Program for Learning and Community Engagement to Host Lecture on Modern Conflict Between Science and Christianity

Dr. Josh Reeves

The Program for Learning and Community Engagement (PLACE) at Texas A&M University-Texarkana will open its 2017-18 lecture series Thursday, Sept. 14, with a program by Dr. Josh Reeves titled “Towards Understanding the Modern Conflict Between Science and Christianity” at 7 p.m. in Eagle Hall of the University Center on the A&M-Texarkana campus at 7101 University Ave., Texarkana, Texas.

The free event is open to the public.

“More than any other group, evangelical Christians often express doubts about theories backed by the consensus of the scientific community,” Dr. Reeves said in explaining his presentation. “This lecture will address three background issues that help explain science skepticism among Christians. This talk is not meant to solve modern controversies, but to help the audience to better understand the issues, regardless of religious belief.”

Dr. Reeves is an assistant professor in Science and Religion in the philosophy department at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and Boston University and completed a postdoctoral position in the Heyendaal Program for Theology and Science at Radboud University in the Netherlands.

He is co-author of “A Little Book for New Scientists” and has published articles in journals such as Zygon, the Journal of Religion, and Theology and Science. He is currently working on a book on Christian skepticism towards scientific experts.

PLACE is a faculty-led program designed to create a community of learners comprising A&M-Texarkana students, faculty, staff and the community at large. PLACE chooses an annual theme around which to organize a lecture series and other activities that provide focal points for learning and discussion. This year’s theme is “Science and Technology.”

Dr. Reeves’ lecture is one of several offered as part of a special lecture series, “Conversations on Science and Religion,” that will be part of this year’s PLACE curriculum.

“This year’s theme of science and technology is going to allow us to take our conversations in some interesting directions,” said Dr. Corrine Hinton, PLACE chair. “Not only do the fields of science and technology contribute meaningfully in their own right, they also make important contributions to issues of interest in other fields like education, religion, philosophy, art, psychology, sociology, rhetoric, political science and history. I am very excited to see what this year has in store for us.”

Fall 2017 PLACE events include the following:

September

• Thursday, Sept. 14 – Dr. Josh Reeves, Guest Lecture: Conversations on Science and Religion, “Towards Understanding the Modern Conflict between Science and Christianity,” 7 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center
• Wednesday, Sept. 20 – Dr. Godpower Okereke, Open Lecture, “Internet Deviance,” 1:30-2:45 p.m., University Center 217
• Thursday, Sept. 28 – Library Book Club Discussion, Joelle Charbonneau’s “Need” moderated by Dr. Angie Sikorski, 12:15-1:30 p.m., Tri-State Iron & Metal Atrium, University Center
• Thursday, Sept. 28 – Dr. Jerry Sheehan, Guest Lecture, “Technology, Complexity and Change: Today and Tomorrow’s Creative Frictions,” 7 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center

October

• Tuesday, Oct. 3 – Dr. Lena Dobson, Guest Lecture, “Concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): What we do not know,” 7-8:15 p.m., University Center 210
• Wednesday, Oct. 4 – Arklatex Robotics Showcase, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center
• Monday, Oct. 9 - Dr. Angie Sikorski, Open Lecture, “Learning, Memory and Beyond: Toward the Reality of the Bionic Woman and Six Million Dollar Man,” 6-7:15 p.m., University Center 217
• Wednesday, Oct. 11 – Dr. Doug Julien, Open Lecture: Conversations on Science and Religion, “’God is dead. God remains dead. And we [science] have killed him’: Deconstructing ‘The Parable of the Madman’,” 11 a.m., University Center 217
• Friday, Oct. 13 – Movie Night, “Invisible Man,” 6 p.m., Eagle Lounge, University Center
• Wednesday, Oct. 18 - Library Book Club Discussion, George Orwell’s “1984” moderated by Dr. Doug Julien, 12:15-1:30 p.m., Tri-State Iron & Metal Atrium, University Center
• Thursday, Oct. 19 – Dr. Kris Lane, Guest Lecture, “Worth a Peru: Silver, Technological Innovation and Environmental Degradation in Sixteenth-Century South America,” 7 p.m., University Center 217
• Wednesday, Oct. 25 – Ben Lindsey and the Success Center, Common Reader Book Discussion, “Flat World: Quantum Theory and Superstition in a Demon Haunted World,” 12-1 p.m., Tri-State Iron & Metal Atrium, University Center
• Saturday, Oct. 28 – Mad Science on Demand, Drama Program, 8-9:30 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center

November

• Tuesday, Nov. 7 - Third Annual Distance Learning Week Mini-Conference, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center
• Wednesday, Nov. 8 - Book Club Discussion, Carl Sagan’s “The Demon-Haunted World” moderated by Dr. David Allard, 12:15-1:30 p.m., Tri-State Iron & Metal Atrium, University Center
• Thursday, Nov. 9 - Fall Common Reader Luncheon with B. Gentry Lee, NASA “A Passion for Knowledge,” 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Fourth Floor Atrium, University Center
• Thursday, Nov. 9 - Fall Common Reader Keynote: B. Gentry Lee, NASA “A Passion for Knowledge,” 7-8:30 p.m., Eagle Hall, University Center
• Tuesday, Nov. 14 - Dr. Walter Casey, Open Lecture, “Ethics in Science,” 1-2:15 p.m., University Center 217

December

• Monday, Dec. 4 – Dr. Walter Casey, Open Lecture, “Technology and Terrorism,” 1:30-2:45 p.m., University Center 217
• Tuesday, Dec. 5 – Dr. Ben Neuman, Open Lecture, “Scientific Evidence for Climate Change and Its Effect on Animals,” 1-2:15 p.m., University Center 217

For more information on upcoming events, visit the PLACE website at http://tamut.edu/PLACE or the PLACE pages on Facebook or Twitter @TAMUTPLACE.

For details, contact Dr. Corrine Hinton, PLACE chair, at Corrine.Hinton@tamut.edu or Dr. Michael Perri at Michael.Perri@tamut.edu.