Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science 2011

Perspectives on Humanity:

Evolution, Enhancement, Biotechnology, and Theology

Chaired by Lea F. Schweitz and Philip Hefner

Monday Evenings 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM, January 31 through May 2, 2011

Common Room 350, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, IL 60615

This seminar focuses on three areas of scientific research that promise to change our perspectives on humanity:

· Scientific and technological approaches to human enhancement, including “transhumanism”

· Bioengineering, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology, particularly as applied in medical science

· Investigations of hominid evolution and human pre-history, including recent interest in the relationships between Neandertals and modern humans and in the archeology of ancient Near Eastern civilizations

In each of these areas we will pose two central questions:

· What is the scientific and theological significance of this research?

· What does this research suggest about what it means to be human?

Offered by the Zygon Center for Religion and Science (ZCRS), the Advanced Seminar in Religion and Science is designed as a research seminar for faculty, graduate students, and other professionals. Course credit is available via registration through the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) or cross-registration through member schools of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools (ACTS); the course number is T-672. For more information about ZCRS, please visit www.zygoncenter.org, email [email protected], or call 773-256-0670.

January 31 Perspectives on Humanity: Laying Out the Seminar Themes

Lea F. Schweitz and Philip Hefner, theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

February 7 The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging

S. Jay Olshansky, public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago

February 14 Living Long and Dying Well: A Theological Response to Aubrey de Grey

Ann Pederson, theology, Augustana College, Sioux Falls

February 21 The Animal that Aspires to Be an Angel: The Challenge of Transhumanism

Philip Hefner, theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Becoming Homo sapiens

Anne Benvenuti, psychology and philosophy, Cerro Coso College

February 28 An African American Ethical Perspective on the Use of Genetic Technology

Richard Perry, social ethics, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Reality Genomics: The Therapeutic and Transformative Framing of DNA Ancestry

Elonda Clay, religion and science, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

March 7 No Seminar (Reading Week at LSTC)

March 14 Biology by Design: Opportunities and Challenges in Synthetic Biology

Josh Leonard and Michael Jewett, chemical and biological engineering /medical research, Northwestern University

March 21 Nanotechnology: At the Biology/Inorganic Interface

Gayle Woloschak, molecular biology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

March 28 To Be Announced

April 4 Neandertals: A Mirror for Modern Humans (and their Nature)?

Fred Smith, anthropology, Illinois State University

April 11 Being Human in the Ancient Near East

Leann Pace and Eudora Struble, Near Eastern languages and civilizations, University of Chicago

April 18 No Seminar (Holy Week at LSTC)

April 25 The Role of Science in Exploring Human Nature

William Schweiker, theology and ethics, University of Chicago Divinity School

May 2 Perspectives on Humanity: Summarizing and Reflecting

Lea F. Schweitz and Philip Hefner, theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago