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; the relationships between cosmology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience with religion; and some of the ethical issues raised by science.
Speakers (listed in alphabetical order) and topics
See multimedia items for this course.
- Katherine Blundell : God and the Big Bang
- Stephen Blundell : What is Matter?
- John Bryant : Genes and Embryos
- Peter Clarke (deceased) : Brains and Machines, and Brain Plasticity
- Revd Prof. Alasdair Coles : Brain imaging and religious experience
- Simon Conway Morris FRS : Convergence in evolution
- Dr James Hannam : The Importance of Medieval Science
- Peter Harrison : Religion and the Rise of Modern Science
- Elaine Howard Ecklund : The Religious Beliefs of Scientists
- Dr Cherryl Hunt : Ethics, Theology and the Biosciences
- Revd Dr Ernest Lucas : The Creation Narratives in Genesis 1-3
- Ernan McMullin (deceased) : Darwin and the other Christian tradition
- Revd Dr John Polkinghorne KBE FRS: The anthropic principle
- Jeff Schloss : Evolutionary Perspectives on Morality and Altruism
- William Struthers : The Mind-Body Problem and Theology, and Consciousness in Psychological and Christian Perspectives
- Dr Cara Wall-Scheffler : Human Anthropology and the Origins of Religion
- Stephen Williams : Science, Faith and Reason
- Dr Jennifer Wiseman : Habitable exoplanets: the implications for human significance
- John Wyatt : What does it Mean to be a Person? Matters of Life and Death
Venue
The course will be held at St Edmund’s College, Mount Pleasant, Cambridge, CB3 0BN
Course Schedule
| Sunday July 11 | |
| 6.00 pm | Arrival |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Drinks Reception – Getting to Know You |
|
Monday July 12: Theme – ‘Historical and Philosophical Interactions between Science and Religion’ |
|
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. Peter Harrison: Religion and the Rise of Modern Science |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. Stephen Williams: Science, Faith and Reason |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. Ernan McMullin (deceased): The Christian Doctrine of Creation |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Dr James Hannam: The Importance of Medieval Science |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 5.30 pm | Free time |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 4 Speakers Questions and Discussion |
| 10.00 pm | Bar and more Discussion |
|
Tuesday July 13: Theme – ‘Physics and Faith’ |
|
| 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 | Revd Dr John Polkinghorne: The Anthropic Principle |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. Stephen Blundell: What is matter? |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Cambridge History of Science Tour |
| 5.30 pm | Dr Jennifer Wiseman: Habitable exoplanets: the implications for human significance |
| 6.30 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 4 Speakers Questions and Discussion |
| 10.00 pm | Bar and more Discussion |
|
Wednesday July 14: 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. Jeff Schloss: Evolutionary Perspectives on Morality and Altruism |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Cambridge History of Science Tour |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Dr Cara Wall-Scheffler: Human Anthropology and the Origins of Religion |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 5.30 pm | Revd Dr Ernest Lucas: The Creation Narratives in Genesis 1-3 |
| 6.30 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 4 Speakers Questions and Discussion |
| 10.00 pm | Bar and more Discussion |
|
Thursday July 15: Theme – ‘The Brain’ |
|
| 9.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. Peter Clarke (deceased): The Brain as a Neuronal Machine |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Dr. William Struthers: The Mind-Body Problem and Theology |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Revd Prof. Alasdair Coles: Brain Imaging and Religious Experience |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Dr. William Struthers: Consciousness in Psychological and Christian Perspectives |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 5.30 pm | Free time |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 4 Speakers Questions and Discussion |
| 10.00 pm | Bar and more Discussion |
|
Friday July 16: Theme – ‘Ethical Challenges in Contemporary Science’ |
|
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Dr Cherryl Hunt: Ethics, Theology and the Biosciences |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. John Bryant: Genes and Embryos |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. John Wyatt: What does it Mean to be a Person? Matters of Life and Death |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Prof. Elaine Howard Ecklund: The Religious and Ethical Beliefs of Scientists |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 5.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 4 Speakers Questions and Discussion |
| 7.00 pm | Gala Dinner |
|
Saturday July 17 |
|
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Depart |