The Interface Between Science and Religion: On-Demand Online Course

This tutorial explores the work of one of the major contributors to the debate, Ian Barbour, who proposed four possible stances for anyone debating the relationship between science and religion: 1) conflict; 2) independence; 3) dialogue; 4) integration. It also looks at criticisms of this approach, questioning whether such a simplistic approach can feasibly be held in relation to such a complex matter.

The second tutorial goes back in time to two key figures in the debate: Galileo and Darwin. Galileo came into conflict with the church when arguing in favour of Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the universe, backed by his observations with the newly invented telescope. Darwin similarly conflicted with theological teachings through his theory of evolution by natural selection, developed during his voyage on the Beagle.

One key argument put forward by theologians is the fact that we have yet to explain our origins and purpose. We understand the laws of physics, but do not (yet) know how or why they came to be so. This tutorial explores the idea of ‘creation’ and the various arguments that have been put forward to coincide with the idea of a divine creation with the findings of modern science, particularly Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Most major religions believe not only that God created the world (as we discuss in tutorial 3), but also that He still acts within it. But this poses some important questions: why is there still evil and suffering? when and where exactly does God interact with the world? and to what extent is God able to act? This tutorial looks at possible answers to these questions, exploring some intriguing areas of modern science such as quantum physics and chaos theory, areas that seem to go against the idea of a deterministic universe, perhaps leaving room for ‘God’.