"Dropping Science on Religion?: The Myth of Warfare Between Science & Faith" with Dr. Clint Ohlers

Theology on Tap Chattanooga

"Dropping Science on Religion?: The Myth of Warfare Between Science & Faith" Dr. Clint Ohlers

Recorded live at The Camp House in Chattanooga, TN on May 12, 2015

According to some scientists and theologians, we currently stand at a high-water mark in human history for scientific evidence favoring a Creator of the universe. At the same time there exists a longstanding perception of perpetual warfare between advancing science and embattled religious beliefs. To answer why this is we will step into the history of science. What we find is a vibrant and engaging story of an era of science that was highly supportive of theistic belief, followed by, more recently, an era dominated by a philosophy of science hostile to it. This talk unravels these developments and examines a colorful cast of thinkers who have weighed in on both sides, many of whom, such as Charles Darwin in the 19th century, and Stephen Hawking today, were and are legends in their own time.

About our speaker: Clinton Ohlers received his PhD and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in American History, where he specialized in American and European intellectual history and the history of science. He has held the titles of Benjamin Franklin Fellow and Roy F. and Jeanette P. Nichols Fellow, at Penn, and Leadership History Fellow at Leaders’ Portfolio, Washington D.C.’s CEO Interview Show. Dr. Ohlers is currently completing a book manuscript developed from his dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania. The working title is “Science after Darwin: Theism, Scientific Naturalism, and the Warfare between Science and Religion.” Dr. Ohlers has taught on science and religion as a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and delivered papers on his research before the History of Science Society, Evangelical Philosophical Society, and the American Society of Church Historians. He has been an invited speaker at conferences nationally and on the radio. He also serves on the boards of the International Human Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and R. C. Cord, Inc.