Course Catalog

The theory of evolution continues to evoke strong sentiments and reactions among the religious, particularly in the United States, and provides an ideal framework to examine the interaction of faith and reason from a variety of perspectives. Specifically, we will examine why and how evolutionary theory is perceived as a threat to religion by so many, how atheists have used the theory and framed the debate, how the religious, particularly theologians, have responded to the challenge, how this plays out at various levels of American life, the nature of these debates and confrontations in American politics, and finally how some thinkers, scientists and theologians alike, have attempted to reconcile the differences within an intellectual and spiritual framework. We will also explore whether the reactions that evolution evokes bring to the surface a deeper tension between how science and religion deal with questions of proximate and ultimate causation, human nature, and the meaning and purpose of our existence. In addressing these issues, we will seek to understand the important and unique contributions of the Catholic intellectual tradition in enriching the dialog, creating space for conciliation, and providing the sociopolitical framework for all to effectively resist pseudoscience.