July 20-26, 2008

St Edmund's College

Aim of Course

In this one week course a wide range of topics at the science/religion interface will be addressed by internationally renowned speakers. The topics to be covered include historical and philosophical perspectives, and the relationships between cosmology, biology and the neurosciences with theological concerns.

Speakers (listed in alphabetical order) and topics

See multimedia items for this course.

  • Dr Denis Alexander : God and Memetics
  • Katherine Blundell : God and the Big Bang
  • Peter Clarke (deceased) : Brains and Machines, & Brain Plasticity
  • Simon Conway Morris FRS : Fine-Tuning in Biology
  • Darrel Falk : Human Evolution; Creationism & Intelligent Design
  • Peter Harrison : The Fall and the Rise of Science
  • Edward Larson : Reception of Darwinism, and Eugenics
  • Revd Dr Ernest Lucas : Interpreting Genesis
  • Ernan McMullin (deceased) : The Galileo Affair: Two Debates
  • Dr Pete Moore : Brain Enhancement
  • Revd Dr John Polkinghorne KBE FRS: Meta-Stories of Fine-Tuning
  • Paul Shellard : The Anthropic Principle
  • Alan Torrance : Neuroscience & Human Freedom: Theological & Philsophical Perspectives
  • Dean Zimmerman : Material and Immaterial Persons; God and Time

Venue

The course will be held at St Edmunds College, Mount Pleasant, Cambridge, CB3 0BN

Course Schedule

Sunday July 20
6.00 pm Arrival
7.00 pm Dinner
8.30 pm Drinks Reception – Getting to Know You
 

Monday July 21: Theme – ‘Historical Issues in Science and Religion’

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Prof. Peter Harrison: Religion and the Rise of Science
10.00 am Questions and Discussion
10.30 am Coffee Break
11.00 am Prof. Peter Harrison: The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science
12.00 pm Questions and Discussion
1.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm Prof. Ernan McMullin (deceased): The Galileo Affair: Two Debates
3.00 pm Questions and Discussion
3.30 pm Tea Break
4.00 pm Cambridge History of Science Tour
5.30 pm Prof. Edward Larson: The Reception of Darwinism
6.30 pm Questions and Discussion
7.00 pm Dinner
8.30 pm Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers  Questions and Discussion
10.00 pm Bar and more Discussion
 

Tuesday July 22: Theme – ‘Philosophical Issues in Science and Religion’

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Prof. Edward Larson: Darwinism, Eugenics and Religion
10.00 am Questions and Discussion
10.30 am Coffee Break
11.00 am Revd Dr John Polkinghorne: Critical Realism in Science and Religion
12.00 pm Questions and Discussion
1.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm Dr Denis Alexander: God and Memetics
3.00 pm Questions and Discussion
3.30 pm Tea Break
4.00 pm Prof. Dean Zimmerman: Material and Immaterial Persons
5.00 pm Questions and Discussion
5.30 pm Free time
7.00 pm Dinner
8.30 pm Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers  Questions and Discussion
10.00 pm Bar and more Discussion
 

Wednesday July 23: Theme – ‘The Big Bang and Cosmology’

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Prof. Katherine Blundell: God and the Big Bang
10.00 am Questions and Discussion
10.30 am Coffee Break
11.00 am Prof. Paul Shellard: The Anthropic Principle
12.00 pm Questions and Discussion
1.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm Revd Dr John Polkinghorne: Meta-Stories of Fine-Tuning
3.00 pm Questions and Discussion
3.30 pm Tea Break
4.00 pm Prof. Dean Zimmerman: God and Time
5.00 pm Questions and Discussion
5.30 pm Free time
7.00 pm Dinner
8.30 pm Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers  Questions and Discussion
10.00 pm Bar and more Discussion
 

Thursday July 24: Theme – ‘Biology and Evolution’

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Prof. Simon Conway Morris FRS: Evolution and Fine-Tuning in Biology
10.00 am Questions and Discussion
10.30 am Coffee Break
11.00 am Prof. Darrel Falk: Human Evolution
12.00 pm Questions and Discussion
1.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm Prof. Darrel Falk: Creationism and Intelligent Design
3.00 pm Questions and Discussion
3.30 pm Tea Break
4.00 pm Revd Dr Ernest Lucas: God and Origins: Interpreting the Early Chapters of Genesis
5.00 pm Questions and Discussion
5.30 pm Free time
7.00 pm Dinner
8.30 pm Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers  Questions and Discussion
10.00 pm Bar and more Discussion
 

Friday July 25: Theme – ‘The Brain’

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Prof. Peter Clarke (deceased): Brains and Machines
10.00 am Questions and Discussion
10.30 am Coffee Break
11.00 am Prof. Peter Clarke (deceased): Genetics, Brain Plasticity and Personhood
12.00 pm Questions and Discussion
1.00 pm Lunch
2.00 pm Dr Pete Moore: A Better Brain? Enhancement Examinded
3.00 pm Questions and Discussion
3.30 pm Tea Break
4.00 pm Prof. Alan Torrance: Developments in Neuroscience and Human Freedom: Some Theological and Philosophical Perspectives
5.00 pm Questions and Discussion
5.30 pm Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers Questions and Discussion
7.00 pm Gala Dinner
10.00 pm Bar and more Discussion
 

Saturday July 26

8.00 am Breakfast
9.00 am Depart