Spring 2007/Pasadena
CH527
Feldmeth
CH527: CHRISTIANITY AND SCIENCE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. Nathan P.
Feldmeth.
DESCRIPTION: Scientific development since the sixteenth century has affected
nearly every aspect of human culture--including the Christian church. This
course will examine both the ancient harmony and modern tension that have
developed when Christian theology and scientific inquiry intersect. The scope
of study will range from the foundations of Western science in ancient Greece,
to recent developments in biology, cosmology, physics, psychology, and
medicine.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students in this course of study can expect to acquire the
tools to think critically about the key issues generated by the intersection of
theology and science. Although not an apologetics course per se, students will
become conversant with several contemporary debates in the church, including
creationism, intelligent design, cloning, and genetic engineering.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The Christian teacher, writer, counselor, and preacher
of the twenty-first century will need at least a basic knowledge of the
interplay between the sciences and Christian theology. This course will provide
a structure and context for that understanding.
COURSE FORMAT: This class will follow a seminar model, and students will be
asked to participate in class discussions that will draw upon assigned
readings. Lectures and videos will also be employed. Class will meet weekly for
three-and-a-half-hour sessions.
REQUIRED READING:
- Darwin, Charles. Autobiography of Charles Darwin and Selected
Letters. New York: Dover Publications, 1958.
- Dawkins, Richard. The Blind Watchmaker. New York: W.W. Norton,
1996.
- Dowe, Phil. Galileo, Darwin and Hawking. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
2005
- Freud, Sigmund. The Future of an Illusion. New York: W.W. Norton,
1989.
- Lindberg, David C., and Ronald L. Numbers. God and Nature: Historical
Essays on the Encounter between Christianity and Science. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1986.
- McGrath, Alister. Science and Religion. Oxford: Blackwell, 1999.
- Polkinghorne, John C. Science and Creation: The Search for
Understanding. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press, 2005.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Barbour, Ian G. Religion and Science: Historical and
Contemporary Issues. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1997.
- Dales, Richard C. The Scientific Achievement of the Middle Ages.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.
- Darwin, Charles. The Voyage of the Beagle. New York: Penguin Books,
1989.
- Dawkins, Richard. The Selfish Gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1990.
- Lindberg, David C. The Beginnings of Western Science. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 1992.
- Livingstone, David N. Darwin's Forgotten Defenders.... Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1987.
- Murphy, Nancey. Reconciling Theology and Science: A Radical
Perspective. Pandora Press, 1997.
- Pais, Abraham. Subtle Is the Lord: The Science and Life of Albert
Einstein. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982.
ASSIGNMENTS: Reading assignments from the required texts will be included in
the syllabus. Students are expected to come to class prepared for discussion on
the relevant topics covered in the readings. Three papers of five to seven
pages each will be due in stated intervals. The three papers will be weighted
equally in determining the course grade.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.