In books such as The Island of Knowledge (2014) and A Tear at the Edge of Creation (2010), Marcelo Gleiser has argued for a positive view of the relationship between science and the humanities, including religion, philosophy, and the arts.

Science is more about ignorance and mystery than certainty and truth. It is incredibly powerful, yet it is fallible and incomplete as a narrative of reality. Even if many scientists are not aware of this, scientific creativity is driven by the same existential fears and sense of awe that inspires the religious and the artist alike. The sciences, the humanities, and the arts—each with its own set of methods and rules—are expressions of our struggle to make sense of the world and how we fit in it.

Scientific developments in the 21st century, from genetic engineering to cosmology, to artificial intelligence and the search for alien life, call for a re-engagement between the sciences and the humanities. We must confront the unknowns in heaven and earth, many of them crucial to our shared future in this planet.

The lecture will be followed by a conversation between Marcelo and the Rev. Andrew Pinsent, Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford University.

The Drawbridge Lecture is an occasional lecture series of the Christian Evidence Society.

May 22, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral
London, United Kingdom
Entry to the lecture is by free ticket.