““Man knows at last that he is alone Man knows at last that he is alone in the universe’s unfeeling in the universe’s unfeeling

immensity, out of which he emerged immensity, out of which he emerged only by chance”only by chance”

Jaques Monod, Jaques Monod, Chance and NecessityChance and NecessityMen never do evil so Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious when they do it from religious

conviction."conviction."

I think ... that faith is one of the world’s great evils, comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate. Faith, being belief that isn’t based on evidence, is the principal vice of any religion.”

Richard Dawkins, Humanist in Canada, Winter 1999

Science and Religion – an inevitable

tension?

Is there a tension between Science Is there a tension between Science and Religion?and Religion?

Why is this an important issue for Why is this an important issue for teachers?teachers?

How does this affect our students?How does this affect our students? What informs the attitude of What informs the attitude of

students, teachers, the public, students, teachers, the public, scientists about the relationship scientists about the relationship between science and faith?between science and faith?

How can we understand the “roots” How can we understand the “roots” of this tension and how to perhaps of this tension and how to perhaps resolve it?resolve it?

A male, chauvinist, A male, chauvinist, ethnocentric history of ideas!ethnocentric history of ideas!

Galileo Galileo and the Mathematization of and the Mathematization of WorldViewWorldView

Philosophy [nature] is written in that Philosophy [nature] is written in that great book which ever lies open great book which ever lies open

before our eyes - I mean the before our eyes - I mean the universe - but we cannot universe - but we cannot

understand it if we do not first understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the learn the language and grasp the symbols in which it is written. The symbols in which it is written. The

book is written in the book is written in the mathematical language, and the mathematical language, and the symbols are triangles, circles and symbols are triangles, circles and other geometric figures, without other geometric figures, without

whose help it is impossible to whose help it is impossible to comprehend a single word of it; comprehend a single word of it;

without which one wanders in vain without which one wanders in vain through a dark labyrinth.through a dark labyrinth.

(Galileo Galilei, Letter to Dowager Duchess Christina)(Galileo Galilei, Letter to Dowager Duchess Christina)

By What Standard do we By What Standard do we Find Truth?Find Truth?

Rediscovery of Rediscovery of Greek thoughtGreek thought

turmoil of turmoil of Reformation/CounteReformation/Counter-Reformationr-Reformation

Introduction of new Introduction of new sets of questions sets of questions and categoriesand categories

Newton...Newton... Nature and Nature's Lawslay hid in night: God said: "Let Newton be! and all was light.

What Does Newton’s What Does Newton’s World Look Like?World Look Like? The world METAPHOR changes The world METAPHOR changes

during the time of Newtonduring the time of Newton Kingdom gives way to Clock!Kingdom gives way to Clock! Theologians (“pulpeteers”) latch on Theologians (“pulpeteers”) latch on

to Newtonto Newton Newton ushers in an era of Newton ushers in an era of

unprecedented mathematical unprecedented mathematical precision as a way to describe natureprecision as a way to describe nature

Newton’s successors and a Newton’s successors and a radically changing vision ... The radically changing vision ... The rise of Modernityrise of Modernity

theism

deism

atheism

Taking stock...Backgrounding Taking stock...Backgrounding ScienceScience

it is historically and culturally it is historically and culturally delimiteddelimited

it makes - a priori metaphysical and it makes - a priori metaphysical and epistemological assertions about the epistemological assertions about the natural worldnatural world

it is socially situated it is socially situated

The Necessary Parting of The Necessary Parting of Ways...Ways...

The modernist world view and science The modernist world view and science founded in this view leads to bleak founded in this view leads to bleak prospects for humans!prospects for humans!

We strive for an objectivity that ultimately We strive for an objectivity that ultimately must exclude us!must exclude us!

This ultimately leads to a skewed sense of This ultimately leads to a skewed sense of value and meaning...value and meaning...

Truth becomes diminished to “mere” Truth becomes diminished to “mere” propositional truth – relational truth is lostpropositional truth – relational truth is lost

Worldviews in CollisionWorldviews in Collision

““Science and Religion are diametrically Science and Religion are diametrically opposed at their deepest philosophical opposed at their deepest philosophical levels. And because the two worldviews levels. And because the two worldviews make claims to the same intellectual make claims to the same intellectual territory - that of the origin of the territory - that of the origin of the universe and humankind’s relationship universe and humankind’s relationship to it - conflict is inevitable” to it - conflict is inevitable”

The Humanist, (May-June, 1986),. 26.The Humanist, (May-June, 1986),. 26.

Quotables ...Quotables ...

““We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly We are survival machines - robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.”genes.”

Richard Dawkins, Richard Dawkins, The Selfish GeneThe Selfish Gene

““I think ... that faith is one of the world’s great evils, I think ... that faith is one of the world’s great evils, comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to comparable to the smallpox virus but harder to eradicate. Faith, being belief that isn’t based on eradicate. Faith, being belief that isn’t based on evidence, is the principal vice of any religion.”evidence, is the principal vice of any religion.”

Richard Dawkins, Richard Dawkins, Humanist in CanadaHumanist in Canada, Winter 1999, Winter 1999

““Man knows at last that he is alone in the universe’s Man knows at last that he is alone in the universe’s unfeeling immensity, out of which he emerged only by unfeeling immensity, out of which he emerged only by chance”chance”

Jaques Monod, Jaques Monod, Chance and NecessityChance and Necessity

Scientific MaterialismScientific Materialism science is the only reliable path to science is the only reliable path to

objective, timeless, value-neutral objective, timeless, value-neutral knowledgeknowledge

matter and energy are the matter and energy are the fundamental entities of the fundamental entities of the universe.universe.

Biblical LiteralismBiblical Literalism

Belief that scripture is inerrant , Belief that scripture is inerrant , infallible and clear (not in need of infallible and clear (not in need of interpretation)interpretation)

Rooted in a naïve realistic Rooted in a naïve realistic epistemology epistemology

the struggle between scientific the struggle between scientific materialism and biblical literalism is like materialism and biblical literalism is like a fight between a Boa Constrictor and a a fight between a Boa Constrictor and a Wart Hog. Each tries to swallow the Wart Hog. Each tries to swallow the other whole. The fight can be avoided other whole. The fight can be avoided if they occupy different territories or if if they occupy different territories or if they pursue more appropriate diets!they pursue more appropriate diets!

Ian Barbour, Ian Barbour, Religion in an Age of ScienceReligion in an Age of Science

ConflictConflict

In “the end, science as we know it has two In “the end, science as we know it has two basic types of practitioners. One is the basic types of practitioners. One is the educated man who still has a controlled educated man who still has a controlled sense of wonder before the universal sense of wonder before the universal mystery, whether it hides in a snail's eye or mystery, whether it hides in a snail's eye or within the light that impinges on that within the light that impinges on that delicate organ. The second kind of observer delicate organ. The second kind of observer is the extreme reductionist who is so busy is the extreme reductionist who is so busy stripping things apart that the tremendous stripping things apart that the tremendous mystery has been reduced to a trifle, to mystery has been reduced to a trifle, to intangibles not worth troubling one's head intangibles not worth troubling one's head about. The world of secondary qualities - about. The world of secondary qualities - colour, sound, thought is reduced to illusion. colour, sound, thought is reduced to illusion. The only true reality becomes the chill void The only true reality becomes the chill void of ever streaming particles.”of ever streaming particles.”

Loren Eiseley, "Science and the Sense of the Holy"Loren Eiseley, "Science and the Sense of the Holy"

Independence...Independence...

science and religion occupy science and religion occupy completely separate territory. As completely separate territory. As soon as a physicist realizes that soon as a physicist realizes that her “language” is not the same as her “language” is not the same as a theologian’s “language” the a theologian’s “language” the conflict evaporates and they can conflict evaporates and they can become civil once again! It was all become civil once again! It was all a big misunderstanding. a big misunderstanding.

Dialogue and IntegrationDialogue and Integration

science and religion make science and religion make potentially overlapping claims but potentially overlapping claims but the claims can refer to the claims can refer to complimentary aspects of the complimentary aspects of the same reality.same reality.

Reductionist methodolgies have proven Reductionist methodolgies have proven extremely useful in understanding some extremely useful in understanding some aspects of natural phenomena but can aspects of natural phenomena but can reductionism function as the sole method of reductionism function as the sole method of acquiring useful knowledge. acquiring useful knowledge.

Is it necessarily true that all complex Is it necessarily true that all complex phenomena can be understood in terms of phenomena can be understood in terms of simpler underlying parts or does simpler underlying parts or does complexity impose its own top-down complexity impose its own top-down structure that is not reducible? structure that is not reducible?

Dialogue and IntegrationDialogue and Integration

The Durability of Religious BeliefThe Durability of Religious Belief

many scientists maintain a belief in a many scientists maintain a belief in a personal God and participation in a religious personal God and participation in a religious communitycommunity

religion exists and is practised in all religion exists and is practised in all culturescultures

religion is a “real” phenomenon in as much religion is a “real” phenomenon in as much as it can be studied historically, as it can be studied historically, anthropologically, sociologically ....anthropologically, sociologically ....

religion contains objective practices and religion contains objective practices and ideasideas

How Science Informs ReligionHow Science Informs Religion LLessons of physics and the shift from naive essons of physics and the shift from naive

realist to critical realist positions has led to realist to critical realist positions has led to the realisation that reality is “seen through a the realisation that reality is “seen through a glass darkly”. This challenges us to begin to glass darkly”. This challenges us to begin to understand the extent to which a particular understand the extent to which a particular religion (Christianity, Islam, etc) is a model religion (Christianity, Islam, etc) is a model about God and our relationship to God.about God and our relationship to God.

The laws of nature challenge our The laws of nature challenge our understanding of how God acts within the understanding of how God acts within the universe (the problem of divine action and universe (the problem of divine action and primary and secondary causes)primary and secondary causes)

The Durability of Religious BeliefThe Durability of Religious Belief

many scientists maintain a belief in a many scientists maintain a belief in a personal God and participation in a religious personal God and participation in a religious communitycommunity

religion exists and is practised in all religion exists and is practised in all culturescultures

religion is a “real” phenomenon in as much religion is a “real” phenomenon in as much as it can be studied historically, as it can be studied historically, anthropologically, sociologically ....anthropologically, sociologically ....

religion contains objective practices and religion contains objective practices and ideasideas

How Science Informs ReligionHow Science Informs Religion LLessons of physics and the shift from naive essons of physics and the shift from naive

realist to critical realist positions has led to realist to critical realist positions has led to the realisation that reality is “seen through a the realisation that reality is “seen through a glass darkly”. This challenges us to begin to glass darkly”. This challenges us to begin to understand the extent to which a particular understand the extent to which a particular religion (Christianity, Islam, etc) is a model religion (Christianity, Islam, etc) is a model about God and our relationship to God.about God and our relationship to God.

The laws of nature challenge our The laws of nature challenge our understanding of how God acts within the understanding of how God acts within the universe (the problem of divine action and universe (the problem of divine action and primary and secondary causes)primary and secondary causes)

How Religion Informs/Transforms How Religion Informs/Transforms Modern ScienceModern Science

· · Religion provides a the corrective Religion provides a the corrective lens to re-focus scientific questions lens to re-focus scientific questions and concerns to human ends.and concerns to human ends.

· Religion challenges science to be · Religion challenges science to be aware of its metaphysical aware of its metaphysical underpinnings and structural underpinnings and structural limitationslimitations