Dr. Gary Ferngren
History Department
February 1, 2007
"Science and Religion: Adversaries or Allies?"
Since the publication of Andrew Dickson White's A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896), it has been the predominant view of scientists and laymen alike that Christianity has hindered the development of science by espousing dogmatic positions that have fostered ignorance and intolerance. In the late twentieth century this view has undergone a systematic revaluation that has led John Brooke to speak of a "complexity thesis" as a more accurate model than the familiar "conflict thesis." I shall argue that Christianity has often encouraged scientific endeavor while at other times the two have co-existed without either tension or attempts at forced harmonization. If Galileo and the Scopes trial come to mind as examples of conflict, they were exceptions rather than the rule.
Dr. Ferngren's lecture, here!