Summer Course 4 - Science and Religion in an Evolving Universe
St Edmund’s College, Cambridge: July 12-18, 2009
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 and evolutionary biology and religion; and some of the ethical issues raised by science.Speakers (listed in alphabetical order) and topics
Click on a Speaker's name to obtain brief biographical details.
- Prof. John Hedley Brooke : The Reception of Darwinism
- Dr Allan Chapman : Mediaeval cosmology and the Church
- Prof. Simon Conway Morris FRS: Fine-Tuning in Biology
- Prof. Keith Fox : Creation & Evolution and Genetic Engineering
- Prof. Stephen Freeland : Biological evolution and cosmology
- Prof. Nidhal Guessoum : Islam and Science
- Dr Cherryl Hunt : Bioethics: Stem Cells
- Revd Dr Ernest Lucas : The creation narratives in Genesis 1-3
- Prof. Ernan McMullin : Galileo
- Revd Dr John Polkinghorne KBE FRS: Theology in a Scientific Context, and the Anthropic Principle
- Prof. Lawrence Principe : Early Modern Natural Theology
- Prof. Paul Shellard : The Anthropic Principle
- Prof. Roger Trigg : Rationality in Science and Religion
- Dr Jennifer Wiseman : Habitable exoplanets: the implications for human significance
- Prof. John Wyatt : What does it Mean to be a Person?
Venue
The course will be held at St Edmund’s College, Mount Pleasant, Cambridge, CB3 0BN
Course Schedule
| Sunday July 12 | |
| 6.00 pm | Arrival |
| 7.00 pm | Dinner |
| 8.30 pm | Drinks Reception - Getting to Know You |
| Monday July 13: Theme - 'Historical and Philosophical Interactions between Science and Religion' | |
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. John Hedley Brooke: 'The Reception of Darwinism' |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. Roger Trigg: 'Rationality in Science and Religion' |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. Nidhal Guessoum: 'Islam and Science: the History' |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Dr Allan Chapman: 'Mediaeval Cosmology and the Church' |
| 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 |
| Tuesday July 14: Theme - 'Historical and Philosophical Interactions between Science and Religion (cont.)' | |
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. Lawrence Principe: 'The Role of Religion in the Emergence of Modern Science' |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. Lawrence Principe: 'Natural Theology: A Historical Perspective' |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. Nidhal Guessoum: 'Islam and Science Today' |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Cambridge History of Science Tour |
| 5.30 pm | Revd Dr John Polkinghorne: 'Theology in a Scientific Context' |
| 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 |
| Wednesday July 15: Theme - 'The Big Bang and Cosmology' | |
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. Paul Shellard: 'The Anthropic Principle' |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. Ernan McMullin: 'The Anthropic Principle: A Theological Perspective' |
| 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 | Prof. Stephen Freeland: 'An Introduction to the Modern Theory of Evolution' |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 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 |
| Thursday July 16: Theme - 'Biology and Evolution' | |
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Prof. Stephen Freeland: 'Is there a Biological Anthropic Principle?' |
| 10.00 am | Questions and Discussion |
| 10.30 am | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 am | Prof. Simon Conway Morris: 'Evolution and Fine-Tuning in Biology' |
| 12.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 1.00 pm | Lunch |
| 2.00 pm | Prof. Keith Fox: 'Creation and Evolution' |
| 3.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 3.30 pm | Tea Break |
| 4.00 pm | Revd Dr Ernest Lucas: 'The Creation Narratives in Genesis 1-3' |
| 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 17: 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. Keith Fox: 'Genetic Engineering: How Far Should We Go?' |
| 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 | Dr Cherryl Hunt: 'The Stem Cell Controversy: The Interaction between Genetics, Theology, and Public Policy' |
| 5.00 pm | Questions and Discussion |
| 5.30 pm | Panel Discussion with 3 Speakers – Questions and Discussion |
| 7.00 pm | Gala Dinner |
| Saturday July 18 | |
| 8.00 am | Breakfast |
| 9.00 am | Depart |
