Faith and Reason: A Lecture from Russell Berman on Religion and Science
Faith and Reason: A Lecture on Religion and Science
Join us for an evening lecture from Russell Berman, Professor in German Studies and Comparative Literature at Stanford and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Drinks and snacks will be served afterwards at the reception.
"The San Francisco Bay Area is arguably the seat of the most significant techno-scientific revolution in centuries. We live in the center of reason. Yet at the same time there are signs of renewed interest in religion, not only locally but across the country. How can we understand this “turning point?”
The competition between faith and reason has been a constant theme in the Enlightenment legacy, and the emancipation of science from religious control–Galileo!–has been a central part of its heroic narrative. In this lecture I will share my observations on this conflict from my experiences at Stanford, and the national context of attacks on places of worship. We have to do better than denouncing people for “clinging to guns and religion.” To do so, I will look closely at Pope Benedict’s account of reason and faith (especially in his Regensburg Address), Leo Strauss’ treatment as the tension between the poles as constitutive of western identity, and the popularity of novels about religion in American life (Marilyn Robinson, Leif Enger)."
Agenda (Tentative):
5:30pm-6:00pm Arrive (Lecture will start at 6pm sharp)
6:00pm-7:00pm Lecture
7:00pm-7:30pm Q&A
7:30pm-8:30pm Reception (light snacks and drinks)
The event will be held in San Francisco; location will be announced closer to the event.
The lecture is organized by the Cypress Society, a new nonprofit entity devoted to the promotion of public lectures on topics of philosophical and practical importance. https://cypresssociety.org/