£1.75 million for Theology and Science

The School has received £1.75 million to help explore a new generation of questions at the intersection of theology and science. The grant creates two new positions at St Andrews, and ten others for early-career scholars at universities around the world.

Coordinated by Dr John Perry, the program will build on the exciting work in this field of the past years. These developments, including new journals devoted to the topic and degree programmes at universities around the world, marks a ‘generational shift’ in the area, moving on from methodological questions (“Can science and religion interact?”) to, now, putting them to work together on questions across the human and natural sciences. While previous generations have asked these methodological questions—including challenges from scientists that cooperation with religion violates the norms of rationality, and from religious believers that science threatens orthodoxy—this new generation takes for granted that serious scholarly study always aspires to interdisciplinary cooperation. The full research vision for the project describes the big questions that the researchers will tackle, including the relation of reason and emotion, virtue and disagreement, human wellbeing, and human distinctiveness and purpose.

Generously funded by the Templeton Foundation, it will provide two-year faculty appointments for 12 young scholars in the growing field of science and religion. Two of these new posts will be based at St Andrews, with 10 others hosted by universities across the USA, UK, and continental Europe.

The fellows will pursue their own research projects and teach new courses in the field. They will also meet regularly for international workshops, bringing the fellows together for networking, collaboration, and to learn from established scholars. The first of these posts, based at St Andrews, is now open for applications (due 3 October 2016). Information about applying for the 10 external posts will be advertised later in September (applications due 9 December 2016).