Official Course Description:  MCCCD Approval: 6-23-09
REL240  2009 Fall – 2011 Summer II	LEC  3.0 Credit(s)  3.0 Period(s)  3.0 Load  Acad
Religion and Science
Consideration of the relationship of religion and science from the beginnings of the historical period to the present. Includes consideration of various contemporary religious perspectives on current scientific issues. Prerequisites: None.

Go to Competencies   Go to Outline

MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
REL240  2009 Fall – 2011 Summer II	Religion and Science

 

1.         Identify and compare various definitions of “science.” (I)

2.         Identify and compare various definitions of “religion.” (I)

3.         Describe the various ways that religion and science engage one another. (II, III)

4.         Differentiate the underlying assumptions and beliefs of several religious approaches to the sciences. (I, II)

5.         Describe and interpret the connections between pre-scientific and scientific religious descriptions of the “way things are.” (IV, V, VI, VII)

6.         Define and explain the various religious alternatives to contemporary western science. (V, VI, VII, VIII)

7.         Compare and contrast the varying attitudes within religious traditions to the various sciences. (IV, V, VI, VII)

8.         Generalize and critique the key factors in the relationship of science and religion regarding current events and issues. (VIII)

 

Go to Description   Go to top of Competencies

MCCCD Official Course Outline:
REL240  2009 Fall – 2011 Summer II	Religion and Science

 

I.          Defining “Science” and “Religion”

            A.        Empirical method and materialism

            B.        Pseudo-science

II.        John Polkinghorne’s Four Models of the Relationship of Religion and Science

            A.        Religion and science in conflict

            B.        Independence of religion and science

            C.        Religion and science in dialogue

            D.        Integration of religion and science

III.       The History of the Proofs of God

            A.        “God” as First Cause

            B.        “God” as designer

IV.       Traditional and Scientific Cosmologies

            A.        The Hebrew Bible

            B.        Ptolemaic

            C.        Copernican

            D.        Einstein, Hubble and the expanding universe

V.        Traditional and Scientific Cosmogony

            A.        The Hebrew Bible

            B.        Hindu creation

            C.        American Indian emergence cycles

            D.        Creationism and creation science

            E.         Deism

            F.         The big bang

            G.        Intelligent design

            H.        Myth and science

VI.       Disease and Healing

            A.        The Hebrew Bible

            B.        The New Testament

            C.        Islam and pre-modern medicine

            D.        Modern Western medicine

            E.         Faith healing, Christian Science and New Age traditions

            F.         Chinese healing arts

VII.     Human Thought and Emotion

            A.        Pre-modern views of mental illness

            B.        Eastern traditions and “the Mind”

            C.        Psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience

            D.        Scientology and the mind

            E.         Science, consciousness and the soul

VIII.    Intersection of Religion and Science in Contemporary Issues

            A.        Definition of life

            B.        Genetic manipulation and cloning

            C.        Global climate change

            D.        Sexual norms and deviance

            E.         Ethics of scientific research

            F.         Science, religion and education