25-31 Mar

Q: How does the science of ecology bridge the gaps between angel and animal, observer and participant?

ABSTRACT

Science and religion are popularly known for their tempestuous relationship. But this simplistic and distorted characterization misses the complex ways in which these two major authorities actually interact. This range of engagement includes conflict as well as claims of mutual independence and efforts at dialogue. However they choose to interact, the question of Divine action in the world is crucial for both parties. Science adamantly opposes interference in the orderly patterns of nature, and yet with equal conviction theology insists on G-d's providential involvement in the Creation. How is the discussion of science with religion offering constructive insights into this divisive issue? The answers reveal insights into both the progress and the frustrations involved in the contemporary engagement.

The best example here is the environment. The science of ecology has revolutionized our understanding of the natural world and our dependence upon it. Ecosystems exhibit a deep organic unity in which each species plays a distinct role and makes a unique contribution to the health and well-being of the whole system. Although the human species is a little lower than the angels and a little higher than the beasts, we cannot escape being embedded in natural systems and our responsibility as good citizens of the larger community of life. We are our planet's keepers. Although ecology is good science and demands the objective observer approach, it nonetheless reveals that even the ecologist is a participant in the whole that he investigates. His actions require moral decisions about what is proper to do and not to do. Certainly the religious traditions have plenty to say with respect to moral duties! Consequently, dialogue between ethicists and ecologists has proven to be very fruitful.

BIO
James E. Huchingson is associate professor of religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies of Florida International University in Miami, Florida. He began his career in aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and eventually worked for the Boeing Company at Cape Canaveral and at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. Before entering the doctoral program in religious studies at Emory University in Atlanta, he pursued graduate studies on an NDEA Fellowship in the History of Science and Technology at the Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland. After completing his PhD at Emory, he came to his present position at Florida International University with the responsibility of designing the initial program in religious studies. He eventually served two terms as chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

Professor Huchingson has worked in the field of science and religion for thirty years. For fifteen years he served on the editorial board of Zygon, The Journal of Religion and Science. He is the author of a widely used text in the field, Religion and the Natural Sciences: The Range of Engagement (Harcourt Brace, 1993). He has received numerous state and national awards for his teaching and course design.

huchings@fiu.edu

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