Theology and Science Course
Theology and Science Course
ILT is happy to welcome back Dr. Daniel Hackmann, who is a Research Fellow at ILT, to offer a course on the science/theology debate.
Theology and Science Description is as follows:
This course reflects critically about both the nature of the scientific and the theological enterprises, seeking ways to connect these seemingly disparate disciplines. After introducing various motifs for relating science and theology, this course defends a critical correlation of the disciplines that allows for theological and scientific propositions to make truth-claims that are, in principle, commensurate. This course defends a Lutheran theology of nature that holds open the possibility of theophysical causation.
A framing of the new debate between naturalism and theism (which is arguably that with which the current science/theology conflict deals) that has arisen in the last two to three decades will be a focus in the second half of the class. Contemporary writings by John C. Lennox, Keith Ward and William Dembski will be read and discussed as we delve into issues regarding intelligent design, artificial general intelligence, and information theory. We will also discuss theologians such as Wolfhart Pannenberg and Karl Heim regarding such topics as the relationship between theology and the philosophy of science, validation and truth, and the scientific status of theology.
Finally, this course will continually seek to make connections between issues raised in the relationship of theology andscience and contemporary questions in the professional and spiritual lives of our congregants, fellow worshippers, and circle of acquaintances and friends. We and those around us are faced constantly, either explicitly or implicitly, with demands regarding the grounding of the faith we have. This course will encourage a fresh look at the relationship between theology and science as an essential component of a well thought through Lutheran Weltanschauung (Worldview).
If you are interested in taking part in this course for credit or for continuing education, please contact Joel Williams.