PROFESSORS

Dr. John Beaver. Ph. (403) 883-2502. Email johnbeav@gmail.com

Rev. Dr. Cam Harder. Ph. (306) 966-7867. Email crharder@shaw.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines the tensions and possibilities in the conversation between science and Christian faith. We look at key figures in the historic development of that relationship such as Aristotle, Augustine, Galileo, Einstein and Kuhn. We examine the questions for science and theology raised by creationists, feminists, third world theologians, and others. And we look at the implication of this conversation for ethics in technology and research.

TEXTS

- John Polkinghorne, Science and Theology: an Introduction. Fortress, 1998. Available in LTS bookstore or on-line at Amazon.com.

- Reading packet and 3 supplementary readings (available in bookstore) with additional readings posted on Cam's website (www.cameronharder.com). Login and password to the website will be provided in class.

ASSIGNMENTS

1) Ordinary ways of knowing. Students will find four people, two aged 15-20 and two over 50. The people must be outside the seminary or university communities and outside their own family. They will ask each person two questions: 1) What religious belief were you given as a child that you now have trouble believing? Why do you have trouble believing it? 2) What evidence can you give that the earth goes around the sun, rather than the sun going around the earth? The responses are intended to be brief (a few sentences). Interviews should only take a few minutes. Students must take notes on the responses and be prepared to report orally at the first weekend on what they found about how people come to know things and why they believe what they believe.

2) Email Discussion of Readings. Between the two on-site weekends students will do their readings on the schedule prescribed below. Each week students will write a 100-word summary and response to week's readings and write a 100-word response to another student's offering from that week or the previous week. They will then email them to the other students and to the professors. Students should have contributed 7 summary-and- response pieces and 7 response-to-another-student pieces by Nov. 24. Because this requires coordination of readings (a conversation), students will not be allowed to save up readings and contribute all at once at the end. Only those emails offered on schedule will be counted.

Emails must be kept very close to the 100-word limit. Grade for this portion will be determined by both quantity and quality. If all emails are written, at an average 80% quality, the student will receive 80% on this assignment. If only half of the emails are written, at at an average 80% quality, the student will receive 40% on this assignment. Quality will be assessed on how well key ideas in the reading are grasped, on the quality of insight in the responses to it, and the degree of conciseness and precision in the writing.

3) Interview of scientist and theologian: Before the second weekend students are expected to interview one scientist and one theologian. The purpose is to find out what motivates them, what drives their research interests. Ask them, "What is your research program? Why did you choose it? What keeps you in it? Who benefits from it? Is there any financial benefit from it?" Students will take notes and report orally on their findings at the second weekend. Note for theological students: the theologian should not be one from your own college. You can choose from the U. of S. Religious Studies Department (including theologians of Eastern religions), St. Thomas More College and the three seminaries of the Saskatoon Theological Union.

4) Class discussion and participation: Students are expected to be fully present at both weekends. Students will be graded on the quality of their contributions to the discussion. This includes: responding quite often, but not dominating the discussion; listening to other students and building on their ideas; bringing in ideas from the readings; offering imaginative/critical feedback to lectures, exercises, videos and other in-class experiences; speaking respectfully and inclusively to classmates and professors.

5) Major research paper: Students will be asked to write a 15 page paper on a subject of their own choosing. It must draw on both scientific and theological disciplines. The paper may be constructive-developing a new way of understanding a piece of reality by placing it at the intersection of scientific and theological reflection on that subject. Or it may be methodological-looking at the way in which science and theology relate to each other. Students will consult with a professor about their subject before beginning research. This should happen in early October. They will do the bulk of their library research and prepare an outline for their paper by the time of the second weekend (Nov 24). At the second weekend students will be asked to present their outline and will receive feedback from other students/professors. After the second weekend, students will incorporate appropriate feedback, write their paper and turn it in to Cam by 4:30 p.m., Dec. 9.

Weighting of assignments

- Ordinary knowing interviews 10%

- Scientist/theologian interviews 15%

- Email: 25%

- Class discussion: 10%

- Paper: 40%

100%

SCHEDULE

Sept 20-29 Work on "Ordinary Ways of Knowing" Assignment for first weekend (received by email).

Sept 29-Oct 1: First Weekend:

Thursday Night: Introduction to Science and Theology

- How do scientists and theologians make sense to each other? Problems and possibilities in the conversation.

- Definitions and assumptions. What are the starting points for scientists and theologians?

Friday: Ways of Knowing

- Revelation in science and evidence in theology

- reporting on student interviews re: ordinary ways of knowing

- models for relating science and theology

- God and Quantum physics

Saturday: Getting into the conversation

- areas of tension: Morality/amorality, constancy/change, nature/humanity, natural/Supernatural.

- resurrection: fact or fiction?

- Christ and Trinity

BETWEEN INTENSIVES READING AND EMAIL DISCUSSION

Note: the readings listed will be in the text (TXT), reading packet (RP), the supplementary reading packet (SRP) or will be posted on Cam's website (WEB). There may be one or two additional readings added after Sept 28. If so they will be put up on the web and you will be informed as to which week(s) they fall into.

Sept 28-Oct 6 Read:

- "Who Tells the World's Story?" - Douglas John Hall (RP)

- "Interdisciplinary Research: The Quest for New Gestalts" by Isser and Schwartz (RP)

- Chapter 1 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Oct 7-13 Read:

- "Science, Technology and the Church" by Ian Barbour (RP)

- "Scientific World Pictures within the Bounds of a Christian Worldview" by Van Till (RP)

- "Theology of the Cross and God's Work in the World" by Murphy (SRP)

- Chapter 2 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Oct 14-20 Read:

- "Philosophy of Science: What One Needs to Know" by Clayton (RP)

- "Religion and Science Revisited" by Collins (RP)

- "Evolution, Sociobiology and the Atonement" by Williams (SRP)

- Chapter 3 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Oct 21-27 Mid-term break

Oct 28-Nov 3 Read:

- "Expanding the Universe" and the other Agora articles on science and religion (RP)

- "Wormholes in the Heavens" by Lemonick (RP)

- "The More I Study Science the Stronger My Faith in God," by Sorbo (RP)

- "Easter: Did it really happen?" by ten Canadian scientists (RP)

- Chapter 4 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Nov 4-Nov 10 Read:

- "Big Bang or the Work of Seven Days?" by Welker (RP)

- "Is Special Creationism a Heresy" by Van Till (RP)

- Chapter 5 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Nov 11-Nov 17 Read:

- "Designer Theology: A Feminist Perspective" by Hunt (SRP)

- "Religion and Science in a Non-western Setting: the Chinese Experience" by Budenholzer (RP)

- Chapter 6 of Science and Theology (TXT)

Nov 18-Nov 24 Read:

- "Response of Cardinal Bellarmine to Galileo's ideas" (WEB)

- "Text of Galileo's Indictment" (WEB)

- Chapter 7 of Science and Theology (TXT) and review chap 1.

Nov 24-26: Second Weekend

Thursday Night: Great and not-so-great moments in the history of science and theology

- Aristotle and Galileo

- Re-enacting the trial of Galileo

Friday:

- The scientific revolution and the reformation

- Beginnings: Creation science?

Saturday:

- Endings: Big Crunch or New Creation?

- Research programs: students' report

- ethical issues at the juncture of science and theology

Dec. 9 Term end. Final paper due at 4:30 p.m.