Course: RS 366. Science and Religion (3)
Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. The course is divided into three main sections. In section one, we consider some fundamental theoretical foundations that characterize the fields of science and religion, and then how they compare as means of knowing the world. Students learn and evaluate historical and contemporary depictions of the relationship between science and religion. In section two, we evaluate contemporary debates about the relationship between science and religion based on what we learned in section one. In section three, we consider the contributions of scientific research to enriching our understanding of religious thought and experiences and vice-versa. By the end of the course, students gain a better understanding of the histories and nature of religion and science. Through exposure to different ways of characterizing the relationship between religion and science, they begin to challenge popular accounts that depict them in constant conflict. Students also gain an appreciation for the ways in which scientific enquiry enriches our understanding of how and why religion operates in the natural world. By constructing critical and informed responses to contemporary issues, students develop skills for recognizing and formulating questions designed to evoke insight. (Available for General Education, B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning.) (IC)