Ticket Information

• $13 students
• $20 general admission
• Supper provided
• Books available for purchase on the night

Unpacking the Conflict Myth

Katherine will open by unpacking the widespread perception that science and Christianity are in conflict. She will explore how this narrative developed, particularly through the influence of nineteenth-century writers like Draper and White, and she will show how historical realities tell a different story—one in which science and Christian faith have often worked hand-in-hand.

BIO

Katherine Cooper is the Assistant Chaplain at Flo Harris Lodge, a residential housing community established by Petersham Baptist Church over 60 years ago. She has completed a Bachelor of Science (Forensic Science), with a sub-major in Physics from Western Sydney University, graduating with distinction. She has also completed a Master of Science (Research) at the University of Technology Sydney, with a thesis entitled “Impurity Analysis of MDA Synthesized from Unrestricted Compounds.” She is currently in the end stages of a Master of Theological Studies at Melbourne School of Theology.

Why Science and Faith Belong Together

Chris will build on Katherine’s talk by examining the philosophical and theological foundations for harmony between science and faith. He’ll explain how belief in a rational, creative God underpins the scientific enterprise, and how understanding both the “Book of Nature” and the “Book of Scripture” can glorify God. He will also challenge the mindset of scientism and clarify how science and worldview must be carefully distinguished.

BIO

Chris Mulherin is the Executive Director of ISCAST and an Anglican minister with a background in engineering, philosophy, and theology. Chris’s doctorate in philosophical theology and philosophy of science dealt with the relationship between scientific and other knowledge claims such as those of theology. He has also taught and tutored at various universities in Melbourne in philosophy, history of science, Christian apologetics, and climate change. In the more distant past, Chris produced ABC Radio National programs, worked for Scripture Union, taught engineering, and spent 13 years in Argentina as a missionary with his wife Lindy and their five boys.

Reading the Bible with Scientific Eyes

Lewis will conclude by focusing on Scripture itself, helping us understand how the Bible should be read in light of scientific discoveries. He’ll show that conflicts often arise not from science, but from particular ways of interpreting Scripture. With wise interpretation, Christians are free to embrace the findings of science with joy, seeing them as part of God’s good creation.

BIO

Lewis Jones is a Fellow and Board member of ISCAST, as well as the Director of The Simeon Network, the postgraduate and academic arm of AFES (the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students). Lewis earned his PhD in Astrophysics from the University of North Carolina before moving to Australia for his first postdoctoral research position at the University of New South Wales. He subsequently completed a Bachelor of Divinity at Moore Theological College. He is now a member of the Human Research Ethics Committee at UNSW, a member of the Gospel, Society & Culture Committee of the Presbyterian Assembly of New South Wales, and attends Randwick Presbyterian Church with his wife Jenny and their three children.