Science and Faith with Radio Maria England ScienceAndFaith

This bonus episode is the cherry on the cake of our very successful universities phase. Marta sits down to chat with Francesca (student from the Durham chaplaincy panel) and Anthony (student form the Leeds chaplaincy panel) about their experience of the event; how they became involved, what they got out of it, and how they hope to continue getting involved in initiatives like ours.

The students from all the university panels will be invited to take part in a 3-day training delivered in partnership with God and the Big Bang (https://gatbb.co.uk). Students will develop skills in the field of science and faith communication to deliver thought-provoking workshops to primary and secondary school students.

On other news, the Science and Faith team will be taking a break from broadcasts for a bit. We hope to be back soon. Thank you to all the listeners and volunteers who have supported this project.

Deus Dat Incrementum.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-bonus-content-science-and-faith-season-4-ep7/

If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode, we travel up to Scotland and after some delectable haggis and IronBru, we discussed the most appealing aspects of science and faith, the "God of the gaps" argument, and faith-talk in schools and academia.

Our panel included Prof Maria Ubiali and Michael O'Duffin , and two students from the chaplaincy: Paige and Andre.

Biographies

Prof Maria Ubiali read Physics at the Università degli Studi of Milan, in Italy, gaining a First Class Honours degree. In 2006 she moved to Edinburgh to study for a PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics. She obtained a joint doctoral degree from the University of Edinburgh and the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. She then moved to Aachen, Germany, for her first postdoc in 2010. She was awarded a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship in October 2016 and in 2017 became Lecturer in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Newnham College. In 2020 she became Principal Investigator of an ERC grant studying the “Physics beyond the Standard Proton.” Maria is the Sheila Edmonds Lecturer in Mathematics at Newnham. Maria set up and runs Newnham’s Maths Summer School.

Michael O’Duffin studied physics at the university of Edinburgh where he first encountered the Dominicans. He taught physics in the Scottish Borders for two years before moving to St Aloysius’ College, the Jesuit school in Glasgow, where he has spent the rest of his long career. During that time he has been House Master, Assistant Head Master and Head of Physics, a role in which he continues today. He also assists by teaching some Religious Education classes and over the years has been extensively involved in giving Kairos Retreats to senior pupils. He is a member of the Edinburgh Fraternity of Lay Dominicans and is actively involved in the Jesuit parish of St Aloysius in Glasgow. He is married with three sons and has three grandchildren.

Paige de Polo is finishing her PhD on Pantodonts and Andre Theng is doing his PhD in sociolinguistics on how Catholics interact online.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats…ith-season-4-ep6/

If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we discussed how science and faith have interacted in the lives of our speakers, whether complementing each other or, at times, encountering situations where there might have been some apparent friction between the two.

Our panel of speakers included Julian Hughes and Monika Kondratowicz, as well as two students from the chaplaincy: Sam Wilson and Thomas Doyle.

Biographies

Julian Hughes was a NHS consultant for over 20 years in North Tyneside and Newcastle. He was honorary professor of philosophy of ageing at Newcastle University and subsequently professor in old age psychiatry at the University of Bristol. He qualified in Medicine from Bristol, but studied Philosophy as an undergraduate at Oxford and for his PhD at Warwick. Elected Fellow of both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, he advised various national and international bodies and was the deputy chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. He remains an honorary professor at Bristol and visiting professor at Newcastle and continues to write philosophically.

Monika obtained her medical degree from the University of Cambridge in 2019 before working as an NHS hospital doctor in Exeter and Birmingham. While an undergraduate she was introduced to the emerging, expanding, and exciting area of molecular genomics and genetic medicine, and was able to contribute to research papers in the field of epigenetics. She would later complete a Master’s degree in Genetics at The University of Exeter and at Cité Université, Paris, France. She has recently returned to England to complete her medical speciality training in histopathology whilst maintaining a research interest in molecular pathology and genomics. Monika is an unpolished amateur autodidact of philosophy, with her readings largely selected from the Classical Canon, Continental Philosophy, and Catholic apologetics.

Sam Wilson is in the 4th year of an MSci in Zoology and Thomas Doyle is a 3rd Year Civil Engineering student.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats…ith-season-4-ep5/

If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we talked about what happens when we don't find answers to our questions or, indeed, answers that we don't like both in science and our journeys of faith. What can our witness as Catholics be in these situations?

Our panel of speakers included Dr Elizabeth Lam and Dr Wollis Vas and a student from the chaplaincy, Isaac.

Biographies

Dr Elizabeth Lam

Elizabeth is currently a research and development scientist working in a diagnostic medical device company in Cambridge. She obtained her PhD in the field of computational and inorganic chemistry from The University of Hong Kong. Since then, she has been working in industries spanning from analytical laboratory services to new product development. Her passion for connecting science with daily life has prompted her to complete a master's degree in Science Communication, where she has revitalized a blog, Chembites, to digest abstract chemistry journals into simpler language. Attracted by Ignatian Spirituality, she is a permanent committed member (PCM) of the Christian Life Community (CLC). She is also a columnist for a Canton-Catholic magazine in London.

Dr Wollis Vas

Wollis is a Product Manager in the life science and Biotechnology sectors. He has always marvelled at the complexities of human biology and its impact on human health, which he explored during his doctoral studies at UCL. He is keen to understand the underlying philosophical principles of the scientific method, and so explores prominent Catholic teachings on the topic. He enjoys interacting with others who are also on the journey of understanding the synchronicity between science and faith.

Isaac is a Post-Doctoral Research Officer in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering

Resources

Mentioned by Dr Wollis Vas:

https://youtu.be/noj4phMT9OE

https://youtu.be/rXexaVsvhCM

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-bangor-science-and-faith-season-4-ep3/

If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

On this episode we talked about science and RE as subjects in schools, what questions students are asking in primary and secondary schools about the compatibility between science and faith, our speakers share some of their experiences growing up in or working in schools, among other topics. Are different disciplines talking to each to each other to make well-rounded students who are able to answer questions from different points of view? Could you be called to becoming a teacher?

Our panel of speakers included Fr Chris Gorton and Matthew Dell and two students from the chaplaincy: Sona and Anthony.

Biographies

Fr Chris Gorton is a priest of Salford Diocese currently in a parish in Bolton. After studying music at Goldsmiths College, London University he trained for the priesthood at Ushaw College, Durham. Whilst there he had the opportunity to study for the theology degree at Durham with students from all different backgrounds. After ordination he was a university chaplain for four years in Manchester for MMU and the RNCM. He also studied for his PGCE at Newman college in Birmingham before working for four years as a team leader at Lancaster Diocese Youth centre and a year in the classroom at St Gabriel’s, Bury. After chaplaincy he was twelve years in a parish in Pendle,  East Lancashire and throughout his time in ministry has been involved in the primary and secondary schools in the parish and helped with training for teachers within the diocese, youth ministry and parish development within the department for formation in the diocese.

Matthew Dell is a senior lecturer at St Mary’s University (Twickenham, London), course lead for the MA Education.  Prior to taking up this post five years ago, he worked for twenty-five years as an RE teacher in three different schools.  Alongside vast experience of being Head of RE he has been heavily involved as an RE inspector within the Catholic sector.  In recent years he has been collaborating with colleagues to create a new professional association for those who teach RE in Catholic schools (Association of Teachers of Catholic RE – ACTRE).

Sona is a 2nd Year Dentistry student.

Anthony is doing a PhD in Biology (honey bees specifically!)

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-leeds-science-and-faith-season-4-ep3/

If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible.

Our panel of speakers included Prof Stephen Bullivant and two students from the chaplaincy: Caterina and Sean. Caterina is completing a PhD in Epidemiology and Sean is training to become a doctor.

On this episode we tackled questions around suffering and faith. What should our response as Catholics be in the face of suffering? Why does a good God permit evil? Prof Stephen Bullivant, Caterina and Sean speak to these questions from their experience and enrich the conversation with perspectives from their own fields.

Prof Stephen Bullivant is Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at St Mary's University, Twickenham, and Professorial Research Fellow in Theology and Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. He holds doctorates in theology (Oxford, 2009) and sociology (Warwick, 2019).

His most recent books include Catholicism in the Time of Coronavirus (Word on Fire, 2020) The Cambridge History of Atheism (CUP, 2021; with M. Ruse), and Catholicisim in Contemporary Britain: Faith, Society, Politics (OUP, 2022; with B. Clements). Due out early next year are:Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America, and Vatican II: A Very Short Introduction (with S. Blanchard), both with Oxford University Press.

https://radiomariaengland.uk/chaplaincy-chats-london-science-and-faith-season-4-ep2/



If you would like to get in touch, email: scienceandfaith@radiomariaengland.uk

Facebook/Instagram: @radiomariaengland #RMESCIENCEANDFAITH

We thank ECLAS for their generosity to make our tour to universities possible