
Relate concerns for liberal institutions with classical themes in perfectionist politics, such as the priority of the common good in decision-making or the role of comprehensive doctrines
Analyze how perfectionist intuitions about the political life affect our concepts of public reason or public justification
Outline various moral duties we have toward other persons that underlie the liberal institutions or notions of rights functioning across the contemporary political landscape
Explore various aspects of pluralism from within influential religious or philosophical traditions, applying insights from those traditions to issues in contemporary politics
The comprehensive book will be of great interest to scholars, students, and researchers of politics, especially those in political philosophy and political theory.
Material Objects in Confucian and Aristotelian Metaphysics
Hylomorphism is a metaphysical theory that explains the unity of material objects through a special immaterial part, a 'form'. While contemporary accounts of hylomorphism appeal to structure, and advocate that material substances can have other substances as parts, James Dominic Rooney highlights the flaws in this Neo-Aristotelian way of thinking. Instead, he draws on medieval European and Chinese traditions to put forward that the classical approach to the unity of material objects in terms of 'form' remains theoretically superior.
Rooney shows how Thomas Aquinas' account of form gives a more coherent version of hylomorphism, eliminating the need for substance parts. He also studies the Song dynasty Confucian thinker Zhu Xi's hylomorphic intuition that whatever accounts for the composition of some parts into a material whole is a metaphysical part of that object. By appealing to the same non-Aristotelian considerations as Zhu Xi, Rooney explains why all those who believe in the unity of material objects will appeal to a form, enabling hylomorphism to remain a plausible framework. In doing so, this book shines new light on a classic philosophical problem in contemporary metaphysics and demonstrates the far-reaching points of theoretical contact between Western and Confucian thought.
“Material Objects in Confucian and Aristotelian Metaphysics encompasses a fascinating, historically astute journey through the metaphysics of hylomorphism – the view that objects are compounds of form and matter. Rooney artfully weaves together medieval and contemporary Western approaches to the topic with their Confucian counterparts in a manner that illuminates both traditions.” ―John Heil, Professor of Philosophy, Washington University, Durham University and Monash University
“In an epoch tempted by metaphysical skepticism and philosophical tribalism, this book presents us with a nuanced but confident defense of the prerogatives of universal human reason. James Dominic Rooney investigates the notion of hylomorphic composition in the Thomistic and Aristotelian traditions. Material realities have natures, and ontological unity, as material parts, such that we can understand physical realities in universal terms, and make consistent scientific progress in understanding their causes. Not only does Rooney engage both Aristotelian and contemporary analytic literature on the subject, he also studies in depth the parallel traditions one finds in ancient Confucian thought. What emerges is a decisive argument in favor of all human beings as explanation seeking beings, able to access truths about the structure of material reality across time, place and culture. An important contribution to the revival of metaphysics in contemporary philosophy!” ―Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP, Rector, Pontifical University of St. Thomas, Angelicum, Italy
“In this book Rooney offers a robust defence of hylemorphic composition whilst at the same time showing that the metaphysical views of two thinkers as divergent in geography and culture as St Thomas Aquinas and Zhu Xi converge on this important issue. Rooney's work advances both the historical and systematic scholarship in this area and is a welcome addition to the field.” ―Gaven Kerr, Lecturer in Philosophy, St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth, Ireland
“Father Rooney is one of very few contemporary scholars who are capable of bringing the metaphysics of Aristotle and Zhu Xi into a productive dialogue. This book makes a substantial contribution, not only to metaphysics, but also to our understandings of Aristotle, of Zhu Xi, and of comparative philosophy.” ―Bryan W. Van Norden, James Monroe Taylor Chair in Philosophy, Vassar College, USA
Reviews of the book:
Edward Feser, “Confucian Hylemorphism."
Catherine Peters, “Aristotle’s Chinese Counterpart,” in Law & Liberty.
Joshua Brown, “Material Objects in Confucian and Aristotelian Metaphysics: The Inevitability of Hylomorphism by James Dominic Rooney, O.P (review),” in The Thomist 88, 3 (2024): 539-542. DOI: 10.1353/tho.2024.a930985.