Science and Religion

Course No. 4691

Explore how science and religion—two pivotal forces—have shaped Western civilization and continue to interact in modern life. This 12-lecture series examines their dynamic relationship, from historical cooperation to contemporary debates, offering nuanced perspectives beyond simplistic conflict narratives.

Course Description

What defines the relationship between science and religion? Do they inherently clash, or have they collaborated in humanity’s quest for truth? Challenging conventional wisdom, this course reveals a centuries-long partnership between theologians and scientists—from St. Augustine to Isaac Newton to modern thinkers—through shared methods and dialogue.

Key Themes:

• Historical models of science-religion interaction (beyond the “warfare thesis”)

• Philosophical intersections: miracles, natural theology, and divine causation

• Case studies: Galileo’s trial, Darwin’s evolution, and the Big Bang theory

• How extremism distorts the dialogue—and why history offers clarity

Video Lectures

Section 1: Framing the Dialogue

1. Science and Religion (34 min)

Defining terms, methodologies, and models for interaction.

• The Warfare Thesis (32 min)

Debunking 19th-century myths of perpetual conflict.

3. Faith and Reason—Scripture and Nature (31 min)

St. Augustine’s insights and modern theological perspectives.

Section 2: Historical Flashpoints

4. God and Nature—Miracles and Demons (30 min)

Divine intervention vs. naturalistic explanations.

5. Church, Copernicus, and Galileo (30 min)

The complex realities behind the “Galileo affair.”

6. Galileo’s Trial (31 min)

Contextualizing arguments about certainty in science and faith.

Section 3: Philosophical Intersections

• God the Watchmaker (31 min)

The mechanical universe and 17th-century atheism fears.

8. Natural Theology and Arguments from Design (31 min)

From Robert Boyle to intelligent design.

9. Geology, Cosmology, and Biblical Chronology (31 min)

Clashing timelines: Earth’s age and biblical interpretation.

Section 4: Modern Conflicts

10. Darwin and Responses to Evolution (31 min)

Reactions to natural selection across religious and scientific circles.

11. Fundamentalism and Creationism (31 min)

The Scopes Trial and the rise of “creation science.”

12. Past, Present, and Future (31 min)

Transending extremism through historical perspective.