The Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology (ISCAST) has hosted a pair of evening conversations about science and theology in the Orthodox traditions.
The events took place on 7 and 14 December, being streamed live via ISCAST’s YouTube channel.
AIOCS’ founding director, Assoc. Prof. Doru Costache, also is ISCAST’s Research Director and an Orthodox theologian. At his initiative ISCAST has organised two conversations in conjunction with the Science and Orthodoxy around the World (SOW) project (based at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece).
The evenings were chaired by Rev. Dr Chris Mulherin (ISCAST Executive Director). Prof. Peter Harrison responded to the presentations and moderated the ensuing conversation. Prof. Peter Harrison is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and an ISCAST Distinguished Fellow. He also is the Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. His research interests include intellectual history, science and religion, history of science, religious history, and history of philosophy.
The first panel discussed early Christian and Byzantine attitudes to science, and took place on 7 December. The second panel discussed modern and contemporary Orthodox attitudes, and took place on 14 December. The discussion served as a basic introduction to Orthodox Christianity’s views of the sciences for the benefit of interested lay people.
Both panels began at 7 p.m. AEDT / 10 a.m. Athens / 6 p.m. Brisbane / 9 a.m. Erfurt.
Graphic design and technical assistance: Ms Jackie Liu, ISCAST’s Digital Communications Specialist.
Here is the video recording of the first round table:
Contributors to the first panel
ISCAST Research Director and a member of the Sydney College of Divinity’s Graduate Research School. Co-chair of project SOW’s ‘Cosmology’ group. Expertise: Theology, early Christian studies, science and religion.
Chair of Religious Studies (Orthodox Christianity) in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Erfurt. Co-chair of project SOW’s ‘Philosophy & Theology’ group. Expertise: Theology, sociology of religion, science and religion.
Research Director, Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens. Director of project SOW. Coeditor of Almagest and of the Newsletter for the History of Science in Southeastern Europe. Expertise: Astronomy, history of science, science and religion.
Here is the video recording of the second round table:
Contributors to the second panel
Member of ISCAST. Lecturer in philosophy and Christian apologetics at St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College, Sydney. Leader of group Aletheia Orthodox Christians in Search of Truth. Expertise: Philosophy of the mind, cognitive science, science and religion.
Member of ISCAST. Director of Research and lecturer in philosophy and theology at St Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College, Sydney. Expertise: Philosophy, religious studies, science and religion.
Participant in project SOW. Former adjunct lecturer, Hellenic Open University, Athens (2007-2020). Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation. Expertise: History and philosophy of science, science and religion.
Associate Researcher, Institute of Historical Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens. Co-chair of project SOW’s ‘History of Science-Orthodoxy relationship’ group. Expertise: Physics, history of science, science and religion.
Contact
Assoc. Prof. Doru Costache: DoruCostache@ISCAST.org