Spirituality in the 21st Century
featuring Dr. John F. Haught
John Haught, Senior Fellow of Science and Religion at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, will be the guest speaker for Prairiewoods' annual Spirituality in the 21st Century event.
Dr. Haught, who has been a prominent voice in the science and religion dialogue, will discuss the impact of modern science on traditional theology in public lecture at Mercy Hallagan Education Center in Mercy Medical Center on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17.
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Read More About Our Presenter
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Registration Information
What's Really Going on in the Universe
Friday, May 16, 7 - 9 p.m.
Developments in geology, evolutionary biology and cosmology have left no doubt that the whole of nature, and not just our planet and human history, have an essentially narrative character. Formerly the heavens seemed steady enough to frame all the stories unfolding on earth. But during the last century the heavens too got swallowed up by a story. What is theology going to make of this larger story, one that infinitely outstrips in time and space the brief span of human flourishing and the even more fleeting moments of Hebrew and Christian religious history?
Is it still possible in an age of science to believe that the universe is the repository of an overarching meaning or purpose? Is anything of permanent significance going on in the universe? If so, what does that say about human identity, vocation and happiness in the world as scientifically understood? This lecture will ask why so many scientifically educated people today view the cosmos as "pointless," and then it will look at several 20th Century theological attempts to respond to modern and contemporary cosmic pessimism.
Location:
Hallagan Education Center at Mercy Medical Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Registration begins at 6 p.m.
Reserved tickets fee: $15. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
Tickets at the door fee: $20.
Evolution and Faith: What is at Stake?
Saturday, May 17, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Darwin's "dangerous idea" challenges religious trust in a providential God who purposefully creates, influences and eternally cares for the world. It also raises questions about the basis for our ethical values. Our religious ancestors knew nothing about biological evolution, although they were certainly aware of the suffering of humans and other living beings. Is it possible that their sense of life's meaning and of right and wrong is out of tune with what we now know to be a quite different story of life from those they held?
Darwinian science vastly extends the story of life and life's suffering (and creativity as well) beyond those of traditional theological awareness. In what sense, then, after Darwin, might we still trust in divine providence or uphold a firm sense of values, if at all? Is it perhaps possible that evolutionary portraits of life may open up fresh ways of thinking about God, values and cosmic purpose? After Darwin can we have a plausible understanding of God that is consistent with traditional beliefs and core ethical aspirations and at the same time can our understanding of God be consistent with the reality of evolution?
Location:
Hallagan Education Center at Mercy Medical Center, 701 10th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Registration begins at 8 a.m.
Reserved tickets fee: $40, including lunch. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
Tickets at the door fee: $50, including lunch.
Both events are open to the public.
Reservations are encouraged as space is limited.
To register, contact Prairiewoods at 319-395-6700 and request a registration form or download the PDF of the 2008 Retreat Guide. The guide includes a registration form for this event.
About our Presenter
John F. Haught lectures internationally on many issues related to science and religion. Profoundly influenced by the work of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, he has spent over 36 years breaking ground in and melding a deep understanding of religion with the wisdom gleaned from cosmology, biology and ecology. Dr. Haught, a Catholic theologian, has taught science and religion at Georgetown University in courses such as The Problem of God, Theological Method, Science and Religion and Religion and Ecology. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Center for Process Studies, The Metanexus Institute among other organizations. In 2002 he was the winner of the Owen Garrigan Award in Science and Religion and in 2004 the Sophia Award for Theological Excellence. Additionally, Dr. Haught was the only theologian to testify as an expert witness in the landmark 2005 Dover trial that ruled against teaching intelligent design in public schools (Kitzmiller et al. vs. Dover Board of Education). The author of more than 15 books on the intersection of science and faith, he has been interviewed by CBS, PBS, NPR, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Salon.com and numerous other media. He and his wife have two sons and live in Falls Church, Virginia. For more information, please visit
http://web.mac.com/haughtj1 or
http://meaningoflife.tv/transcript.php?speaker=haught
His most recent works include:
God and the New Atheism (Feb. 2008)
Christianity and Science: Toward a Theology of Nature (2007).
Other works include:
God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution (Westview Press, 2000);
Deeper Than Darwin: The Prospect for Religion in the Age of Evolution (Westview Press, 2003); "Choice Magazine named
Deeper Than Darwin Outstanding Academic Title for 2003.
Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution (Paulist Press, 2001).
Science and Religion: From Conflict to Conversation (Paulist Press, 1995);
The Promise of Nature: Ecology and Cosmic Purpose (Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1993);
Mystery and Promise: A theology of Revelation (Liturgical Press, 1993);
What is Religion? (Paulist Press, 1986);
The Cosmic Adventure (New York: Paulist Press, 1984);
