Date/Time
Date(s) - Thu 9 May
20:30 - 21:30
Does good science require love? What does it mean to love the world? Does a lovable world suggest a loving creator? These questions open up a discussion of the connection between theism and the motivations of scientific inquiry. These questions are also central to the work of the American philosopher Charles Peirce (1939-1914). Peirce’s thought has made significant contributions to ongoing work in the area of “science and religion.” In this talk, Joshua will introduce the role of love in Peirce’s discussions of science and reality. For Peirce, science depends on love of both ideas and reality. He’ll sketch why Peirce takes scientific activity to harmonise with belief in God. In fact, for Peirce, most scientists who think they are atheists are in fact mistaken.
Speaker Bio
Joshua Wilson Black has degrees in mathematics, data science, and philosophy, including a PhD in philosophy from the University of Sheffield applying the thought of Charles Peirce to debates in contemporary philosophy. He is a lecturer at the New Zealand Institute of Language, Brain and Behaviour at the University of Canterbury, where he teaches statistical and computational methods and pursues research at the intersection of data science, linguistics, and philosophy. He is an Anglican lay person at home in the Anglo-Catholic tradition.
About the ISCAST–NZCIS Conversations
Since 2020, ISCAST and New Zealand Christians in Science have run the Conversations series, with an aim to promote a dialogue between the sciences and the Christian faith. Experts are invited to speak on their topic, which is then followed by a Q&A and discussion. After several themed ISCAST–NZCIS Conversations on creation care, future technologies, and ethics, they are excited to announce another open series welcoming speakers to present on any topic within the science–faith intersection: Navigating the Nexus.
“Navigating the Nexus” promises 8 highly interactive and intellectually stimulating weekly discussions for curious minds, tackling the endless (and endlessly fascinating) questions surrounding science and Christian faith.
Join online to hear from a vast range of acclaimed speakers on questions such as:
How should we read the Genesis creation story today?
Is ageing a creational good?
How can Christians face the possibility that serious enduring climate change is now inevitable?
How was Darwin’s theory of evolution used as justification for historical racial conflicts?
Does science require love?
DETAILS:
Thursday nights from 18 April until 6 June
Starts 6:30 p.m. AEST or 8:30 p.m. NZST.
Presentation: 30 minutes
Discussion & Questions: 30 minutes +
PRICES:
For this Conversations series, you can either register for the full series, or register for separate sessions.
$70 for the full series ($35 for ISCAST/NZCIS Members)
$20 for student/concession, full series (FREE for student/concession members of ISCAST or NZCIS)
$15 per session ($7.50 for ISCAST/NZCIS members)