Emergent Phenomena in the Natural World: What Do They Suggest About Religion‪?‬ Templeton Research Lectures

Philip Clayton (Ph.D., Yale University) is a philosopher, theologian and public intellectual specializing in the entire range of issues—ethical, political, and theoretical—that arise at the intersection between science and religion. Over the last several decades he has published and lectured extensively on all branches of this debate, including the history of modern philosophy, philosophy of science, comparative religions, and constructive theology. Addressing the cultural battle over the relationship between science and religion, Clayton argues that rejecting the scientism of Dawkins, et. al., does not open the door to fundamentalism. Rather, a variety of complex and interesting positions are being obscured by this fight. By drawing on the resources of the sciences, philosophy, theology, and comparative religious thought, Clayton shows how the compatibility of science with religious belief may be integrated across a variety of fields, including emergence theory, evolution and religion, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience and consciousness.