Spring 2013, Science and Religion

What should relationships between science and religion be like? Recent scholarship proposes four models for the relationship between science and religion: conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration. In this colloquium, we will use this four-fold typology and the Catholic conviction that faith and reason work together to address the big questions raised by both science and religion. As proposed by Professor Keith Ward, these questions include the following: How did the universe begin? How will the universe end? Is evolution compatible with creation? Do the laws of nature exclude miracles? What is the nature of space and time? Is it still possible to speak of the soul? Is science the only sure path to truth? Can science provide an explanation for morals and religious beliefs? Has science made belief in God obsolete? Does science allow for revelation and divine action? We will respond to these questions through an intellectual engagement with the popular bestseller, The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins.

For more detailed information about the course, please review the syllabus.