Concordia Seminary’s 20th annual Theological Symposium is September 22-23, and this is the issue at hand. “Science and theology” isn’t necessarily anything new, although the dialogue between the two has often been tenuous at best. But the “new questions and new conversations” certainly is. The symposium will walk the cutting edge of where science and theology intersect today, as well as the ethical implications that these intersections leave us with.

Behind all this is the attempt to get beyond the stereotypically American preoccupation between evolution and creationism. There are simply too many interesting questions out there on which both science and theology can provide answers that are mutually beneficial and enriching. And it is on those questions that we will be focused September 22-23.

To do that, the primary plenary speakers will be leading scientists from diverse backgrounds:

Benjamin Schumacher on “Elusive Reality: Quantum Physics and Theology.” Dr. Schumacher is a physics professor at Kenyon College in Ohio and author of a textbook on relativity titled Physics in Spacetime. Schumacher is credited with inventing the term “qubit,” the unit of measurement in quantum information theory.

Daniel Botkin on “The Nature of Nature and Why This Matters.” Dr. Botkin, professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has been called “one of the preeminent ecologists of the 20th century,” noted for the advancement of computer simulations and satellite remote sensing in the study of forests. He has written numerous articles, software programs and books, including No Man’s Garden: Thoreau and a New Vision for Civilization and Nature.

Mario Beauregard on “The Neuroscience of Spirituality.” Dr. Beauregard is a professor of neurobiology at the University of Montreal, most noted for his research and book The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul. (Neuroscience and religion has been a hot topic on this blog before, here and here.)

Each scientist’s plenary will be followed by a response from one of Concordia Seminary’s faculty exploring the theological implications of their presentations. And the two days will also be filled with sectional presentations in various fields of science, ethics, and theology.

This promises to be an exciting and thought-provoking couple of days. For more information and/or registration information, contact Concordia Seminary at 314-505-7486 or ce@csl.edu.