Epic of Creation 2010 Lecture Series

Chaired by Gayle Woloschak

Monday Evenings 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM, September 13 through December 6, 2010

Room 201, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, IL 60615 (Please note our new room number.)

We invite you to this unique course and lecture series that will present the scientific story of the emergence and evolution of the universe, life, and humans; provide exegeses of the biblical story of creation; and offer theological reflections on the Epic of Creation.

Leading scientists will tell the scientific story of our origins as inferred from records in starlight, rocks, and fossils. Noted biblical scholars will present exegeses of the biblical story of the world’s beginnings and continuing creation as found in the Old and New Testaments and in the myths of other civilizations that shaped biblical concepts of creation. Distinguished theologians will reflect on issues and questions raised by the stories and their implications for Christian understandings of the world, humanity, and God. Throughout we will explore the meaning of the stories, asking what they tell us about the nature of our universe, about human nature, and about our origins and destinies.

Offered by the Zygon Center for Religion and Science (ZCRS), the Epic of Creation course is designed as a graduate-level seminary course and public lecture series. All lectures are free and open to the public. 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 LSTC T-456. For more information, please visit www.zygoncenter.org, email [email protected], or call 773-256-0670.

Sept 13 (6:30 PM) The Ongoing Creation of Stars, Planets, and, Possibly, Life: Grace Wolf-Chase, astrophysics, Adler Planetarium/ University of Chicago

Sept 13 (8:00 PM) The Origin of It All: Dan Hooper, astrophysics, Fermilab/University of Chicago

Sept 20 (6:30 PM) The Origin of Life: Tatjana Paunesku, molecular biology, Northwestern University

Sept 20 (8:00 PM) Molecular Evolution/Evolution of the Body Plan: Gayle Woloschak, molecular biology, Northwestern University/ Zygon Center for Religion and Science [ZCRS]

Sept 27 (6:30 PM) The Story of Creation from Hydrogen to the Earth: Donald York, astrophysics, University of Chicago

Sept 27 (8:00 PM) Title TBA: J. Matt Ashley, theology, University of Notre Dame

Oct 4 (6:30 PM) The Radiation of Genus Homo and the Origin of Modern Humans: Fred Smith, anthropology, Illinois State University

Oct 4 (8:00 PM) Primate Precursors to Human Behavior: Paul Heltne, primatology, ZCRS

Oct 11 (6:30 PM) Social and Cultural Responses to Evolution: Barbara Strassberg, sociology, Aurora University

Oct 11 (8:00 PM) The Greco-Roman Context for New Testament Ideas of Cosmogony and Cosmography: Edgar Krentz, New Testament, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago [LSTC]

Oct 18 (6:30 PM) Biological Evolution from the Cambrian Explosion to the Appearance of Higher Primates: James Hopson, biology, University of Chicago

Oct 18 (8:00 PM) The Evolution of Culture and the Capacity for Culture in the Human Descent Line: William Irons, anthropology, Northwestern University

Oct 25 (6:30 PM) New Testament Views of Creation: Robert Brawley, New Testament, McCormick Theological Seminary [MTS]

Oct 25 (8:00 PM) Old Testament Views of the World's Beginnings: Theodore Hiebert, Old Testament, MTS

Nov 1 (6:30PM) Title TBA: Ghulam-Haider Aasi, American Islamic College and LSTC

Nov 1 (8:00 PM) Title TBA: James F. Moore, theology, Valparaiso University

Nov 8 (6:30 PM) The Ancient Near Eastern Background for Hebrew Conceptions of Creation: Bernard Batto, religious studies, DePauw University

Nov 8 (8:00 PM) The New Testament on Creation: Edgar Krentz, New Testament, LSTC

Nov 15 (6:30 PM) "What is a transitional form? Or why 'mammal-like reptiles' aren't reptiles": Kenneth Angielczyk, Field Museum

Nov 15 (8:00 PM) Evolution, the Law, and Social Policy: Richard Busse, theology, ZCRS

Nov 22 No Lectures (Thanksgiving Break at LSTC)

Nov 29 (6:30 PM) Reconstructing a Christian Theology of Nature: Anna Case-Winters, theology, McCormick Theological Seminary

Nov 29 (8:00 PM) “Life” Lessons: Field Notes from Early Modernity on the Epic of Creation: Lea Schweitz, theology, LSTC/ZCRS

Dec 6 (6:30 PM) The Epic of Creation—What Does It Mean?: Philip Hefner, theology, LSTC/ZCRS

Dec 6 (8:00 PM) Panel Discussion