Loyola faculty member receives grant to continue research in theology and the philosophy of science
Meghan Page, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy, has been awarded a $1,455,601 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to support her project, “Building Foundations in Science-Engaged Theology: Insights from Philosophy of Science.”
The three-year project aims to apply insights from contemporary philosophy of science to recurrent debates in philosophy of religion and theology. To do this, the grant will fund a series of summer seminars that explore how scientific concepts can be applied to questions about the nature of the divine, its role in the world, the extent of human freedom, and the shape and structure of the natural order.
In addition to the summer seminars, which are aimed at early to mid-career theologians and philosophers of religion, the grant provides funds for the development of both research and pedagogy that integrates philosophy of science with investigations of the divine.
“I am very excited for this project and the opportunity to bring together philosophers of science and theologians, both of whom hold unique perspectives on understanding the richness and complexity of the natural world,” said Page. “Loyola will make an excellent host institution for this grant, as it exemplifies the Ignatian values of wonder, curiosity, and the pursuit of truth in all intellectual endeavors.”
The grant will be overseen by a board consisting of faculty from universities in the United States and United Kingdom. Rebekah Eklund, Th.D., associate professor of theology, will also represent Loyola in addition to Page, and Jennifer Juhn, Ph.D., from Duke University who will also serve as an instructor at the seminars.
Page plans to incorporate the philosophy of science and religion research and insights learned from this grant into her courses at Loyola.
“This grant will not only be beneficial for faculty studying these topics and working in the industry, but also for my Loyola students who will get to experience some of the lessons learned,” said Page, who has been at Loyola since 2015.