The controversy over religion and science persists as one of today’s world issues. The Zygon Center for Religion and Science recognizes that religion and science are two forces that drive today’s society. The word “zygon”, meaning “yoke”, was chosen by one of our founders, Ralph Wendell Burhoe who is the founder of the Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. He believed that in order to address the issues of religion and science, they must be yoked together. Thanks to Burhoe’s help with the Journal and Philip Hefner’s idea to create a center that relates religious and scientific ideas, the Zygon Center for Religion and Science was born.
The goal of the ZCRS is to bring religious and scientific scholars together to do research that focuses on issues in the human society. This collaboration of scholars is made possible by the Center’s convenient home at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. At the LSTC, we are able to gather information from the school’s library and use professors as resources. Being at the school also allows us to have direct contact with students. We have created a hospitable and open environment for students to study, and we encourage students to get involved in the research we are doing.
In order to facilitate student learning, we offer three academic courses each year: the Epic of Creation, the Future of Creation, and the Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science. In an effort to share our research, The Epic of Creation lectures are open to the public. These lectures combine to present the knowledge of science and religion surrounding the evolution of the universe. Scholars in science outline the scientific story of evolution including the beginning of the world and the emergence of human life. Scholars in religion outline interpretations of the Bible. Scholars in theology outline how science and religion provide meaning in life. Not only do we present information regarding science and religion, we show you how you can use this information to search for deeper meanings in life.
Similar to The Epic of Creation, the course titled The Future of Creation is focused on informing the public on science and religion. Although The Future of Creation is a graduate level seminary course, it is also free and open to the public. This course’s goal is to inform society on ways they can make our world a better one. Scientific scholars teach participants about environmental threats. Religious and theology scholars show people how they can respond to these environmental threats and take care of creation. Finally, the course’s ultimate intention is for participants to take action on what they learned and strive to improve the environment in which they live.
The third course we offer, The Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science, focuses on teaching participants how the collaboration of science and religion works and how each builds on the other. The main goal of this course is for participants to acquire insight into the way science and religion collaborate to drive morality. This course is intended to be used for scholarly research and is therefore only offered to faculty, students, and professionals.
Not only do we offer courses and lectures, but we have also created a student society. The Hyde Park Religion and Science Society creates a way for students in Hyde Park to speak their minds when it comes to the issues of religion and science. Members of the society meet twice a month and have the privilege to speak with scholars in science and religion. They are also have opportunities to travel the world and go to conferences regarding science and religion. The ultimate goal of the society is to educate students on the issues of religion and science so they will one day be able to teach younger generations.
All three of our courses, as well as the student society, share a similar goal: to inform people on science and religion and to show how the understanding of the collaboration of the two can make the world a better place. We don’t focus on solving the controversy of religion and science, but instead we strive to educate people on these two topics. The Zygon Center provides the public a place to expand their knowledge of religion and science and answer their questions. One of our main goals is to keep the conversation going. People across the world are discussing science and religion, but in order to talk about these topics, one must be educated on them. We don’t stop at teaching religion and science though. We dig deeper and demonstrate how one can use their knowledge of these issues to gain understanding of the origins of the universe, the environment, morality, and ultimately how to make the world a more beautiful place to live.
On behalf of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science, I would like to thank everyone who has donated their time or money to the efforts of relating religion and science. This is an important issue that we are very passionate about. We encourage everyone to get educated in order to understand this magnificent world we live in.
Camryn,
ReplyDeleteI think the part of the Zygon Center that makes it so meaningful is its focus on the general public. As you have previously posted, kids are necessary in carrying on the tradition of any culture. Because the Zygon Center reaches out to kids in its student courses and gives them early beginnings in synthesizing religion and science into one. Children are crucial in making the future ideal and the Zygon Center recognizes this in showing them the cooperation of two believed extremes. Their focus on the general public is also very necessary in getting their word out and helping people understand that both can go together. In my critique of the American Science Affiliation, I was upset that they did not do anything with the general public, but instead with already educated men and women. I felt it was more necessary that an open forum be given to a questioning public. I commend the Zygon Center for their work in this area!