The past few years have seen a flurry of challenges to teaching evolution in public school science classes. This is but the latest act in a recurring cultural drama that began with the famous Scopes “monkey trial” in 1925. Despite recent defeats of “intelligent design” in the courts and the legislatures, this issue is not likely to disappear. The American public remains deeply divided about the creation and evolution of life and about the way these are taught in the public schools.
These matters go to the heart of public education in the United States, raising critical issues of law and politics, science and religion, and educational policy. This Symposium will explore these issues from a range of perspectives and offer a framework for thinking about them. It should be of interest to teachers, parents, religious leaders, legal specialists, and others concerned with educational policy and the relationship of church and state.
Programs
The Constitutional Context: Crossing the Lines: God, Public Schools, and the Constitution
Thursday, February 1, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
Paul Rasor, J.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Virginia Wesleyan College
This session will provide a context for the Symposium by outlining the relevant First Amendment principles, summarizing key Supreme Court decisions, examining the recent Pennsylvania intelligent design case, and exploring unsettled questions.
The Historical and Cultural Context: Religion versus Science: Why Does it Matter?
Thursday, February 8, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
James Gilbert, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor (History), University of Maryland
Why does the creation-evolution controversy keep coming back? What’s at stake in this recurring struggle? How does its history help clarify the issues we face today? This presentation examines the historical and cultural context of the current situation, including the rise of fundamentalism, the Scopes trial and other key developments.
The Theological Context: Evolution and Faith: What Is at Stake?
Thursday, February 15, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
John F. Haught, Ph.D., Distinguished Research Professor (Theology), Georgetown University
Darwin's science seems to challenge our ability to trust in a God who purposefully creates, influences and eternally cares for the world. After Darwin, is there room for an understanding of God that is consistent with traditional beliefs and core ethical values, and at the same time fully consistent with evolutionary biology?
The Scientific Context: How Do Biologists View Creationism and Intelligent Design?
Thursday, February 22, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
Paul M. Resslar, Ph.D., Batten Professor of Biology, Virginia Wesleyan College; Philip Rock, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, Virginia Wesleyan College
What is science? What are its methodologies, basic attitudes and approaches? What is a “theory” in science? What is the scientific status of evolution? What are the implications of this controversy for science education?
The Educational Context: Creationism, Intelligent Design, Evolution: What’s A Teacher To Do?
Thursday, March 1, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
Ginger L. Ferris, M.S., Assistant Professor of Education, Virginia Wesleyan College; B. Malcolm Lively, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education, Virginia Wesleyan College
How can teachers prepare to deal with these issues, both in and out of the classroom? Who controls the curriculum in science and religion? Where does religion belong in the public schools? How has this controversy affected education in the United States?
The Larger Context: Science and Religion in the Public Schools: What Next?
Thursday, March 8, 2007, 11:00 a.m. and repeated at 7:30 p.m., Boyd Dining Center
Kent Greenawalt, University Professor, Columbia University School of Law
What unresolved issues remain? What future controversies might we see? This concluding session will explore the big picture, connecting themes from the previous sessions, and place the recurring controversy over creationism, evolution and intelligent design in a larger context.