What do we want to accomplish by bringing theology and science together? Lutheran theologian Philip Hefner offers us an answer in an article of just over ten years ago[1]. In this blogpost I summarize the main points of the article. Hefner argues that the significance of the interaction between science and theology lies in the meaning […]
Tag: theology
Group Selection and Religion: Some Theological Remarks
One of the key lectures today, on the Schillebeeckx Centenary Conference, was delivered by Siobhán Garrigan. Her hermeneutics of the notion ‘home’ struck me as relevant for a theological reflection on evolutionary studies of religion that assume group selection to be an important factor. In short, group selection theories argue that religion supports social cohesion […]
Schillebeeckx on Religion and Science: Beyond Opposition
I presented my paper on Schillebeeckx and the perspectives he offers on the relation between evolutionary accounts of religion and theology. The audience was rather small in numbers, but I received some excellent questions and feedback. This is the presentation I used to present the paper (link) Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires […]
“What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him?” by Jacob Thielman
Originally posted on EerdWord:
Jacob Thielman Jacob Thielman is Internet marketing assistant at Eerdmans. * * * I want to share a book with you — a beautiful, devastating book that you might not notice otherwise: Receiving the Gift of Friendship: Profound Disability, Theological Anthropology, and Ethics by Hans Reinders. “Profound disability” is a term…
Philip Hefner on Experience
This blogpost offers a summary and review of “Theology and Science: Engaging the Richness of Experience“. Philip Hefner argues that the significance of the relation between science and theology is to be found in the meaning that emerges from this relation. This meaning is both expressed and recreated through language. Hefner sees theology’s role as interpretative. […]
To the extent that we do not know the circumstances of origin and the original functions of religion, we do not understand our symbols, myths, and rituals.
(Philip Hefner, The Human Factor, p. 159) Just a thought for those who believe evolutionary explanations of religion are irrelevant, or even threatening, for theology.
Cultural Evolution and a Rubber Band
– Tom Uytterhoeven – I disagree with two points in this article on biological, cultural, and technological evolution: (1) it suggests that biological, cultural and technological evolution are separate processes, while I see them as deeply connected; (2) it suggests cultural evolution/history must be read as the emergence of different 'stages', leading to ever greater […]
A Theologian on a Science Conference?
– Tom Uytterhoeven – Someone tweeted this announcement for a workshop on human evolution. Whenever I notice something similar, I usually scramble for my calendar. But even before I check the dates to see if I could go, and certainly before I check whether my budget allows me to go, doubts start raising their ugly […]
Can “Spirit” Be a Verb?
Originally posted on liftthescreen:
Can “Spirit” be a Verb? I want to float an idea—the idea of “spirit.” The English word “spirit” is not very versatile. It’s almost exclusively used as a noun, most often referring to a supernatural power or presence, although we often speak as well of the human spirit. Once in…
Science and Religion: Has the Conflict Model Won the Popularity Vote?
– Tom Uytterhoeven – This morning my wife posted a picture on my Facebook wall. It shows two Post It notes on a wall in a community center in a Belgian town. The center had organized a cultural activity for kids: they were invited to write down who their hero was. So one kid posted: […]
Weekly Gardening 