The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion
is an interdisciplinary academic research
institute based in Cambridge, England.
It was established in 2006 by a $2,000,000
grant from the John Templeton Foundation to
carry out academic research, to foster understanding
of the interaction between science and religion,
and to engage public understanding in both
these subject areas.
The Institute also leads debate on wider issues
such as sustainability and education.
== Senior staff ==
The Institute's Director is Robert (Bob) White,
the Associate Director is Keith Fox, and its
Course Director is Hugh Rollinson.
The Emeritus Director is Denis Alexander.
== Activities ==
The Institute organises a wide range of activities,
including:
Free, regular lectures and seminars on a range
of science and religion topics.
Providing access to resources such as downloadable
audio and video recordings of over 350 Faraday
Institute courses, lectures and seminars.
The website also includes a wide range of
written material, and an online shop featuring
heavily discounted books.
Short, intensive weekend, and midweek courses.
These are open to graduates or undergraduates
from any university in the world, of any faith
or none.
Discounts and bursaries are available to students
and those from low-income countries.
Some courses give an overview of the science-religion
debate, while others focus on a specific topic.
Residential and day conferences which focus
on a particular aspect of the interaction
between science and religion.
Informing and improving the media's understanding
of the interaction between science and religion.Activities
of the Faraday Institute have included:
Hosting a workshop on "The Social, Political,
and Religious Transformations of Biology"
in September 2007.
A book arising from the conference, "Biology
and Ideology – From Descartes to Dawkins"
(eds D.R. Alexander and R.L. Numbers) was
published in 2010 by Chicago University Press.
A project on evolution, faith, and Charles
Darwin, in collaboration with the think tank
Theos.
The "Test of Faith" documentary, course, and
books.
Commissioning the play Let Newton Be, which
was reviewed in Science and Nature.
Organisation of The Georges Lemaître Anniversary
Conference, April 2011 at Sidney Sussex College,
Cambridge.
Organisation of the ‘Sustainability in Crisis’
Conference, Sept 26-28, 2011, held at Murray
Edwards College, Cambridge.
Giving out 17 grants as part of the Uses and
Abuses of Biology Programme.
Public commentary by members of the Institute
on issues relating to science and religion.In
his former capacity as Director and now as
Emeritus Director of the Institute, Denis
Alexander has commented on science and religion
in UK national media and international media.The
Institute has published 20 Faraday Papers
discussing various science and faith issues,
which are available online in 12 different
languages.
Its website hosts recordings of more than
350 lectures.
Most of these lectures can also be found on
the University of Cambridge Video & Audio
Archive.
Its work, along with that of other similar
organizations, has led to a "complete reassessment
of historical literature on the relationship
between science and religion
