In this lecture, Professor McGrath will look at ways of thinking about the relation of science and faith. He will focus on three models: science and faith are in conflict (Richard Dawkins); science and faith are quite distinct, and do not interact with each other (Albert Einstein); and his own view, which is that science and faith, when properly understood, can enrich each other. The lecture will explore three helpful frameworks to understand how science and faith can enrich each other: they offer different (but not incompatible) perspectives on reality; they engage reality at different levels; and they offer different (but complementary) maps of reality. He will engage with a number of interesting writers in exploring these themes, including Richard Dawkins, Albert Einstein, and the philosopher Mary Midgley.
Alister McGrath studied chemistry at Oxford University and followed this with an Oxford doctorate in molecular biophysics. He then switched to theology, and held various positions teaching theology, including serving as Oxford University’s Professor of Historical Theology, and more recently, as the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford. He is one of the world’s best-known theologians and is particularly well known for his textbook Christian Theology: An Introduction, now in its sixth edition, which has been translated into 20 languages.
The 2023 Wesley Gilpin Lecture
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In this lecture, Professor McGrath will look at ways of thinking about the relation of science and faith. He will focus on three models: science and faith are in conflict (Richard Dawkins); science and faith are quite distinct, and do not interact with each other (Albert Einstein); and his own view, which is that science and faith, when properly understood, can enrich each other. The lecture will explore three helpful frameworks to understand how science and faith can enrich each other: they offer different (but not incompatible) perspectives on reality; they engage reality at different levels; and they offer different (but complementary) maps of reality. He will engage with a number of interesting writers in exploring these themes, including Richard Dawkins, Albert Einstein, and the philosopher Mary Midgley.
Alister McGrath studied chemistry at Oxford University and followed this with an Oxford doctorate in molecular biophysics. He then switched to theology, and held various positions teaching theology, including serving as Oxford University’s Professor of Historical Theology, and more recently, as the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford. He is one of the world’s best-known theologians and is particularly well known for his textbook Christian Theology: An Introduction, now in its sixth edition, which has been translated into 20 languages.