Christianity and Science: a vital 21st century conversation

Audio mp3 files of Chris Mulherin’s lecture and the Discussion session following it and a pdf copy of his illustrated lecture transcript (with slide images) are available for download now.

Lecture: download mp3 [14.8 MB] and Discussion session: download mp3 [9.1 MB]

Illustrated Lecture Transcript: download pdf [286 kB]

Chris Mulherin gave an ISCAST-CASE* lecture at 7.30 pm on Thursday 6th Nov 2014 in the Main Common Room of New College at the University of New South Wales on “Christianity and Science: a vital 21st century conversation”.

Biosketch: Chris Mulherin is a recently appointed a part-time (1 day/week) ISCAST Executive Project Officer. He is also an Anglican minister, with an academic background in engineering and philosophy of science, with BEng (Melb), BA (Melb), MSc (Melb) and BD (MCD) degrees, who is currently writing a PhD thesis relating scientific and theological knowledge at the University of Divinity, Melbourne (formerly, the Melbourne College of Divinity). He is keen to promote the dialogue between science and the Christian faith and to encourage “…people to walk towards truth – in matters of science and of faith”. He has worked for Scripture Union for 3 years, lectured at RMIT University for 3 years and then went to Argentina as a CMS missionary for 13 years with his wife Lindy and their 5 boys. Chris has also published articles and book chapters in the media and in academic works. He has also produced ABC Radio National feature programs and he blogged on the Global Atheist Convention for ABC RN. He currently teaches and tutors at various universities in Melbourne in philosophy, history of science, Christian apologetics and introduction to climate change.

Lecture abstract: In an increasingly global and secular scientific culture the cutting edge of Christian engagement is the science-faith conversation. In recent years the so-called New Atheism has offered a particular view of the world that does away with religion in the name of ‘scientific’ ways of thinking. But it does more than that; it does away with the most important aspects of being human. In this lecture Chris Mulherin will spark a discussion by suggesting that the conversation between science and faith (and particularly Christianity) is crucially important both inside and outside the church. It is important for a world in need of intellectual resources for remaining ‘human’ and it is important for the Christian church if it wants to remain credible in a techno-scientific world.

CASE – Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education (http://case.edu.au/)