Nathan Lyons

Nathan Lyons is Associate Professor in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy (CHOP) at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney campus, within the School of Philosophy and Theology. He holds a prestigious Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (2023–2026) and has secured major grants from the John Templeton Foundation.

Education:

• PhD, University of Cambridge
• MPhil, Australian Catholic University
• BA (Hons), University of Sydney

Nathan’s research centers on medieval philosophy and theology, with a particular focus on Thomas Aquinas, philosophy of nature, and philosophy of religion. His work bridges historical scholarship and contemporary debates in science and religion, especially through themes of nature-culture continuity, semiotics, metaphysics, and evolutionary theory. He explores how medieval frameworks inform modern understandings of ecology, cognition, and ethics.

His recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend, engaging with the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, gene-culture coevolution, and the philosophical implications of Darwinism. These works demonstrate a consistent focus on integrating theological insights with philosophical analysis, particularly in dialogues between science and religion.

Scientific Awards and Grants:

• Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (2023–2026), $416,213
• John Templeton Foundation Grant (2022–2024), $330,000 AUD, as Chief Investigator

Nathan supervises research in medieval philosophy, Thomas Aquinas, philosophy of nature, and science and religion. He has led externally funded projects such as Nature-Culture Continuities in Medieval Philosophy and Theology and Biocultural Evolution and Theological Anthropology, collaborating with international scholars. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and the relevance of historical philosophy to contemporary scientific and ethical questions.

He is affiliated with the Notre Dame Centre for the History of Philosophy (CHOP), where he co-directs research initiatives and fosters scholarly exchange in the history of philosophy. The center supports publication, conferences, and collaborative research in medieval and early modern thought.