These awards will be used to develop new courses in the growing academic study of science and religion. The money for the awards comes from a grant by the John Templeton Foundation. As the pace and scope of scientific discovery increases, as science and technology permeate the everyday world of religious and cultural traditions, courses addressing the relationship between science and our religious experiences become increasingly vital, said Dr. Ted Peters, director of the CTNS Science and Religion Course Program. By supporting science-religion dialogue at universities and colleges, we hope to foster a worldwide community of teaching scientists and theologians actively engaged in formulating and addressing questions of ultimate concern. It is estimated that these awards have resulted in more than 1,500 new courses offerings on campuses around the world and that through these courses, approximately 40,000 students have included science and religion dialogue in their academic pursuits.
Funding can often be an obstacle to a scholar offering new college courses.
Our grants offer the incentive professors need to develop new curriculum, said Dr. Peter Hess, SRCP competition director. CTNS, a non-profit international member organization, promotes the creative mutual interaction between theology and the natural sciences through research, teaching, and public service. The John Templeton Foundation was founded in 1987 by internationally renowned investment manager Sir John Templeton to encourage the pursuit of religious and scientific knowledge.