God and Good: Spiritual Man (Summa Metaphysica)

David Birnbaum's newest book, Summa Metaphysica II: God and Good, is a companion to his earlier work, Summa Metaphysica I: God and Evil. In these academically-acclaimed works, the author reconciles the mystery of God and the human condition, with a new metaphysical paradigm that is the first work to meaningfully go beyond Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica (c. 1265-72). In doing so, the author addresses a number of key issues in his newest book, including: What ignited the cosmos? Is there God? If yes, what actualized God? If God, why Auschwitz? If no God, why a universe? What is the purpose of man, God and the cosmos? If God, what is the core of the divine? Is there Intelligent Design? If yes, how? Is our reality real? What is the core dynamic of the cosmos? What is man's role in the cosmic order? In essence, the author's "Quest for Potential theory" argues that the "combined potentials for love, life, intellectuality, spirituality and, indeed, for an infinitely Perfect Divine, ignited, birthed, nurtured and projected the cosmos onward on its quest towards infinity." The author's content is deep enough to challenge Thomas Aquinas; his creative style of presentation and thoroughly contemporary expression make it as appealing to a fan of modern poetry as to a graduate student in theodicy. This work is being used by a number of seminaries for academic course material. As such, it is a signal contribution to theological thought in the area, which is both readable by interested non-specialists and a challenge to the academic community.