How and why has science influenced religion? Are science and religion compatible, or are they in conflict? The course includes different Christian responses to new developments in science, such as the Big Bang, evolution, and genetic engineering; How successful, or otherwise, have these responses been. We will consider responses to the God of Gaps theory, Darwinism, and contemporary responses to the Big Bang theory, including creationist views.

The course includes:

• Examples from history and the framing of the narrative, including the Galileo controversy.

• Science and religion conflict model: The God of Gaps hypothesis. Is God a fake pseudo explanation? Are science and religion irreconcilable forces where religion is based on myths and science is based on fact?

• Science and religion: Non-Overlapping Magisteria model. Stephen J Gould proposed the Non-Overlapping Magisteria model to avoid conflict between science and religion. He argues that science and religion should not interfere with each other as they ask different questions and deal with different areas of human knowledge.

• Science and religion as complementary

• The Big Bang

• The Theory of Evolution

• The work of Sir John Polkinghorne

• Case study and application to the science of Genetic Engineering, including reference to plant genetic engineering, animal genetic engineering (cloning, Xenotransplantation and the genetic engineering of new species), and human genetic engineering (cloning, genetic diseases, designer babies, transhumanism, warfare and weapons).

Is science rational and based on observation while religion is irrational and without any foundations for knowledge? Explore the epistemological and ontological questions and understand their relevance.