Headlines
Bishop Anthony in discussion with Head of Theology, Carmel Long
Science and Religion Can, And Do, Co-Exist Says Bishop of Hereford
7th May 2009
The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt. Rev’d Anthony Priddis, visited College recently to talk on the subject of ‘Science and Religion’.
In this year of Charles Darwin, and following earlier media hype of Prof. Richard Dawkins’ book, ‘The God Delusion’ (in which he propounded his atheistic evolutionist’s views) it was a topic which drew a large audience from the College’s Christian Union members, who had extended the invitation to Bishop Anthony, and from the College’s science departments, as well as from Theology, Politics and Law, English and other subjects also.
Bishop Anthony read Biochemistry at Cambridge University before deciding to become ordained (he studied for the priesthood at Cuddesdon and New College, Oxford), and so this background of science and theology made him well-placed to speak – and to speak profoundly and with great clarity – on this topic.
The Bishop acknowledged, unequivocally, God as the God of Creation, and stressed that the world, and we, and our understanding of the world (and its science), are all part of God’s creation. He also affirmed the Bible as a key source of our understanding of God.
But the Bishop also made clear that the Creation stories in Genesis do not offer a literal description of the evolution of the world. Had that been the case, why does Genesis 2 tell the story in a wholly different way from Genesis 1?. The two stories are mutually exclusive, and any writer or commentator wanting us to follow the Genesis line, could not expect us to accept mutually-exclusive accounts as literal truths of the same process. What Genesis does, and what the Bible does, is to affirm God’s place, and his role, in Creation and in his world.
The Bishop’s message was clear. Science and religion lie happily alongside each other, and religion – and perhaps especially Christian religion and philosophy – and the thought processes they create give space for scientific thinking to develop.
The clarity and directness of Bishop Anthony’s message was welcomed by his large audience, who packed the lecture room (spilling on to the floor to accommodate all who wanted to attend) – as was the direct and positive way he dealt with questions and discussion points put to him. The seemingly swift progress of the clock’s hands as they raced to 2 o’clock sadly truncated the debate all too soon and just as it appeared to be warming up – and so the Bishop was happy to suggest that he might pay a return visit before too long.
Levi Phillips, one of CU’s student leaders commented afterwards: “The Bishop of Hereford’s visit to HSFC was an inspiring and thought-provoking one. Bishop Anthony put forward an excellent argument supporting the compatibility of science and religion – both of which have been seen by many, for years, as being completely individual topics, considering the other to be ‘taboo’. There can be little doubt that almost all the Bishop’s listeners - whether atheist, agnostic or theist - will have thought more about the existence of God and the natural curiosity of the human mind in the search for truth, as a result of the views he shared with us.
“The Bishop tackled various topics and discussion points, including questions on the undue media attention attracted by Dawkins’ recent militant and almost missionary-like atheistic statements on religion... I’m sure I’m not alone in looking forward to an early return visit by Bishop Anthony.”
Levi’s comments found ready endorsement from James Langford, who added: “The Bishop provided a thoughtful insight regarding the relationship between science and religion. The argument he presented, suggesting that neither can live without the other, was compelling and persuasively put. His stern stance towards the likes of Richard Dawkins was welcomed by many in the audience; it was something with which I particularly agreed. It was a great pleasure to see the Bishop visiting College and I hope we could invite him for a return visit, when he might possibly be able to talk with us in lessons such as Theology as well.”
Science student Rebecca Howard commented: “It was a privilege to be in a position where we could question the Bishop further on points he raised, such as how science continues to benefit Christianity, rather than simply sitting and listening to a sermon.”
The appreciation of Bishop Anthony’s visit, and the appeal of his well-reasoned talk to a wide range off students was emphasised by Rebecca when she added: “The Bishop was a thought-provoking speaker and the talk was well attended by students from a range of subjects."
click the link below to see photos of the event