Philosophy, Science and Religion: Religion and Science (Coursera)

The first and second courses in the Philosophy, Science and Religion series, ‘Science and Philosophy’ and ‘Philosophy and Religion’ were launched in 2017 and you can sign up to these at any time. It is not necessary to have completed these courses to follow this course. However, completing all three courses will give you a broader understanding of this fascinating topic. Look for:

• Philosophy, Science and Religion I: Science and Philosophy
• Philosophy, Science and Religion II: Philosophy and Religion

Upon successful completion of all three courses, students will:

1. Understand the main parameters at stake in the current debate between science and religion.
2. Have some familiarity with the relevant areas of science that feature in the debate—including cosmology, evolution, and the neurosciences—and will have begun to engage with them conceptually.
3. Have encountered key philosophical approaches to the interface between science and religion, and will have had the opportunity to engage them in practice.
4. Have embarked constructively in cross-disciplinary conversations.
5. Have demonstrated an openness to personal growth through a commitment to dialogue across intellectual and spiritual boundaries.

Course Syllabus

WEEK 1 – Introduction to the Course

WEEK 2 – Science, Religion and the Origins of the Universe

In this module, Tim Maudlin, Professor of the Foundations of Physics at New York University (NYU) discusses stories and theories of the origins of the cosmos from the perspectives of various religions, philosophy, and Science. He then explains what our physics tells us and compares this to the origins of stories.

WEEK 3 – BUDDHISM AND SCIENCE

In this module, Graham Priest, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at City University of New York (CUNY) outlines the background and basic ideas of Buddhism. After considering whether Buddhism is compatible with science, he goes on to explain how some aspects of Buddhist thought are relevant to contemporary logic and science.

WEEK 4 – EVOLUTION AND DESIGN

In this module Kevin Scharp, Reader in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews introduces one of the most common arguments for Intelligent Design and considers whether it is a genuine scientific competitor to, or can even be made compatible with, evolutionary theory. He then presents the Fine-Tuning Argument for the existence of God and its criticisms.

WEEK 5 – SIN, SUFFERING, AND SALVATION: EVOLUTION’S THORNY ISSUES

In this module Bethany Sollereder, Postdoctoral Fellow in Science and Religion at the University of Oxford considers questions that arise in Christian Theology as a result of accepting evolutionary theory.

WEEK 6 – HUMAN UNIQUENESS IN SCIENCE, THEOLOGY, AND ETHICS

In this module David Clough, Professor of Theological Ethics at Chester University investigates three ways in which the question of human uniqueness prompt questions at the interface of theology and science. It asks ‘Are we alone in the Universe?’, ‘Where did we come from?’ and ‘Are we just animals?’ before going on to consider the ethical implications of a theological approach that engages these questions seriously.