ADVANCED SEMINAR IN RELIGION AND SCIENCE

EVIL: PERSPECTIVES FROM THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE

SPRING SEMESTER 2007: 5 February -- 7 May

Monday Evenings, 7:00-10:00 pm -- LSTC Common Room 350

JOHN AND CAROL ALBRIGHT, CHAIRS

General Design

I. Orientation to Theological, Philosophical, and Scientific Issues

II. What Do the Sciences Tell Us about Current Evil?

III. Coping with Evil: Initiatives for Our Time

Section I: Orientation to Theological, Philosophical, and Scientific Issues

Feb. 5 7:00 pm Themes of Evil in the Hebrew Tradition [Tamar Rudavsky, Philosophy, Melton Center/Ohio State University]

Feb. 5 8:30 pm Themes of Evil in Islam [Mark Swanson, Christian-Muslim Studies, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago]

Feb. 12 7:00 pm Themes of Evil in the New Testament and Early Church

[Hans Schwarz, Systematic Theology, University of Regensburg]

Feb. 12 8:30 pm Contemporary Pop Culture and the Marketing of Good and Evil: Evil Never Looked So Good!

[Rod Boriack, ELCA Youth Ministries]

Feb. 19 7:00 pm 'Creator of Weal and Woe': Predestination, Free Will, and Human Responsibility

[Robert A. Cathey, Theology, McCormick Theological Seminary]

Feb. 19 8:30 pm Determinism and Chance: A View from the Sciences [John R. Albright, Physics, Religion and Science, LSTC]

Feb. 26 7:00 pm The Judeo-Christian Mythos of Evil as Seen by Paul Ricoeur

[Don Browning, Ethics and Social Sciences, University of Chicago]

Feb. 26 8:30 pm Persistent Myths of Good and Evil in Western Culture [John R. Albright, Physics, Religion and Science, LSTC]

Section II: What Do the Sciences Tell Us about Current Evil?

Mar. 5 7:00 pm Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Other "Natural" Evils: The Human Element

[Paul Heltne, Primatology, Center for Humans and Nature]

Mar. 5 8:30 pm The Human Biological Heritage: Altruism and Aggression in Humans and Other Primates

[Bill Irons, Anthropology, Northwestern University]

Mar. 12 7:00 pm Good and Evil in Humans from an Evolutionary Perspective

[Karl E. Peters, Philosophy and Religion, Rollins College]

Mar. 12 8:30 pm Structures of Evil Encountered in Pastoral Counseling

[Marjorie H. Davis, Pastoral Counseling Center of West Hartford, CT]

(March 19: reading week)

Mar. 26 7:00 pm Evil and the Human Psyche: Insights from Freud, Fromm, and Becker

[Terry Cooper, Psychology, St. Louis Community College]

Mar. 26 8:30 pm Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity? Mental Illness and Sociopathy

[Dan Liechty, Social Work, Illinois State University]

Apr. 2 7:00 pm Addressing Evil through Technology: Steps Forward and Unintended Consequences

[John Maxwell Kerr, Former Warden, Society of Ordained Scientists, Science and Religion, Oxford U.]

Apr. 2 8:30 pm Medical Issues: Healing, Wholeness, Justice [John Maxwell Kerr]

Apr. 9 7:00 pm Why So Much Genocide Now? Is Xenophobia "Hard-Wired?" [Mladen Turk, Religion, Elmhurst College]

Apr. 9 8:30 pm Open Discussion: Religion as Source of Good, Source of Evil

Section III: Coping with Evil: Initiatives for Our Time

Apr. 16 7:00 pm Social Reorganization: The News from China [Gladys Horvath, The Asia Institute, KY]

Apr. 16 8:00 pm Jurisprudence and the Rule of Law: Deliverance from Evil, Cause of Evil? [Richard Busse, Law, IN]

Apr. 23 7:00 pm Complexity and Spiritual Growth: An Ethical Option? [Carol Rausch Albright, Religion and Science, LSTC]

Apr. 23 8:30 pm A Process-Oriented Ethics? [Joseph A. Bracken, S.J., Philosophical Theology, Xavier University]

Apr. 30 7:00 pm Evil and the Theology of the Cross [Vitor Westhelle, Theology, LSTC]

May 7 7:00-10:00pm Panel: How Shall We Think of Redemption and Salvation?

Students registered for credit will have group meetings (two hours, biweekly) with the instructors.

Seminar members who wish will meet at 5:30 p.m. for dinner. For more information, call (773) 256-0670.

The seminar is a voluntary group with no fees, except for course credit. Registration is possible through LSTC or other ACTS schools. All participants are asked to register by contacting ZCRS at [email protected] or (773) 256-0670.