| Theologian Harvey Cox, who chronicled the rising | | | | since the 1990s. |
| popularity of religion studies in his 2004 book When | | | | "I'm a big believer in the proposition that science and |
| Jesus Came to Harvard, may need to write a sequel: | | | | religion are complementary and not contradictory, and |
| When Jesus Came to Harvard and Taught Science. | | | | I am much concerned about the fact that the world |
| That's because Harvard Divinity School, where Cox | | | | looks at each differently," said Watson, a managing |
| teaches, has accepted an endowment from alumnus | | | | partner of Spieth, Bell, McCurdy & Newell Co., a |
| Richard T. Watson to create a Professorship of | | | | Cleveland law firm, and a chancellor of the Episcopal |
| Science and Religion. The school is now searching for | | | | Diocese of Ohio. "This gift is designed to attack that |
| a visiting professor in science-and-religion for the | | | | conflict." |
| 2006-2007 academic year. | | | | Greg M. Epstein, who as Humanist chaplain at Harvard |
| The appointment, so far, has caused few ripples -- a | | | | has found himself at the center of such conflict, |
| noticeable change from 2002, when the | | | | reacted to the news with caution. "I think the idea of |
| Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics drew | | | | studying science and religion is one that can lead to |
| protests after inviting physicist and Anglican priest | | | | useful academic scholarship and the enrichment of an |
| John Polkinghorne to speak on intelligent design. | | | | entire scholarly community but may very well not -- |
| This time around, theologians were predictably | | | | depending on how the project is framed," said |
| encouraged, Harvard scientists were standoffish but | | | | Epstein. |
| pleasant, and secularists warily expressed a glimmer | | | | Some wondered about how much latitude the |
| of hope that such a professorship might lend support | | | | professorship should be allowed. "If [Harvard Divinity |
| to their causes. | | | | School] gives the scholar free rein, then the |
| The Watson professorship is the latest in a series of | | | | possibilities of religious naturalism might get explored |
| similarly prestigious posts that began with Princeton | | | | at a prestigious university, which will show HDS as |
| Theological Seminary's 1992 appointment of J. | | | | being on the progressive cutting edge of religious |
| Wentzel van Huyssteen as the first James I. McCord | | | | studies," said Thomas W. Clark, director of the |
| Professor of Theology and Science. Oxford | | | | Center for Naturalism in Somerville, Mass. "Of course, |
| University followed suit in 2000 with the appointment | | | | saying that the mandate is to study science and |
| of John Hedley Brooke as its first Andreas Idreos | | | | religion as complementary suggests that the conflict |
| Professors of Science and Religion. Others include | | | | between science and faith-based religions might be |
| Marquette University's 2001 naming of Jame Schaefer | | | | papered over or finessed, which would be too bad," |
| to a newly created science and religion professorship | | | | he said. "But pseudoscience isn't about to gain |
| and the 2005 appointment of Andrew Lustig to | | | | traction at Harvard, which is why the new chair won't |
| become Davidson College's first Holmes Rolston III | | | | reflect badly on any of its science or medical |
| Professor of Religion and Science. | | | | departments." |
| "The research grant and endowment for a | | | | For many Harvard scientists, there is, in fact, a role |
| religion-science professorship affirm the ongoing | | | | for science-and-religion studies at the university -- as |
| interest in relating the disciplines as a bona fide field | | | | long as it remains at the Divinity School and does not |
| of academic inquiry," said Schaefer. "Harvard joins | | | | seep into the research labs and lecture halls. |
| Princeton and other major universities in the world in | | | | Daniel Hartl, a Harvard biology professor who |
| exploring the religion-science relationship in a | | | | specializes in evolution and population genetics, said |
| prestigious way." | | | | he does "not perceive any particular conflict between |
| The news comes on the heels of a $1.5 million grant | | | | science and religion, at Harvard or anywhere else, as |
| from the Pew Charitable Trusts to a University of | | | | one is a matter of evidence and the other is a |
| Missouri religion research center to study the | | | | matter of faith." |
| relationship between religion and health care, and | | | | But although there seems to be little grounds for |
| other topics. (See "Other schools encourage | | | | believing in a higher being, there is room for such a |
| dialogue.") It also comes as the John Templeton | | | | program at the university, said James Hanken, also a |
| Foundation, which funds Science & Theology | | | | Harvard evolutionary biologist. "Your day-to-day |
| News, makes a grant to Harvard Divinity School and | | | | activities of your average Harvard scientist won't be |
| the university's Faculty of Arts and Sciences to study | | | | affected," he said. |
| the origins of altruistic behavior and their relationship | | | | Watson hopes to change that. "Those are the people |
| to biology, theology and ethics. The John Templeton | | | | into whose minds I would like to creep," he said. |
| Foundation has been making such grants to Harvard | | | | |