Religion and Science - Syllabus

    Course description
    This course seeks to survey the main issues in the interaction between science and religion. We shall begin with a comparison of the tasks of scientific and theological investigation and discourse, and look at models of the interaction between the two, with concrete historical examples of each. Thereafter we will explore in further detail some of the major points of intersection between religion and science, including:
    - physics, metaphysics and cosmology
    - biological evolution and the assessment of its religious significance by different traditions
    - models of God popular among scientists and those living in a scientific age (theism, pantheism, panentheism)
    - ethical issues raised by developments in science and technology
 

 

 

Textbooks and bibliography

The main textbook for the course will be Ian Barbour’s When Science Meets Religion : Enemies, Strangers, or Partners? which will be supplemented by other readings and excerpts.

 

An earlier book by Barbour (on which parts of the textbook are based) can be found here: Religion in an Age of Science by Ian Barbour. Other books that may be usefully consulted include:

 

Barbour, Ian G., Myths, Models and Paradigms: A Comparative Study in Science and Religion, Harper & Row, 1974.

Brooke, John Hedley, Science and Religion: Some Historical Perspectives, Cambridge University Press, 1991.

Cole-Turner, Ronald (editor), Human Cloning: Religious Responses, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997.

Davies, Paul. God and the New Physics, Penguin, 1983.

Gould, Stephen Jay, Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life, New York: Ballantine, 1999.

Herrmann, Robert L. (editor), Expanding Humanity’s Vision of God: New Thoughts on Science and Religion, Templeton Foundation Press, 2001.

Livingstone, David N., Darwin’s Forgotten Defenders: The Encounter Between Evangelical Theology and Evolutionary Thought, Eerdmans, 1987.

McFarlane, Thomas J. (editor), Einstein and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings, Berkeley: Seastone, 2002.

Miller, Kenneth R., Finding Darwin’s God, Harper Collins, 1999.

Peacocke, Arthur, Theology for a Scientific Age, Fortress Press, 1993.

Polkinghorne, John, Faith, Science & Understanding, Yale University Press, 2000.

Polkinghorne, John, One World: The Interaction of Science & Theology, Princeton University Press, 1986.

Russell, Robert J., Nancey Murphey and Arthur R. Peacocke (editors), Chaos and Complexity: Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action, CTNS/University of Notre Dame, 2000.

Schroeder, Gerald L., The Hidden Face of God: How Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth, New York: The Free Press (Simon & Schuster), 2001.

Sharpe, Kenneth, Sleuthing the Divine: The Nexus of Science and Spirit, Fortress Press, 2000.

Sobosan, Jeffrey G., The Turn of the Millennium: An Agenda for Christian Religion in an Age of Science, Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 1996.

Templeton, John Marks and Kenneth S. Giniger (editors), Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs, Templeton Foundation Press, 1998.

Tilby, Angela, Soul: God, Self and the New Cosmology, New York: Doubleday/London: SPCK, 1992.

Wynn, Charles M. and Arthur W. Wiggins, Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction, Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press, 2001.

Zukav, Gary, The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics, William Morrow/Harper Collins, 1979,2001.

 

Assignments

1) Short assignments (2-3 pages) on topics relating to the course:

1.  Do religion and science make competing claims? In your answer discuss possible models for the relationship between the two.

2. Is there genuine scientific controversy over the theory of evolution? Are views such as young-earth creationism and intelligent design science?

3. In what ways do the Bible’s creation stories reflect a pre-scientific view of the world?

4. How have recent developments in cosmology (e.g. the idea of the “Big Bang”) been viewed by representatives of religious traditions? Are the theological claims made about the significance of the scientific evidence justified?

5. Can science be helpful in evaluating claims about the effectiveness of prayer, miraculous healings, religious experience or the existence of the soul? [choose one topic]

6. Do religious traditions other than Judaism and Christianity view the relationship between religion and science differently? If so, in what ways, and why might this be the case?

7. Discuss the religious ethical issues raised by any one recent (or plausible near-future) development in technology.

These papers are to be submitted in electronic form

 

2) Final paper: as a final paper, due on the date scheduled for the final exam, students will submit a final version of their short papers, woven into a single paper that addresses the subject of the relationship between religion and science, using the other specific topics from papers as concrete examples and “case studies”. Although largely based on your short assignments, it is expected that opportunity will be taken to revise and improve them in light of discussions in class and further reflection, since the original papers are due on the day we are scheduled to discuss the topics in question

 

3) A 5-minute presentation at the start of class, summarizing an article you have read and/or information you have gathered on the topic to be discussed in class that day.

 

4) Attendance and participation: Discussions (including more formal class activities such as debates) will be a regular feature of the class. Attendance and participation in them is part of the final grade.

 

GRADE (for more information on Dr. McGrath’s grading scale see his web page)

Short papers = 7 x 10 points each                                    70%

Final paper                                                                      15%

5-minute Class Presentation                                               5%

Attendance/participation                                                  10%

 

Class schedule (provisional)

 Abbreviations: HW = homework; WSMR = Ian Barbour, When Science Meets Religion; [BB] = Blackboard; [ER] = e-reserve

The following points represent key things that will be looked for in all your written work:

1) Intellectual honesty: All written work must be your own. If you use someone else's words, there must be quotation marks and a footnote indicating this (see the links I have provided on my home page at http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/). Simply changing a few words is not good enough. You must put ideas in your own words; and even then, if the idea is someone else's, you must still provide a footnote or other reference. If you plagiarize you will get a zero grade for the assignment with no opportunity to redo it. If you plagiarize a second time you will fail the class. Intellectual honesty is of more fundamental importance than anything you will learn by taking this class.

2) Critical thinking: How you think is infinitely more important to me than what you think. You will gain no points by agreeing with me, and lose none by disagreeing. What matters is how you argue your case, and that you examine critically not only the views of others, but also your own views. Coupled with the need for critical thinking is a need for:

3) Fairness: You must understand the views of others, even if you disagree with them. Treat their views the way you would like your own viewpoints to be treated. Again, whether you agree or disagree with an author's viewpoint is completely up to you. But you must understand what he or she says, and not merely in a superficial manner. Recent (postmodern) thought may emphasize that none of us can claim to be objective: we all have a viewpoint, and we all have assumptions and biases. But this need not mean that we are incapable of interacting with the views of others in a manner that is fair.

4) Breadth of reading, reflection, and interaction with scholarly writings: Your view and opinion are important; in fact, your ability to evaluate different viewpoints and then draw your own conclusions will make the difference between B+ or A- work and A work. On the other hand, a university essay is not simply your reflections. You must find out what others have to say, and relate your conclusions to theirs. To simply reference one or two books or articles (or worse, one or two web pages) will not be adequate. The best research papers will combine in-depth research with creativity and originality. Please also note that, although I have sought to make available to you the highest quality of online resources via the course web page, online reading is rarely if ever sufficient for writing a college-level paper. Unless you are certain you have access to complete online articles and books by authors who deal with topics in a scholarly manner, you should use web-based resources with caution.

5) Although it should not be necessary to specify this, all work submitted must be typed and must be in appropriate English (i.e. correct spelling and punctuation, no IM abbreviations). What you are trying to say is important, but it will not count for much if your ideas are not communicated clearly and intelligibly. A good idea might be to have a study partner or other individual who can proofread your work, in some form of reciprocal arrangement. Getting critical feedback prior to handing work in will also very likely contribute to you receiving a higher grade.

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