Department Awarded Grant to Infuse Science into Religious Curriculum

Science and religion program to be launched

Victoria JuarezTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 23, 2014

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]anta Clara’s Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley received a $127,000 grant to launch a pilot program aimed at teaching religion with a scientific twist.

The Jesuit School of Theology was one of 10 schools to receive a grant on Oct. 8 from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS sponsored a “Science for Seminaries” grant which will be used to start pilot programs that will integrate science into the core curriculum at each school.

The school plans to use the money to develop classes centered on creation narrative, ethics, psychology, prayer and spirituality.

According to Thomas Massaro, S.J, dean of the School of Theology, this program is necessary because people often forget about the intersection of science and religion or simply ignore it because they believe that the two topics counter each other.

“Since Thomas Aquinas, one of the hallmarks of Catholic theology is its engagement with science and other non-theological areas of study,” said Lisa Fullam, associate professor of moral theology, in an email. “If we aren’t studying nature, we are ignoring a rich source of insights about God.”

Beginning this spring, the school will host training sessions for the seven faculty members who will be integrating science into their courses. They will meet with scientists from the University of California, Berkeley as well as specialists in the intersection of science and religion.

The courses are expected to be taught during two weeks of a semester in 2016, according to Massaro.

Contact Victoria Juarez at vjaurez@scu.edu .