2008 Programme: Seeking Truth: Science, Mystery and Human Identity

Seeking Truth: Science, Mystery and Human Identity took place in St Paul's Cathedral between September 2008 and January 2009. Designed by Christopher Wren, one of the founders of the Royal Society, the building expresses the interconnectedness between science and religion through the symbolism of its architecture and use of technology. The programme is part a series of events that marks the 300th anniversary of the completion of Wren's building.

PUBLIC DIALOGUES IN THE CATHEDRAL

The Battle for Truth? The Science-Religion Debate
7 October 2008, 6.30 – 8.00pm

Does science lead inexorably to atheism? In popular perception, science and religion are in a battle for the truth which only one can win. In this opening discussion, philosophers Nancy Cartwright and Roger Trigg consider the nature of science and religion with theologians Nicholas Lash and John Milbank, and how they can meet as well as conflict in the search for understanding.

•Nancy Cartwright FBA is Professor of Philosophy at the London School Economics and the University of California, San Diego. Her books include How the Laws of Physics Lie and The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science.
•Nicholas Lash was for twenty years Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. His publications include The Beginning and End of ‘Religion' and ‘Where Does The God Delusion Come From?'
•John Milbank is Professor of Religion, Politics and Ethics and Director of the Centre of Theology and Philosophy at Nottingham University. A leading figure in the Radical Orthodoxy movement and author of the highly influential and controversial Theology and Social Theory.
•Roger Trigg is Senior Research Fellow in the Faculty of Theology at Oxford University and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Warwick University. Among his many publications are Rationality and Science: Can Science Explain Everything?

God and the Universe
14 October 2008, 6.30 – 8.00pm

The ‘Big Bang' has reopened questions about the creation of the universe. In this discussion the astronomer Eric Priest and physicist Christopher Isham will answer questions about the origin and destiny of the universe, and discuss what cosmology has to say about God and creation with theologians David Burrell and Frances Young.

•David Burrell is Professor in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Notre Dame. An expert on Islam, Judaism and Christianity, he is a priest in the Roman Catholic order of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the author of Freedom and Creation in Three Traditions.
•Eric Priest FRS is Professor of Theoretical Solar Physics in the Mathematics Department at St Andrew's University and Vice-President of the Royal Astronomical Society. He is an Advisor to the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.
•Christopher Isham is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London. He is a television broadcaster and has appeared in a film about Stephen Hawking. His books include Physics, Philosophy and Theology.
•Frances Young OBE, FBA is a leading theologian and Biblical scholar. Formerly Professor of Theology at Birmingham University and Pro-Vice Chancellor, she was awarded the OBE for services to theology. She also works with L'Arche, a network of faith-based communities based on people with learning disabilities.

Stories of Evolution
21 October 2008, 6.30 – 8.00pm

Our bodies are made of the same stuff as the planet itself, and every species, including humanity, came into being against powerful odds. What does this say to us about creation and our place in it? Evolutionary biologist Steve Jones, palaeontologist Simon Conway Morris, theologian Alister McGrath and Biblical scholar Diana Lipton will discuss the place and role of human beings in the web of life.

•Simon Conway Morris FRS is Professor of Palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge. The author of The Crucible of Creation and Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, he delivered the 1996 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures.
•Steve Jones is Professor of Genetics at University College London. A well-known broadcaster and writer, his awards include the Faraday Prize for the Public Understanding of Science and Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year. His books include In the Blood: God, Genes and Destiny.
•Alister McGrath is Professor of Historical Theology, University of Oxford. Trained as a molecular biophysicist, he is now one of Britain's leading theologians and a prolific author. His books include The Dawkins Delusion? and The Twilight of Atheism.
•Diana Lipton is Lecturer in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at King's College, London. An expert on the book of Genesis, her publications include Longing for Egypt and Other Unexpected Biblical Tales, and she is co-editor of the Oxford Reader in Feminism and Theology.

Body and Soul
28 October 2008, 6.30 – 8.00pm

Understanding the human being has been one of the great quests of science and religion. In this final discussion, scientist and theologian John Polkinghorne, human fertility expert Robert Winston, theologian Keith Ward and geneticist Neva Haites explore what human beings are - and whether there is a place for the soul on the map of the human genome.

•Neva Haites OBE is Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of Aberdeen, a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority and Honorary Consultant Clinical Geneticist at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
•John Polkinghorne FRS is internationally known for his work on science and religion. Formerly Professor of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge University, he resigned his chair to be ordained in the Church of England. He has received a knighthood and won the 2002 Templeton Prize for his work on science and religion.
•Keith Ward FBA is Gresham Professor of Divinity at Gresham College, London, and was until 2004 Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University. One of Britain's best-known theologians with a particular interest in science and religion, he is the author of numerous books including In Defence of the Soul.
•Robert Winston is Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London. An expert on human fertility, he is a leading broadcaster and communicator on science and human development. He is a member of the House of Lords, where he chaired the Select Committee on Science and Technology.

MEDITATIVE SERVICES: FAITHFUL SCIENTISTS

6pm Sunday evening services from 12 October to 2 November.
It is often thought that the study of science leads inexorably to atheism, yet there are many scientists who are also people of faith and find spiritual inspiration through their work. In a series of meditative Sunday evening series, we explore the connections between religious belief and science through the experiences of four leading scientists. The services, led by Canon Edmund Newell, will include music, readings, and conversations.

The Meteorologist, with Ian James
12 October
Ian James is a Professor of Meteorology at Reading University and a priest in the Church of England. This service explores the synergies and tensions of his scientific work and priestly ministry.

The Physicist, with Russell Stannard
19 October
Russell Stannard is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the Open University, and a well known broadcaster. This service explores how the awe and wonder inspired by the study of the universe has shaped the faith of one of the most effective communicators and popularisers of science.

The Botanist, with Ghillean Prance
26 October
Sir Ghillean Prance FRS is Director of Science at the Eden Project, and was Director of Kew Gardens until 1999. This service explores how a lifetime of studying the natural world has influenced the religious belief of one of the world's leading botanists.

The Inventor, with Lionel Tarassenko
2 November
Lionel Tarassenko FREng is Professor of Electrical Engineering at Oxford University and his inventions have been applied in medicine, aeroplane engines and microwave ovens. This service explores how a leading scientist sees his work as part of his Christian vocation.

SIXTH FORM STUDY DAY

God and Science: a study day for Religious Studies 6th Form students
20 November 2008
The often tense relationship between science and religion raises some important intellectual and ethical questions. In this study day, leading scientist Russell Stannard and a philosopher of religion (tbc) join St Paul's staff to explore what science and religion have to offer in our search for understanding and human flourishing. The study day relates closely to the A and AS level Religious Studies syllabus. For more information and to reserve places please call St Paul's Education Department on 020 7246 8353.

OPEN STUDY DAY

On Giants' Shoulders: Science and Faith from Newton to Dawkins
29 November 2008
For centuries, people have been fascinated – and confused – by the relationship between science and faith. The current debate is the latest chapter in a long search for truth and meaning. This study day will explore the synergy and tensions between science and religion from the perspective of leading experts in the history and philosophy of science and religion. Speakers include Canon Dr Edmund Newell, Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, The Revd Dr Simon Oliver, Senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Wales, Lampeter, and Robert Iliffe, Professor of Intellectual History and History of Science at the University of Sussex. The study day is open all, and no scientific knowledge is required.
Cost: £35 (concessions £30) including lunch. For more information or to book places, please contact St Paul's Institute 020 7489 1011

RETREAT

God through the Looking Glass
12-15 January 2009
For many, it's the awe and wonder of creation that speaks most powerfully of God. This unusual retreats steps back to the seventeenth century to help us see God through the natural world. Inspired by George Herbert's poem The Elixir, which speaks of the search for God as like looking beyond glass, and Robert Hooke's Micrographia, which opened up a new world using telescopes and microscopes, Awe and Wonder will recapture their sense of enquiry and wonder. With Vatican astronomer George Coyne
SJ and poet David Scott, participants will have the opportunity to ‘consider the heavens' through the telescope, as well as rest and be refreshed by poetry and music. No scientific knowledge is required, just a sense of curiosity. The retreat will be led by Edmund Newell and Lucy Winkett of St Paul's Cathedral.
Cost tbc. For more information, please contact St Paul's Institute 020 7489 1011

St Paul's Institute was founded in 2002 as a public forum at the cathedral for reflection and debate on the spiritual and ethical challenges of our times.

St Paul's Institute, 3b Amen Court, London, EC4M 7BU
020 7489 1011