Religion and Science
(REL 530/635)
Dr. Mark Given
Missouri State
University
Course
Calendar
Jan 23 |
Introduction to the Course
|
Jan 25 |
Religion
and Science, a
Complicated
Relationship
Reading: McGrath, ix-18
Supplemental Resources: Ferngren, 3-19 ("Science and Religion"); "Religion and Politics" (IEP); "5 facts about the interplay between religion and science" (Pew Research Center); Ecklund, Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think; Ecklund, Religion vs. Science: What Religious People Really Think; Ecklund, Secularity and Science: What Scientists Around the World Really Think About Religion; Artson, "Science Isn't Just 'How," Religion Isn't Just 'Why'";
Why It's So Hard for Scientists to Believe in God (Francis Collins)
John Templeton Foundation; Vatican Observatory; BioLogos;
Supplemental resources are not required. They are resources to go further into subjects that
interest you.
|
Jan 27 |
Some
Historical
Factors in the
Complicated
Relationship
Reading: McGrath, 19-31
Supplemental Resources: Ferngren, xi-xiv, 1-16 (Intro and Essentialism); Ecclesiastes 14-6; Joshua 10:12; Psalm 19:4-6; 93; 104; JoKitcher, "Philosophy of Science" (Encyclopedia Britannica); "Critical Realism" (The Tablet); "Where are the Transitional Fossils?" (BioLogos); Carr, "Science, Sensationalism, and the Lessons of 'Insectageddon'";
|
Jan 30
|
The
Conflict
Stereotype in
Popular Culture
Discussion of
Star Trek
Voyager: Distant
Origin
This is a 1997
episode from one
of the Star Trek
series that
draws on
elements of both
the Galileo and
Darwin
controversies.
A transcript of
the episode is
also available
by clicking
here.
Supplemental
Resources:
"Religion in
Star Trek"
(Ex Astris
Scientia);
Star Trek
Voyager: Distant
Origin
|
Feb 1 |
The Importance
of Biblical
Interpretation
for Science and
Religion Issues Reading: Given, "The Interpretive Spectrum" (See Course Documents);
Ferngren, 235-50
("The Bible and
Science");
review McGrath,
28-29
Supplemental
Resources:
Gnuse,
"Inspiration of
Scripture" (In
Course
Documents)
"Strategies for Reading Scripture" (HSB, xxxix-xliii)
Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism (a new book on a recurring problem)
Evangelical Christianity has had a long debate about historical criticism of the Bible. At the fundamentalist end of the interpretive spectrum, the method is usually rejected and even vilified. More moderate evangelicals--often referred to as "conservatives" as opposed to fundamentalists--have long used historical criticism with caution. Indeed, some of the finest historical-critical commentaries available are written by theologically moderate to conservative biblical scholars. This online article is an interview with the authors of a recent book about the use of historical criticism by Evangelical biblical scholars. The authors are themselves Evangelicals writing to convince fellow Evangelicals that historical criticism of the Bible is necessary and beneficial.
The Interpretation of the Bible in the [Catholic] Church (Pontifical Biblical Commission, Presented on March 18, 1994)
This long but quite readable official document explains why the Catholic Church considers historical criticism to be indispensable for understanding the Bible.
"Applied Peshat: Historical-Critical Method and Religious Meaning"
Some of the finest historical-critical biblical scholars in the world today are Jewish but, as in Christianity, there are Jews who object to it. This is an article by Stephen Garfinkel, a professor at Jewish Theological Seminary of America, defending the importance of historical criticism.
More Historical Criticism Links
|
Feb 3 |
Aristotle,
Natural
Philosophy, and
Early Christian
Responses
Reading: Ferngren, 23-36 ("Aristotle and Aristotelianism")Supplemental Resources: Ferngren, 37-46 ("Early Christian Attitudes Toward Nature"); "Plato's Timaeus" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy); Early Christian Writings
|
Feb 6 |
Medieval Latin
Christian
Responses to
Natural
Philosophy
Reading: Ferngren, 47-67 ("Medieval Latin Christendom")Supplemental Resources: "Plato's Timaeus" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
|
Feb 8 |
Islam
and Science
Reading: Ferngren, 68-82 ("Islam")
Supplemental Resources:
|
Feb 10 |
Islam
and Science
Today
Reading: Kalin, "Three Views of Science in the Islamic World" (Muslim Science)
Supplemental Resources: Science and Islam Video Portal; Bakar, "Religion, Science, and Technology" (Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World); Ibrahim Kalin (Wikepedia); Muslim Future Thinker Forum Keynote Address by Ibrahim Kalin; Ibrahim Kalin the Musician; Shamim, "Islam and Science: A Preliminary Exploration" (International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention); Ahmad, "The Trouble with the New 'Islamic Science': On trying to read the Koran like a science textbook" (The New Atlantis)
|
Feb 13
|
Historical
Landmarks I:
Copernicus,
Galileo, and the
Solar System
Reading: McGrath, 31-38; Ferngren, 100-108 ("Galileo Galilei")
Supplemental Resources:
Moyer, "How the Geocentric Model of the Universe Worked" (Scientific American)
The Trouble with Copernicus
Universe Size Comparison 3D; Various Universe Visualization Videos;
How Large Is the Universe?;
Other Supplemental Resources: Ferngren, 87-97 ("The Copernican Revolution"); Brown, "Copernicus’ revolution and Galileo’s vision: our changing view of the universe in pictures"; Ferngren, 110-20 ("Early Modern Protestantism"); Houtz, "John Calvin on Nicolaus Copernicus and Heliocentrism";
Ferngren, 251-66 ("Roman Catholicism since Trent");
Krulwich, "Which Is Greater, The Number Of Sand Grains On Earth Or Stars In The Sky?" (PBS)
|
Feb 15 |
Science and Religion in
Theater and Cinema I
Discussion of Galileo Galilei by Brecht
Recommended Resources: The Life of Galileo Study Guide
Supplemental Resources: Script of Galileo Galilei play by Brecht; Chaim Topol (Wikipedia); Life of Galileo (Wikipedia); Galileo 1975 film (Wikipedia); Goldman, "Stanford Repertory Theater explores the ethics of science with Brecht's Life of Galileo" (Stanford News); The Life of Galileo; Why is Brecht still relevant today? - an interview with Dr Laura Bradley;
|
Feb 17 |
Historical
Landmarks II:
Newton, the
Mechanical
Universe, and
Deism
Reading: McGrath, 38-41; Ferngren, 123-39 ("Isaac Newton")
Supplemental Resources: Ferngren, 220-31 ("Cosmogonies")
|
Feb 20 |
Presidents' Day
Holiday |
Feb 22 |
Historical
Landmarks II:
Newton, the
Mechanical
Universe, and
Deism (cont.)
Reading: McGrath, 41-43; Ferngren, 140-51 ("Natural Theology")
Supplemental Resources: McGrath, 128-135 ("Natural Theology: Is God the 'Best Explanation' of our Universe" and "A Metaquestion: Creation and the Uniformity of Nature"); Ferngren, 174-89 ("Natural History");
William Paley and the Divine Watchmaker;
Shapiro, "A God beyond logic: The history of natural theology shows that Intelligent Design and New Atheism both got it wrong, in strangely similar ways," Aeon (June 2022)
|
Feb 24 |
Historical
Landmarks III:
Darwin and the
Biological
Origins of
Humanity
Reading: McGrath, 43-48;
Ferngren, 192-201 ("Charles Darwin")
Supplemental Resources:
Dixon, 58-80;
Darwin (American Museum of Natural History);
Unitarianism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy);
|
Feb 27
Essay
One |
|
Mar 1
|
Historical
Landmarks III:
Darwin and the
Biological
Origins of
Humanity (cont.)
Reading:
Ferngren, 204-217 ("Evolution")
Supplemental Resources: Dixon, 58-80;
"Understanding Evolution" (Berkeley); "Evolution Resources" (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine);
"Evolution" (Wikipedia);
"Does evolutionary theory need a rethink?" (Nature);
Domning, "Evolution, Evil and Original Sin";
Hurst, "Human evolution is still happening – possibly faster than ever" (Phys.org); Singer, "How Dinosaurs Shrank and Became Birds" (Scientific American)
|
Mar 3 |
|
Mar 6 |
Historical
Landmarks III:
Darwin and the Biological Origins of
Humanity (cont.)
Reading:
Ferngren, 268-83 ("Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism")
Supplemental Resources:
William Lane Craig, "The Historical Adam" (First Things)
William Lane Craig is a Evangelical Christian philosopher and apologist who tries to keep evolutionary science and the Bible in harmony. In this article he does not dispute evolutionary theories of human origins but rather builds on one of them to make a case for a first pair of human ancestors who could justifiably be called Adam and Eve. His approach also does not dispute the mythical qualities of Genesis 1-11. The first half of the article relies on both modern historical-critical and ancient interpretations of these materials to demonstrate literalism is an inappropriate way to interpret these texts. However, Craig also argues that these texts are "mytho-historical." This allows him to assert that even though many aspects of the Garden of Eden story are not to be taken literally, Adam and Eve's choosing to disobey God is a historical fact and the origin of sin. Whether one is convinced or not, this is a fascinating example of the many ways some Evangelicals have attempted to reconcile science and the Bible rather than putting them at odds with one another.
Matthison, "A Reformed Approach to Science and Scripture"
Rios, "Claiming Complementarity: Twentieth-Century Evangelical Applications of an Idea"
Scandal of the Evangelical Mind: An Interview with Mark Noll (The whole interview is worthwhile, but go to 7:00 for what he says about the science chapter of his book.)
John Walton
Walton is an Evangelical professor of Hebrew Bible at Wheaton College. Many Evangelicals consider his writings on the Bible and science to be enormously helpful, while others--typically toward the fundamentalist end of the theological spectrum--find them problematic or dangerous.
|
Mar 8 |
The Scopes Trial
Reading: Ferngren, 286-95 ("The Scopes Trial")
Recommended: Inheriting Inherit the Wind: Debating the Play as a Teaching Tool
Recommended: Monkey Trial: The Showdown between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan (This excerpt from a documentary about the trial includes comments from various experts, including historian Edward J Larson, the author of the essay in Ferngren and of the highly regarded book, Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.)
Recommended: The Clarence Darrow Digital Collection (includes complete transcripts and other important documents of the Scopes Trial)
Recommended: State v. John Scopes ("The Monkey Trial"): An Account
Recommended: Malone's Trial Speech ("Dudley Field Malone was a New York attorney [and Catholic Christian] who was on the defense team. He argued for the importance of teaching science. Though the local Tennesseans viewed Malone with suspicion, the force and passion of this speech surprisingly lifted the audience to its feet." A statement he made during Darrow's questioning of Bryan to the effect that at stake was the different ways Christians interpret the Bible, not the difference between agnostic and Christian interpretations of it, also received great applause.)
Recommended: The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial
This audio dramatization of the event uses news reports and court transcripts to provide a version closer to the facts than the Inherit the Wind version. For more information on the production, see Zinman, "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial."
Recommended:
Alleged
This movie provides a counterpoint to the pro-science, anti-fundamentalist bias of Inherit the Wind, claiming to present "the true story." However, bias is obvious in subtle and not so subtle ways, such as the highly truncated and selective presentation of Darrow's questioning of Bryan on the stand. Using a fictional back-story involving two romantically involved local reporters, the film explores issues pertaining to the dangers of media sensationalism and eugenics. Of course, Inherit the Wind is also critical of the media, portraying the cynical H. L. Mencken (the Hornbeck character) very negatively. Go to 00:08:30 to see Bryan and the Butler Act introduced in a positive light in relation to women's equality; 00:09:30 to see the drug store planning meeting that recruited Scopes to be the defendant; 01:06:56 for Darrow's questioning of Bryan;
Supplemental Resources: "Scopes Trial" (Wikipedia);
Frail, "Everything You Didn’t Know About Clarence Darrow" (SmithsonianMag); Linder, "Famous Trials" (UMKC); Powell, "Intelligent Design and Inherit the Wind: The Debates in Historical and Cultural Context" (Duke University School of Law ); History Minute: William Jennings Bryan – Progressive Leader or Religious Demagogue?; Former President Truman Praises William Jennings Bryan
|
Mar 10 |
Research and Book Review Primer
For students writing a
research paper:
Reading:
Turabian Quick Guide
Feel free to
browse the site above if you
wish, but then
click
here to go directly to the
Classroom Resources page.
Under Topic Sheets, find the
link to download all 26 topics
into one PDF. Print a copy
and read it.
Assignment: Go to Topic #2 in
the Topic Sheets. Cut and
paste the
Topic+Question+Signficance (TQS)
section into an email and try
filling in the blanks. By
class time, send me the email
with your TQS and a paragraph
explaining why you want to do
research on this topic.
Supplemental Resources:
Harrington,
"How to plan a research project";
Wade Clark Roof,
"Research Design" (In
The Routledge Handbook of
Research Methods in the Study of
Religion, 68-80)
For students writing an
extended critical book review:
Reading:
How to Write Critical Reviews
(The University of
Wisconsin-Madison);
Book Reviews (The Writing
Center-UNC at Chapel Hill)
Assignment:
By class time, send me an email
with a link to the book you want
to review and explain in a
paragraph why you want to review
it.
Supplemental
Resources:
A Concise Guide to Writing a
Critical Book Review;
|
Mar 11-19 |
Spring Break |
Mar 20 |
Science and Religion in Theater and Cinema II
Discussion of Inherit the Wind (1999)Supplemental Resources:
Inherit the Wind (1960); Inherit the Wind (1988); Script of the original 1955 play by Lawrence and Lee;
Iannone, "The Truth about Inherit the Wind" (First Things)
|
Mar 22 |
Creationism and Intelligent Design
Reading: Dixon, 81-103 ("Creationism and Intelligent Design" in Course Documents);
Darwin's Black Box: Michael Behe & Keith Fox debate Intelligent Design;
Presenter: AlliSupplemental Resources:
"40% of Americans Believe in Creationism" (Gallop Poll); "The Intersection of Science and Religion"
(The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine); "Intelligent Design"
(The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine); Science, Evolution, and Creationism (National Academy of Sciences); Strauss, "Does the bill just passed by the Ohio House allow students to be wrong in science class without penalty if they cite religious reasons?"; Yong, "A New Clue to How Life Originated" (The Atlantic);
|
Mar 24 |
Historical
Landmarks IV:
The "Big Bang": New Insights into the Origin of the Universe
Reading:
McGrath, 50-53; Ferngren,
220-32 ("Cosmogonies"); Ferngren,
367-75 ("Modern Cosmologies and Religion")
Presenter: Cody
Recommended: The Big Bang and the Beginning of the Universe (Here is an example of how a Christian apologist can use recent physics and astrophysics to argue for the existence of God and the supernatural. His presentation will remind you of some of the ideas encountered in today's reading and, of course, an earlier reading that included discussion of the Big Bang. A longer more complete presentation is available here.
Supplemental Resources:
Planetary Defense (NASA); Pete Enns, "Genesis 1 and a Babylonian Creation Story" (BioLogos); "Ecology and the Environment," (Ferngren, 451-62); O'Raifeartaigh, "Einstein's Greatest Blunder?" (Scientific American);
Georges Lemaître, Monseigneur Big Bang; Francis, "Five Facts about the Big Bang";
Ambrosino, "If we made contact with aliens, how would religions react?" (BBC); Tulp, "NASA hasn’t hired theologians to study reaction to alien life" (AP)
Comets have played a fascinating role in theories about the origins and maintenance of the solar system. In recent times, however, they have become more a source of concern. The first link above takes you to NASA'a Planetary Defense website, including information about its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission.
|
Mar 27
|
Asian Traditions and Science
Reading: Ferngren, 314-30
("Asian Traditions")
Presenter: Nga
Supplemental Resources:
Buddhism and Science
(Wikipedia); Rama,
"Implicit Science in Hindu
Thought: On the foreshadowing of
modern science in ancient
Hinduism" (The New
Atlantis);
Jainism and Science
(Google);
|
Mar 29 |
Religion and the Philosophy of Science I:
Realism, Idealism, and Instrumentalism
Reading: McGrath, 57-65
Supplemental Resources:
|
Mar 31 |
Religion and the Philosophy of Science II:
Explanation, Ontology, and Epistemology
Reading: McGrath, 65-76
Presenter: Matt
Supplemental Resources:
Kuhn,
"What is a 'Self'? Here are All
the Possibilities"
(LiveScience)
|
Apr 3 |
Religion and the Philosophy of Science II:
Theorizing Theories of Science and Religion
Reading: McGrath, 76-92
Supplemental Resources:
|
Apr 5
Essay
Two |
Science and the Philosophy of Religion I: Science, Religion, and Proofs for God's Existence
Reading: McGrath, 95-110
Presenter: Arielle
Supplemental Resources:
Ferngren, 333-45
("Atheism");
William Lane Craig vs Peter
Millican: "Does God Exist?",
Birmingham University, October
2011;
Richard Dawkins debates Alister McGrath (The debate is, broadly speaking, between an atheistic and theistic worldview in which the topic of evolution plays a large part. Dawkins is a scientist and atheist who authored The God Delusion. The Anglican theologian Alister McGrath is a theistic evolutionist with a strong science background
who authored
The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist
Fundamentalism and the Denial of
the Divine);
Billings, "Atheism Is Inconsistent with the Scientific Method, Prizewinning Physicist Says" (Scientific American);
|
Apr 7-9 |
Spring
Holiday |
Apr 10
|
Science and the Philosophy of Religion II: How Does God Act?
Reading: McGrath, 111-120
Supplemental Resources:
Ferngren, 377-94 ("Causation");
Alister McGrath - Understanding
Cultural and Theological
Resistance to SDA (WITH SLIDES); Gholipour, "Philosophers and neuroscientists join forces to see whether science can solve the mystery of free will"
(Science);
|
Apr 12 |
Science and the Philosophy of Religion III: Miracles
Reading: McGrath, 120-25
("Miracles and the Laws of
Nature"); Dixon, 37-57 ("Does
God Act in Nature" in
Course Documents )
Supplemental Resources:
Craig Keener, "Miracle Reports in the Gospels and Today";
Schmalz,
"What’s going on when the Virgin
Mary appears and statues weep?
The answers aren’t just about
science or the supernatural";
|
Apr 14 |
Models and Analogies in Religion
Reading: McGrath, 158-75
Supplemental Resources:
McGrath, 143-57 ("Models and
Analogies in Science")
|
Apr 17 |
Some
Major
Contemporary
Debates in Science and Religion I: Is
Religion Just a
Product of
Evolution?
Reading: McGrath, 125-27;
213-18 ("The Cognitive Science
of Religion: Is Religion
'Natural'?")
Supplemental Resources:
"Anthropology" (Ferngren,
409-420);
Theories of Religion
(IBCSR):
The Cognitive Study of Religion
(IBCSR); McGrath, 203-297
("Evolutionary Biology: Can we
speak of 'Design' in Nature?")
|
Apr 19 |
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion I: Is Religion Just a Product of Evolution? (cont.)
Reading: Henig, Darwin's
God (New York Times
Magazine, March 4, 2007 [also in
Course Documents])
Supplemental Resources:
"Neuroscience and the Human
Person," (Ferngren, 438-49);
Torrey, "How the Evolution of the Human Brain Led Us to God" (Zócalo Public Square);
|
Apr 21 |
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion II: Does Psychology Explain Religion?
Reading: McGrath, 207-213
("The Psychology of
Religion: What is Religion All
About?");
Ferngren, 423-36
("American Psychology");
Supplemental Resources:
Humphreys, "Is religion better than atheism as a coping mechanism?";
James, The
Varieties of Religious
Experience; VanderWeele, "Does a Religious Upbringing Promote Generosity or Not? An erroneous paper on religion and generosity is finally retracted" (Psychology Today);
Sigmund Freud Quote about Reason, Experience, and Religion;
Philo, On Greater and Lesser
Vision of God; Filler,
"Philo's Threefold Divine Vision
and the Christian Trinity"
(Hebrew Union College Annual);
Philo On Abraham, 119-132;
|
Apr 24 |
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion III: Can the Natural Sciences establish Moral Values?
Reading: McGrath, 179-89
("Moral Philosophy: Can the
Natural Sciences establish Moral
Values?" and "Philosophy of
Science: Is Reality Limited to
What the Sciences Can
Disclose?")
Presenter: Dakota
Supplemental Resources:
"Why Sam Harris is Wrong - A
Critique of Sam Harris' 'The
Moral Landscape'"; Bhattacharjee, "The science behind psychopaths and extreme altruists" (National Geographic); Poison or Cure: Religious Belief and the Modern World, a Debate and Discussion with Christopher Hitchens and Alister McGrath;
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Apr 26 |
|
Apr 28
|
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion IV: Should Science Influence Religious and Philosophical Positions on Sex and Gender? (cont.)
Reading: Johnson and Lukert, "Science, Scripture, and Sexuality: The US United Methodist Church at Crossroads" (Journal of Religion and Health)
Supplemental Resources: Belluck, "Many Genes Influence Same-Sex Sexuality, Not a Single ‘Gay Gene’" (New York Times, Aug 29, 2019) [also in Course Documents]); "Perspectives on the complex genetics of same-sex sexual behavior"; Ganna, et al., "Large-scale GWAS reveals insights into the genetic architecture of same-sex sexual behavior" (Science); Weisberger, "'Gay' Penguin Couple Had No Egg of Their Own. So They Stole One" (LiveScience); Miller, "What the Bible Really Says About Sex"; Luke Timothy Johnson, "Homosexuality and the Church: Scripture and Experience" (Commonweal, 2007); Given, Homosexuality and the Bible; A Special Message from President Smart
|
May 1
|
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion V: What Is the Relationship of Religion, Ecology, and the Environment?
Reading: Ferngren, 451-62 ("Ecology and the Environment")
Supplemental Resources: Gen 1:28-31
|
May 3 |
Some Major Contemporary Debates in Science and Religion VI: Are Religion and Scientific Transhumanism Compatible?
Reading: McGrath, 192-96
("Theology: Transhumanism,
the 'Image of God,' and Human
Identity");
The Christian Transhumanist
Association (Explore the
site and get a sense of what
they have to say for themselves);
1 Corinthians 15:35-58 (Read
the footnotes as well)
Supplemental Resources:
Wellness and Longevity
Seminar/The Transhumanism
Handbook;
Transhumanism: advances in
technology could already put
evolution into hyperdrive – but
should they?;
Rissler,
"Open Theism" (IEP);
Tuggy,
"History of Trinitarian
Doctrines" (SEP); Tuggy,
"Trinity" (SEP);
Troels Engberg-Pedersen;
Engberg-Pedersen, Paul and
the Stoics;
Dr Troels Engberg-Pedersen on
Stoicism, Spirit, and
Christology;
|
May 5 |
Class Cancelled |
May 8 |
Presentations
Dakota: Review of Guillen, Michael. Believing is Seeing: A Physicist Explains how Science Shattered his Atheism and Revealed the Necessity of Faith.
Cody: "To be God or not to be God: A Critical Examination of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin through the Lens of Popular Transhumanist Science Fiction"
|
May 10 |
Presentations
Carista: Sarah Coakley’s Spiritual Healing: Science, Meaning and Discernment
Alli: "Frozen in Time: A Look at the Catholic Response to Embryo Adoption"Nga: "Buddhist Philosophy and Quantum: a Brief Comparison of Reality and Time concepts in modern physics and Sunyata"
|
May 12 |
Study Day |
Final Exam |
REL 530 Final
Exam
Monday, May 15, 1:15 pm to 3:15 pm
For final exam
description and preparation instructions, see Assignments.
|
May 13
Papers Due |
Research Papers
or Reviews Due
Papers can be turned in earlier than this due date.
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