Science, Reason and Religion 2012

INTRODUCTION

In late September /early October, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church is holding a festival of Science, Reason & Religion. We shall explore the relationship between these three topics. Speakers from across the theological and denominational divides as well as  scientists, philosophers and theologians will be involved. 

In our view, the Church has never fully or adequately responded to the 'challenges' of science or reason and, in the present day, the Church is perceived to be anti-intellectual, superstitious, bigoted and homophobic, at times not without justification. We are spiritual seekers after truth, recognising that there may be more than one truth. Our festival will be an honest, intellectually rigorous and, we hope, enjoyable exploration about the nature of reality and what it means to be human. 

All of our speakers have expressed their delight at being asked to speak and all have commented very favourably on the concept.       Revd Scott S McKenna

PROGRAMME 

SPEAKERS

Our speakers thus include: Professor Keith Ward of Oxford University, Professor John Haldane of St Andrews University, Professor Wilson Poon, and Professor Douglas Blackwood of Edinburgh University. Also planned is a public dialogue at which the participants will be the philosopher and writer, Julian Baggini, and Professor David Ferguson of Edinburgh University. 

Keith Ward is a philosopher and theologian. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and an ordained priest of the Church of England.  He was Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University between 1991 and 2004. Two of his main interests are comparative theology and the interplay between science and faith. As an advocate of theistic evolution, he regards them as essentially compatible, a belief he has described in his book God, Chance and Necessity. He has criticized modern day Christian fundamentalism, most notably in his book What the Bible Really Teaches: A Challenge for Fundamentalists.  

John Haldane is a Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of St Andrews. He is also a commentator and broadcaster. In his television work he has contributed to programmes such as The Heart of the Matter and God Under the Microscope.

Wilson Poon is Professor of Condensed Matter Physics, Soft Condensed Matter research group, at the University of Edinburgh. He specialises in studying well-characterised model colloids to throw light on generic issues in condensed matter and statistical physics. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and also a member of the Doctrine Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He is keen to develop a comprehensive theology of science. He is a regular book reviewer for the journal Theology.  

Douglas Blackwood is Professor of Psychiatric Genetics and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the University of Edinburgh. He is also an Elder at Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church. 

Julian Baggini is the author of several books about philosophy written for the general reader, his latest being The Ego Trick:What Does It Mean To Be You? (2011). and one of his best known: Atheism: A Very Short Introduction (2003). He also contributes to a variety of newspapers, magazines and BBC radio.

David Fergusson is Professor of Divinity and Principal of New College, University pf Edinburgh. He worked for several years as a parish minister in the Church of Scotland, and before returning to Edinburgh to his present position, he was Professor of Systematic Theology in the University of Aberdeen. His research interests include issues in Christian doctrine and theological ethics. From 2010-2012 he is principal investigator for the AHRC/ESRC funded-project on Christianity, Psychotherapy and Spirituality in Scotland.

ALL ARE WELCOME

So, as you can see, this autumn’s festival at Mayfield Salisbury aims to unpack the relationship between Science Reason and Religion. It is an ambitious attempt to look at some of the ‘big’ questions, to tackle the challenges posed by science and reason that the church seems to shy away from. All are welcome.