The Values of a Religious Scientist: The Case of Arthur Eddington
We usually think about science and religion in terms of claims about the world, such as the moment of creation or the nature of man. But both science and religion are also practices -- ways of acting, thinking, and doing. These practices are shaped by scientific and religious values, giving us a novel way to approach the relationship between science and religion. We can see how such values interact fruitfully in a case study of the life and work of the pioneering Quaker astronomer Arthur S. Eddington, a pacifist who was persecuted for his convictions during World War One.
Thursday, 8 October 2009, at 7:00 pm. Students receive chapel credit for this talk.
Location: Kline Hall 120, Messiah College, Grantham, PA. Directions and a campus map are here http://www.messiah.edu/visitors/direction.html.
Matthew Stanley teaches and researches the history and philosophy of science. He holds degrees in astronomy, religion, physics, and the history of science and is interested in the connections between science and the wider culture. He is the author of Practical Mystic: Religion, Science, and A.S. Eddington (University of Chicago Press, 2007), which examines how scientists integrate their religious beliefs and professional lives. Currently he is writing a book that explores how science changed from its historical theistic foundations to its modern naturalistic ones. Professor Stanley is also developing a project on science in war, and he is part of a nationwide effort to use the humanities to improve science education in the college classroom. He has held fellowships at the Institute for Advanced Study, the British Academy, and the Max Planck Institute.
NOTE: The Forum reading group, which meets monthly, is presently reading
Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion, edited by Ronald L. Numbers (Harvard University Press, 2009). Dr. Stanley wrote the chapter on Einstein’s religious beliefs. The reading group will have dinner with Dr. Stanley and discuss his chapter immediately prior to this lecture. For more information, see the Forum web page (below) or contact Dr. Ted Davis (
tdavis@messiah.edu).
The Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science is based at Messiah College. For details about all Forum events, please visit http://www.messiah.edu/godandscience/ or contact Dr. Ted Davis (tdavis@messiah.edu), 717-766-2511, ext 6840.
