You Tube Theology

There is a common view that historical relations between science and religion in the West have been uniformly hostile and that Christianity is essentially inhospitable to science. Peter Harrison challenges that view, showing how religious considerations not only motivated key scientific figures, but also provided the core philosophical presuppositions of science, informed its methods and content, and was the source of values that provided it with social legitimacy.

Peter Harrison, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of History and Philosophy at the University of Queensland and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame, Australia.

0:00 Introduction
2:22 The Rise of Science
7:04 What if the Protestant Reformation Never Happened?
11:20 Construction of the Conflict Myth
13:25 Modes of Religious Influence
16:15 Religious Presuppositions of Science
24:57 Scientific Methods as Theological
35:35 The Social and Moral Legitimation of Science via Religion
42:29 The Conflict Story
44:55 Q&A

This lecture was presented on September 24, 2024 by Fons Vitae at Duke Divinity School in partnership with the Lumen Christi Institute, the Historical Division of Duke Divinity School, and the Transformative Ideas program at Duke University.

Our thanks to the John Templeton Foundation, whose grant ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372) made this event possible.