Religion and Science

Program Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Religion and Science is for scholars and ministry leaders who want to work competently at a boundary where confident nonsense is common in both directions. Christians lose credibility by defending claims the evidence does not support; scientists overreach when empirical findings are presented as metaphysical conclusions. Doing this well requires genuine literacy on both sides and the patience to distinguish what is actually in dispute. The programme builds that literacy. Students study the history of the relationship, including the conflict thesis and why historians of science have abandoned it as a general account; the philosophy of science, explanation, and the limits of method; cosmology, fine-tuning, and design arguments with their strongest counterarguments; evolutionary biology, common descent, and the theological questions raised by human origins, death, and the image of God; neuroscience, consciousness, and the soul; emergence, divine action, and providence in a lawlike world; genetics, biotechnology, and the ethics of intervention; and climate science and the theology of creation. Case studies examine how churches have handled particular controversies well and badly. The dissertation makes an original contribution on a specific question at the boundary. Graduates teach science-and-religion courses, write and speak for church and public audiences, advise institutions and denominations, and equip pastors to address these questions without either capitulation or bluster.

Core Courses

• RSC 801 — History and Historiography of Science and Religion (6 credits)
• RSC 812 — Philosophy of Science and Explanation (6 credits)
• RSC 824 — Cosmology, Fine-Tuning, and Design (6 credits)
• RSC 836 — Evolution, Human Origins, and Theological Anthropology (6 credits)
• RSC 848 — Mind, Divine Action, and Providence (5 credits)
• RSC 860 — Interdisciplinary Research Design (4 credits)
• RSC 899 — Doctoral Dissertation in Religion and Science (24 credits)

Admission Requirements

• Master's degree in theology, philosophy, religious studies, ethics, or a related field
• Prior study in philosophy, the sciences, or another discipline the specialization engages
• Statement of purpose naming the question your research will address
• Academic writing sample demonstrating sustained argument
• Current curriculum vitae
• Official transcripts from prior institutions when available