Workshop on Science and Religion
28 September 2003 |
Javier Leach, SJ
A Workshop on Science and Religion was held at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid from September 25 to 27. This was the first official activity of the newly created Chair of ‘Science, Technology and Religion’ at this University.
Presentation of the Workshop
During the presentation, the Rector of the University, José Ramon Busto, stressed both the current relevance of Science and Technology in the area of culture and the importance of the interaction between Science, Technology and Theology. He then went on to point out that, in Spain, the systematic study of Theology had been absent from the Public Universities since the middle of the XIX century. The interaction between theological reflection and the scientific and technological dimensions of culture had been damaged by this split, and one of the purposes of the recently inaugurated Chair was to contribute to overcoming this deficiency. The participants were welcomed to the Workshop by Professor Fernando de Cuadra, the Director of the Advanced Technical School of Engineering, and Javier Leach, Director of the Chair, then explained that the newly created Chair intended to address new challenges in the realm of Science, Technology and Religion. The following are among the activities planned: providing courses on Science and Religion; organising seminars involving permanent reflection; organising workshops on Science and Religion; promoting the diffusion of quality publications; collaborating with other Faculties of the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas; working towards establishing networks of dialogue and contact with other similar initiatives throughout Spain and abroad.
Guest Lecturers
Four main lecturers were invited to the Workshop: Christian Berg of the European Branch of the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences CTNS (Berkeley CA). Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former Director General of UNESCO. John Hedley Brooke, Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre at Oxford University (United Kingdom) and Lluis Oviedo, Professor at the Pontifical Ateneum Antonianum of Rome.
Christian Berg spoke on “Leaving Behind the Gap Filler God. Towards a Theological Response to the Extreme Scientific Questionsâ€. He pointed out that scientific insights do not suffice to rationally account for all experience, and that they need to be related to the broader setting of personal life. It is there that theology can play an important role by contributing to a broader understanding of reality.
Among other matters, Federico Mayor Zaragoza spoke on dialogue, the key to fortifying the great bases, to discovering points of reference, to tackling ethical, ideological and religious issues… He advocated permanent dialogue between different beliefs, between scientists, theologians, philosophers, sociologists and politicians. Dialogue aimed mainly at preventing young people from being conditioned by the major contradictions which all too frequently lead to indifference.
The subject of John Hedley Brooke’s Conference was “Science, Religion and the Unification of Natureâ€. For Brooke the references to the unity of nature provide a window through which a range of many different connections can be observed between science and religion. Both science and monotheistic religion are involved in a unified view of nature, which, in many contexts, has led to a certain degree of common ground.
LluÃs Oviedo dealt with the role of theology in the dialogue between Science and Religion. On the one hand, theology collects data from the sciences, both from the content and the methods with a view to analysing these and ascertaining their relevance as regards the propositions of Christianity. Some fields are especially sensitive, such as cosmology, anthropology and the theology of divine action. While the biological and cognitive sciences have their own particular implications. On the other hand, theology provides information for the sciences, in at least three senses: it reminds science of its limits, the dangers of imposing ideologies and the ethical limits due to the fact that it gives rise to interdisciplinary dialogue, especially in fields such as anthropology and cosmology. Finally, it contributes to reflecting on the priorities to be attended to and the limited resources available to scientific research which must take into account the benefit of all persons.
Communications
In addition, the following communications were presented by participants from several Spanish Universities:
“Ian Barbour and the Theology of Science”, by Javier Monserrat (Univ. Pontificia Comillas). “Technology, Ethics and Theology in Jaques Ellul”, by Albert Florensa (Univ. Ramon Lull, Barcelona). “Contribution of Jose de Acosta, SJ., and Athanasius Kircher, SJ., to the debate on Evolution-Creation”, by Leandro Sequeiros (Fac. Theology of Granada). “The Order of Love in the Sciences of Nature”, by Jose M. Romero Baró (Univ. of Barcelona). “Theological Naturalism and Ecology: An Opportunity to Engage in Dialogue and Find Solutions “, by Jose R. Lezama Q. (Univ. Católica Andrés Bello, Venezuela). “Towards a new Non-Anthropocentric Humanism”, by Jordi Giro y Paris (Univ. Ramon Llull, Barcelona). “Philosophy and Evolution”, by Benito Méndez Fernández (Instituto Teológico Compostelano). “Religious Beliefs and Scientific Knowledge: Young People’ Opinions “, by Angel Vázquez Alonso and Maria Antonia Manassero Mas (Univ.de las Islas Baleares). “The Epiphany of God in the Mathematical Universe”, by Gabriel Lorente Páramo (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia). “The Dialogue between Theology and Scientific Culture: The Darwin Case. An Epistemological Approach “, by Wiliam Daros Robert (Univ. del Centro Educativo Latinoamericano, Argentina). “Permanent Truth and Provisional Truth: Creed and Cosmos “, by Jose Maria Hevia (Semimary of Oviedo). “Creation and Sense in a Universe in Evolution”, by Ignacio Núñez de Castro (Fac. of Theology of Granada). “Social Aspects of the Relationship between Science and Religion”, by AgustÃn UdÃas (Univ Complutense, Madrid). Epistemological Roots of the Relationship between Science and Religion, by Javier Leach (Univ Complutense, Madrid).
Finally, two special sessions were held in which Manuel GarcÃa Doncel presented the Tenth European Conference on Science and Theology, which the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology is organising in Barcelona for the year 2004; and Christian Berg presented the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences.