Institute for Religion & Science

Dire Predictions: Understanding Climate Change Michael E. Mann Distinguished Professor of Meteorology; Director, Earth System Science Center 7 pm, October 19, 2015, Commonwealth Chateau, SugarLoaf Campus Chestnut Hill College This lecture will begin with a review of the now-solid evidence for a human influence on the climate of recent decades. Such evidence includes instrumental measurements available for the past two centuries, paleoclimate observations spanning more than a millennium, and comparisons of the predictions from computer models with observed patterns of climate change.…

Presented By:     Marc S.Schulz, PhD Rachel C. Hale Professor in Science and Mathematics Bryn Mawr College 7 pm, Monday, November 16, 2015 Commonwealth Chateau on the SugarLoaf Campus of Chestnut Hill College Meditation and other mindfulness practices are hot commodities in contemporary American popular culture. Ever widening circles of people are becoming interested in the benefits that mindfulness can offer in stress-relief, well-being and physical health.  This talk will highlight modern conceptualizations and implementation of mindfulness practices that…

Presented By:   Mark I. Wallace Ph.D Professor of Religion, Swarthmore College 7 pm, October 19, 2015, Commonwealth Chateau, SugarLoaf Campus Chestnut Hill College  Announcing its presence in silent flight, the Great Blue Heron teaches us that all of creation is sacred. Using biblical and historical sources, I illustrate how Christianity sees all of Nature as filled with God's presence and suggest how the vision of a shared and verdant Earth saturated with Divine Presence can morally and spiritually empower…

        Change ~ Contemplation ~ Civil Discourse   Janet Mock, CSJ Former Executive Director of Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)   In an increasingly diverse global community, change is inevitable. How do we understand, discern, and manage our response to the changing world around us so as to foster well-being for all? How can we engage one another in issues of importance even when we don't see eye to eye? This presentation will provide resources for…

Laudato Si’: Reflections on Pope Francis and the Environment Thomas J. Reese, SJ Senior Analyst National Catholic Reporter   In his encyclical Laudato Si', Pope Francis reflects on what science and theology can tell us about our responsibility for our common home and how politics and economics is getting in the way of our fulfilling that responsibility. He calls us to radical changes in our life style, economics, and spirituality. Father Thomas J. Reese was educated at St. Louis University,…

Nancey Murphy, PhD, looks briefly at theological views of human nature and at critical points in history when science influenced these views. The major emphasis will be to illustrate the many ways neuroscience is calling body-soul or body-mind dualism into question, and promoting a physicalist account—that is, describing humans as purely physical organisms. However, the claim that we are composed of matter must not be taken to imply that higher human faculties are simply determined by material laws.    …

Professor Herzfeld will examine how our increasing dependence on computers as our outsourced memory alters not only our recollection of the past but the present as well, affecting how we relate to one another and how we understand ourselves. To view the flyer for this event, click here. For directions please see the map below.