Ann Lee, 49384

Oxford Institute for Science and Spirit

Conference Expectations

July 8-19, 2002

 

 

In 2002, we are interested in connections.  Relationships, interactions, contacts…call them what you will, we want to be “in touch” with one another.  Consider, for example, the titles of the three books assigned for this conference:

 

  • When Science Meets Religion:  Enemies, Strangers or Partners? by Ian Barbour

 

  • Paths from Science Towards God: The End of all our Exploring by Arthur Peacocke

 

  • Sleuthing the Divine: The Nexus of Science and Religion by Kevin Sharpe

 

The very titles suggest an intended connection between author and reader: an opportunity to share ideas, to participate in a dialogue, to consider another’s point of view.  This is a far cry from Michael Polanyi’s Science, Faith and Society: A searching examination of the meaning and nature of scientific inquiry – the book I initially selected to include with my pre-assignment study[1] – and yet, Polanyi’s work signals similar interests and methods.

 

I chose Polanyi’s work for a number of reasons: 1) He was a professor at Oxford University, and I wanted to read work by someone connected with this institution.  2) The title suggested an affinity for the subjects covered in the assigned books.  3) The book precedes the other titles by several decades, and so I hoped that this would provide insight into the development of ideas that are on today’s cutting edge.

 

My expectations for the Oxford Institute for Science and Spirit reflect this same train of thought: I hope to immerse myself in what I can only call “an Oxford experience”: to hear prominent thinkers as they work through edgy possibilities between science and spirituality, to stretch my pre-existing notions by finding intersections with these new ideas, and to walk in the footsteps (literally) of some of the leading theologians and philosophers of the past century. 

 

Also, as this program opens on the heels of the United States’ Independence Day holiday, I pray for peace and for safety as we travel.  Already there are warnings – no, “cautions,” as there are no specific details – about threats against our nation and its people again.  I see connections in our work – and disconnections in our world.  So, my expectations allow for these possibilities, and keep them in the background of all our work.

 

Thank you for making this opportunity available to all of us.  I look forward to seeing you again.


[1] I also included Charlene P.E. Burns new book, Divine Becoming: Rethinking Jesus and Incarnation, for its interesting approach to subjects addressed in the required reading.