Throughout history, the fields of religion and science have commonly been viewed as opponents. Experts in both fields will attempt to alter that perception, however, through a University sponsored symposium.
“Human Nature: A Symposium of Religion and Science,” will take place today and Saturday in the EMU.
Mike Spezio, co-organizer of the event, said finding common ground between theological and analytical perspectives will be a continual theme during the weekend discussions.
“We are trying to get past the battles over science and religion,” he said. “Each speaker will help look at how these cultural forces have something important to say to each other.”
The symposium begins today at 7:30 p.m. with a keynote address in the EMU’s Fir Room from University of Virginia Scholar-in-Residence Langdon Gilkey titled “Religion & Science on Origins: Classroom & Culture.”
Daniel Falk, a University associate professor of religious studies, leads the first lecture Saturday morning at 8:45, titled “The Dead Sea Scrolls and Narratives of Origins: Lessons for Dialogue Between Religion & Science.”
During his talk, Falk said he will put biblical material into a literary context, explaining how the greater meaning of mythological texts is often lost in the debate over factual elements.
Throughout this morning, there will be lectures covering the Native American perspective, social Darwinism and different perspectives on human mythology.
Mark Johnson, chair of the University philosophy department, will serve as the afternoon keynote speaker, with his talk titled “Religion, Science & Embodiment” beginning at 1:30 p.m. He will cover how humans understand mythology and where those religious concepts come from.
Symposium co-organizer Elizabeth Moore emphasized that people from all backgrounds can answer questions and find meaning in the relationship between science and religion.
“One of the goals is to have a place where people from all different backgrounds can talk about the subjects of science and religion and hopefully find common ground,” she said.