Partner dioceses receive discounted courses. This link provides a list of partner dioceses and discount codes to use when registering.
Description
"We need each other to be what we must be, what we are called to be." With these words St. John Paul II offered a wonderful encapsulation of the "relational unity" that, from the perspective of the Catholic Faith, can and should exist between science and religion. And yet most Catholics today, especially young Catholics, assume irreconcilable conflict between the two. Overcoming this misconception requires a background in both history and theology.
In this course, Professor Chris Baglow offers a thorough consideration of the relationship from the theological perspective. Beginning with foundational concepts and the real distinction between scientific and theological ways of knowing the universe, the course treats the historical background to the false "conflict" between science and religion, the relationship between the biblical creation accounts and modern cosmology and between Sacred Tradition/Church history and modern science (including the Galileo Affair), culminating with a closer look at the Catholic doctrine of creation in the light of modern scientific discoveries.
Course Content
Course Plan
|
Week 1: June 10-16
|
Unit 1: Faith and Science: Distinguishing in Order to Unite
- Science and Faith, How and Why
- Order and Openness: The Scientific Point of View
- Order and Openness: The Theological Point of View
- Paradox and Mystery: Uniting the Perspectives of Science and Faith
- Marks of the Church
|
|
Week 2: June 17-23
|
Unit 2: Science and the Christian Faith: Understanding and Correcting Models of Conflict
- Warfare or Conflict Model of Science and Faith
- Warfare Model in Historical Context
- Literal Creationism: Making God in Our Image
- Credibility and Affirmation: The Catholic Approach
|
|
Week 3: June 24- 30
|
Unit 3: Sacred Scripture and Modern Science: Uniting Perspectives
- The First Creation Account: A Symbolic Cosmogony
- The First Creation Account in Context
- Living Biblically: Is Science in Accord with Scripture?
- The Whole Picture
|
|
Week 4: July 1-7
|
Break Week (catch up if needed)
|
|
Week 5: July 8- 14
|
Unit 4: Patroness or Persecutor? Sacred Tradition and Scientific Discovery
- Science and the Witness of Sacred Tradition: The Golden Threads of Theological Insight
- Great Catholic Moments in Faith and Science
- A Misleading Moment: The Galileo Affair
|
|
Week 6: July 15- 21
|
Unit 5: The Doctrine of Creation: A Wisdom Wider than Science
- Philosophy and Existence: The Principle of Double Agency
- The Christian Doctrine of Creation
- The Mind of the Maker: God as Playwright
|
|
Week 7: July 22- 26
|
Wrap-up
|
|
Week 8: July 29- Aug 2
|
Additional week to complete any outstanding work
|
Course Format
- Eight weeks in duration, with six units of material to complete.
- Flexible assignment deadlines to accommodate summer schedules.
- Completed with a cohort of other learners to develop community and enhance learning.
- Cohort limited to 25 students.
- Text-based content.
- Certificate of completion available for 30 contact hours if desired.
Participation Requirements
- Read the lecture for each unit.
For a Certificate of Completion
- Participation in 4 of 6 “real-time” Zoom sessions with other participants. Note: If you are unable to attend in “real time”, participation requirements can be met by watching the Zoom recording and summarizing insights gained.
- Read or watch assigned materials; keep notes, questions, and comments for class discussions.
- Answer weekly discussion questions.
- Respond to a weekly unit assignment (250 words).
- Complete the course evaluation.
*Your diocese may allow this to count for professional development credits. Check with your diocesan school’s office.
Time Expectation
3 to 5 hours per week, depending on your learning style, schedule and whether you intend to gain a Certificate of Completion.
Course Begins
June 10, 2024 (ends August 2, 2024 followed by an additional week for outstanding work)
Course Developer Biography
Dr. Chris Baglow
Dr. Chris Baglow directs the Science & Religion Initiative of the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. His work includes the creation and direction of programs that assist Catholic leaders in bringing the Catholic faith and modern science into dialogue for the sake of the New Evangelization. He graduated from Franciscan University in 1990, and immediately began a career in Catholic theological education that has spanned high-school, undergraduate, graduate and seminary teaching. After completing his M.A. at the University of Dallas (1996) and his Ph.D. at Duquesne University (2000), Chris was Junior Professor of Theology at St. Joseph Seminary College (2000-2003), the Sue Ellen Canizaro Chair at Our Lady of Holy Cross College (2003-2009) and Professor of Theology at Notre Dame Seminary (2009-2018). In 2005 he began his research in science and religion, and in 2009 published the first high-school textbook on the topic, Faith, Science and Reason: Theology on the Cutting Edge. From 2011-2014 Baglow directed the Templeton-funded Steno Learning Program in Faith and Science for Catholic Secondary Educators (SLP), a week-long seminar experience for Catholic science and religion teachers. >>link
