“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind,” Albert Einstein once remarked. But where can the resonances he discerned be found? Can we take the genius of general relativity at his word, in a world often dominated by narratives of conflict between science and religion? Think-Write-Publish Science and Religion, a new project at Arizona State University, funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, will explore how the two domains describe reality in ways that are mutually reinforcing.
While dark matter is believed to be partly responsible for the formation of galaxies and was suggested to make up more than 84% of the matter in the universe, modern observations infer that dark matter exists but has not yet been directly discovered. An alternative, radical possibility—that dark matter simply is not there—is being tested by Stacy McGaugh, an astronomer at Case Western Research University in Cleveland, whose work is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Forgiveness is a seminal religious virtue, but can it be scientifically justified as well? This question is asked by award-winning author Megan Feldman Bettencourt in her new book, Triumph of the Heart: Forgiveness in an Unforgiving World. Drawing on innovative research and stories from both individuals and entire communities, Bettencourt concludes that, when observed appropriately, forgiveness can save lives and maybe lead to a better world.
Many insights derived from social and psychological studies shed light on the nature of religious beliefs. Moreover, the research could usefully illuminate the public discussion of religion and science, which can otherwise descend into negative cultural wars. Addressing this gap was the goal of a recent workshop, Breaking New Ground in the Science-Religion Dialogue.
Bernard d’Espagnat, physicist, philosopher of science, and 2009 Templeton Prize Laureate, passed away on Saturday, August 1, at the age of 93. D’Espagnat played a key role during a revolutionary period of exploration and development in quantum mechanics in the 1960s and 1970s, specifically on experiments testing the “Bell’s inequalities” theorem.
Are the biological sciences and religion in perpetual conflict with one another? Not necessarily, some believe, although the question remains a challenging one. Yet, this did not stop over 400 people who gathered to explore and discuss the topic in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan and online from June 30-July 2 for the Evolution and Christian Faith Conference, the culmination of a 3-year program supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
