The Quest for Consonance

THE QUEST FOR CONSONANCE: THEOLOGY AND THE NATURAL SCIENCES
MCKENNA HALL CONFERENCE CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
APRIL 2-5, 2017

 

What is the relationship between faith and reason, theology and philosophy, religion and science? Since the rise of contemporary philosophies of science in the 1960s, there has been a growing desire to contextualize standard discussions of theology and science through newly understood historical and philosophical methodologies. This desire has shown itself primarily in historical studies on Galileo, Augustine, Aquinas, and contemporary studies on cosmology, evolutionary biology, and particle physics. Such studies have led scholars to interact in novel ways and explore previously unknown horizons of discussion, leading to an unexpected level of interdisciplinarity. In this vein, the international interdisciplinary conference, “The Quest for Consonance: Theology and the Natural Sciences,” represents a step forward in this movement towards more interactions between theology, philosophy, history, and science. Leading scholars from all four disciplines from around the world will come together to “seek consonance” among the fields and among each other, using as a common touchpoint the idea that there is more that holds us together than breaks us apart.

SCHEDULE

Sunday, April 2, 2017
Registration and Welcome
Public Lecture – Bas van Fraassen

Monday, April 3, 2017
Seminar 1 – Cosmology and Creation: David Bentley Hart and Stephen Barr
Seminar 2 – The Future of Galileo: John Heilbron and Michael Shank
Seminar 3 – Evolution and Theology: Francisco Ayala and Iris Fry
Short Paper Session
Public Lecture – Jennifer Wiseman

Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Seminar 4 – Realism in Science & Theology: Nancey Murphy and Menachem Fisch
Seminar 5 – Challenging Theological Doctrines: Louis Caruana and Jame Schaefer
Seminar 6 – Possibilities of Consonance: Michael Ruse and Peter Harrison
Public Lecture – Paul Allen

Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Seminar 7 – Don Howard and John Slattery
Departures

More information on the conference website.