Past Speakers and Topics

2022

Philip Clayton
June 10 - The Climate Sciences that Every Human Being Needs to Know
June 11 -  Ecotheology as Systematic Theology for the 21st Century

Post-Luncheon Talk: Peter Dodson
June 11 - Adventures in Science and Faith - A Retrospective on a 47-year career

2021

Richard Blum
June 12 - From Pantheism to Secularism
June 13 - Religion and Science – Mutual Support?

Post-Luncheon Talk: Carl Helrich
June 13 - The History of Quantum Theory

2020

Philip Clayton
June 12 - Scientists and Panpsychists: Thinking Beyond the Matter-Spirit Dichotomy in Recent Science, Philosophy, and Theology
June 13 - Moving Beyond the Interventionist God: Science, the Divine Lure, and Human Freedom

Post-Luncheon Talk: Alexander Storrs
June 13 - Dark Universe

2019

Robert Bishop
June 14 - A Trinitarian Doctrine of Creation and Science (Part 1 of 2)
June 15 - A Trinitarian Doctrine of Creation and Science (Part 2 of 2)

Post-Luncheon Talk: Stephen Godfrey
June 15 – Creationism, Paleontology, and Biblical Interpretation

2018

Michelle Francl
June 8 - Practically Impractical: What Contemplatives Might Teach Scientists
June 9 - Impractically Practical: What Scientists Might Teach Contemplatives (Part 1 of 2)
June 9 - Impractically Practical: What Scientists Might Teach Contemplatives (Part 2 of 2)

Post-Luncheon Talk: Eugene Meyer
Can the Great Eastern Forest Oaks recover from deer damage? (Part 1 of 2)
Can the Great Eastern Forest Oaks recover from deer damage? (Part 2 of 2)

2017

Lawrence Principe
June 8 - John William Draper, the 19th-Century Originator of the "Conflict Thesis."
June 9 - Present-Day "Scientism," Its Emergence, Historical Background, Motivation and Aims

Post-Luncheon Talk: Antonei Csoka
Human Life-Extension in a Cosmic Context

Summary of the meeting 2017 by Tom Sheahen

2016

Guy Consolmagno, S.J.
Talking of Science and Faith: Frequently-Encountered Questions and Answers that Satisfy
June 10 - Talking of Science to the Faithful
June 11 - Talking of Faith to the Skeptics

Post-Luncheon Talk: Frank Haig, S.J. The Witch at John Kepler's Home

2015

Robert E. Ulanowicz
June 12 - Science and Belief in a Contingent Universe
June 13 - Ecological Metaphysics: Room for a Creator

Post-Luncheon Talk
Daryl P. Domning

June 13 - Exploring Theology with Charles Darwin

2014

Chris Impey
June 13 - Where Will We Find Life Beyond Earth?
June 14 - How Strange Is Life Beyond Earth?

Post-Luncheon Talk
Rev. James F. Salmon, S.J.
Was Teilhard de Chardin a Pantheist?

2013

Martin A. Nowak
June 14 - Natural Cooperation
June 15 - God and Evolution

Sunday Morning Speaker: William W. Wright
Eating Your Broccoli and Other Issues in Public Health

2012

Celia Deane-Drummond
June 8 - Christ and Evolution as Theodrama
June 9 - Christ and Ecology as Deep Incarnation

Luncheon Speaker: Gregory N. Derry
Complementarity and Complexity 

2011

Francisco J. Ayala
June 10 - Darwin’s Gift To Science And Religion
June 11 - Am I A Monkey?

Luncheon Speaker: Kathy Duffy, S.S.J.
Teilhard’s Mysticism: Seeing The Inner Face Of Evolution

2009

Niels Gregersen
June 12 - God Matter & Information: Towards A Richer Concept Of Matter
June 13 - The Meaning Of Deep Incarnation: Christology After Darwin

Luncheon Speaker:  Andrew Buechele, Sch.P.
Cleaning Up Nuclear Waste: What Are Scientists Doing?

2008

Other Universes, The Antrophic Principle And The Cost Of Evolution
William Stoeger
June 13 - Fine-Tuning, Mulitverses, The Limits Of Science And Creation
June 14 - Is Natural Evil Inevitable? Could Other Universes Be Kinder?

Luncheon Speaker:  Carl S. Helrich
Growing Up In Oak Ridge During Development Of The Atomic Bomb

2007

Matter, Science And Spirituality
Lothär Schafer
June 8 - Quantum Reality And The New Relationship Between Science And Spirituality
June 9 - The Emergence Of Complex Order From Virtual States: Quantum Theory As A Basis Of The Pre-Darwinian Conception Of Evolution By Natural Law

Luncheon Speaker:  James J. Zwolenik
Ethics In Science And Engineering Research

2006

Science, Belief And Culture
Rudolf Brun
June 9 - Science And Christianity
June 10 - Science, Christianity And Art
Luncheon Speaker:  Donald Plocke, S.J.
Fingering Zinc:  An Unassuming Metal Takes On An Essential Role In Biology

2005

Pierre Teilhard De Chardin’s Legacy
Mark A. S. Mcmenamin
June 10 - Teilhard’s Evolutionary Science
June 11 - Teilhard’s Evolutionary Theology

Luncheon Speaker:  Daryl Domning
Evolution And Original Sin – The Problem Of Evil

2004

Ecology
Eric A. Fischer
June 4 - Sex On The Coral Reef – The Evolution Of Mating Systems
June 5 - Does Evolution Matter? – Perspectives Of A Scientist Turnedpolicy Advisor

Luncheon Speaker:  Robert Novak
The Astronomical Search For The Origins Of Life-And Life Itself- In The Solar System

2003

The Brain
Richard Restak
May 30-31 - The Brain - Playground For Mind, Emotion, Intelligence, and Spirituality

Luncheon Speaker: Patrick Heelan
Natural Science As Secular Or As Sacred? - Reflection On Science In The U.S. And Globally

2002

Emergence
Harold Morowitz
May 31 - Emergence And Philosophy
June 1 - Emergence And The Origin Of Life

Luncheon Speaker: Thomas P. Sheahen
“Annexing The County” - Stepping Up To A Higher Plane Of Thinking

2001

Genomics And Religion
Kenneth  R. Miller
June 1 - Will Darwin Survive Genomics? – Evolution And The Challenge Of Whole-Genome Biology
June 2 - Will God Survive Darwin? – Should Religion Endure In A Darwinian World?
Luncheon Speaker:  Frank Haig
Symmetry, Beauty And The Fingerprints Of God

2000

Concepts Of Matter
William A. Wallace
June 9 - Matter And Cosmogenesis
June 10 - Matter And Human Generation

Luncheon Speaker:  David Byers
Science And The Catholic Bishops

1999

Science And Theology
Philip Hefner
June 4 - Science And Story:  Partners Or Predators?
June 5 - Evolution As Epic:   Christian And/Or Secular?

Luncheon Speaker:  Joseph Earley
How Do Chemists Know When The Many Become One?
Can Others Do It Too?

1998

Templeton Foundation Course Workshop In Science And Religion
John R. Albright
May 22 - Chaos And Complexity

Diogenes Allen
May 22 - The Book Of Nature: Contemplation And Technology  In The Greek Fathers And Hugh Of St. Victor

Science And Natural Theology
John C. Polkinghorne
May 22 - Beyond Science (Natural Theology)
May 23 - Can A Scientist Pray? (Divine Action)

Luncheon Speaker: Lawrence W. Fagg
Electromagnetism, Divine Immanence And Natural Theology

1997

Evolution And Theology
John Haught
May 23 - Darwin’s Gift To Theology
May 24 - Evolution And Cosmic Purpose
Luncheon Speaker:  Barbara Smith-Moran
Faith And Science In Dialogue: The New England Experience

1996

The Fourth And Other Dimensions
Thomas Banchoff
May 24 - The Dimensional Theology Of Edwin Abbott Abbott
May 25 - The Fourth Dimension And Interactive Computer Visualization

Luncheon Speaker: Peter Dodson
Dinosaurs: New Thoughts On Old Bones

1995

Philosophical And Theological Reflections On Modern Cosmology
Joseph M. Zycinski
May 26 - The Weak Anthropic Principle And The Design Argument
May 27 - Metaphysics And Epistemology In Stephen Hawking’s Theory Of The Creation Of The Universe

Luncheon Speaker: H. John Wood
Recent Information From Outer Space – The Hubble Space Telescope Project

1994

May 27-29 - Teilhard Revisited: Celebrating The Vision

Lododvico Galleni
How Does The Teilhardian Vision Of Evolution Compare With Contemporary Theories?

Michael Heller
Teilhard De Chardin’s Vision Of The World And Modern Cosmology

Mathias Trennert-Helweg
The Church As The Axis Of Convergence In Teilhard’s Theology And Life

Thomas King
An Explosion Of Dazzling Flashes:  Teilhard’s Unity Of Faith And Science

Ursula King
What Importance Do Eastern Religions And Mysticism Have In
Teilhard’s Thought?

Karl Schmitz-Moormann
The Future Of Teilhardian Theology

1993

Science, Wisdom And Beauty
Thomas F. Torrance
May 28 - The Transcendental Role Of Wisdom In Science And Theology
May 29 - The Transfinite Significance Of Beauty In Science And Theology

Luncheon Speaker: Edward O. Dodson
The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom: Truth, Beauty And Goodness, Freedom
And Harmony, Unity And Universality, As Exemplified In Biology

1992

The Physical Universe
Arthur Peacocke
May 29 - God’s Interaction With The Chaotic World
May 30 - The Challenge Of Evolutionary Science To Theology And The Church

Luncheon Speaker: Karl Schmitz-Moormann
Redemption In An Evolutionary World

1991

God And Evolution
Ian Barbour
May 31 - Cosmology And Creation
June 1 - Computers And Human Values

Luncheon Speaker: Eric J. Chaisson
Contributions Of The Hubble Space Telescope To Modern Cosmology

1990

God And Evolution
Karl Schmitz-Moormann
April 27 - Evolution And Its Challenge To Theology
April 28 - Evolution: From Matter To Spirituality

Luncheon Speaker: George V. Coyne
Some Reflections On Modern Cosmologies

1989

Michael J. Buckley
April 14   The Newtonian Settlement And The Rise Of Atheism
April 15   God And The New Physics:  Paul Davies And John Paul Ii

Luncheon Speaker:  Christopher B. Kaiser
New Physics And Old Wineskins

1988

Frederick P. Ferré
April 22 - Cosmos: Child Of Science?
April 23 - Science: Child Of Technology?

Luncheon Speaker: Robert A. Brungs
Science And Faith: The Impact Of Biotechnology On Faith

1987

God And The Scientific Culture
Langdon Gilkey
April 3 - The Creationist Controversy: Religion And Science In An Advanced Scientific Culture
April 4 - Reflections On Scientific And Religious Truth

Luncheon Speaker: Pierre Leroy
Personal Reflections On Teilhard De Chardin

1986

God And Contemporary Physics
Geoffrey F. Chew
March 14 - Why Should There Be Light?
March 15 - Bootstrap: A Scientific Idea?

1985

The Anthropic Principle
Ernan Mcmullin
May 31-June 1 - Contemporary Science and the Question of Design in The Universe

1984

Rustum Roy
June 1 - The Dice-Playing God - Chance, Much Neglected In Western Theology
Response:  John F. Haught

1983

Stanley L. Jaki
June 3 - From Scientific Cosmology To A Created Universe
June 4 - The History Of Science And The Dogma Of Creation Evolution: Random Or Purposeful