Science and faith are often presented as opposing worldviews, locked in perpetual conflict. This course explores whether that picture is accurate by examining key historical moments, ideas and debates where science and religion have intersected. We consider how scientific discovery has challenged belief, how faith traditions have responded, and how many thinkers have sought dialogue rather than opposition. Designed for open, respectful discussion, the course invites participants to reflect on evidence, meaning and belief in a complex modern world.
- Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)
- Koestler, Arthur, The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe. Penguin. ISBN 0140192468
- de Santillana, Giorgio (1976), The Crime of Galileo. Midway reprint, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226734811
- Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker, Penguin Press ISBN: 9780141026169
- Ruse, Michael, Can a Darwinian be a Christian?, Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 9780521637169
- The Medieval World View
- Copernican astronomy and the trial of Galileo
- Sir Isaac Newton and the argument from design
- Natural theology and the eighteenth century gentleman scientists
- The challenge of Darwinism and theories of evolution
- The Huxley/Wilberforce debate in Oxford, 1860
- The New Atheists
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the complex interaction between science and religion since the middle ages
- Explain the change in world view from the middle ages to modern times
- Grasp fundamental concepts of the scientific revolution
- Express familiarity with key episodes in the history of science, such as Galileo’s trial and the reception of Darwin’s theory
- Engage critically with arguments concerning the relationship of science and religion
