Press Release

Quest Conference Examines Interface of Science and Religion

Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
(574) 284-4579

March 9, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.) – The Center For Spirituality at Saint Mary's College invites the campus, public and media to attend the Quest Project Conference: Exploring Science/Religion Interface, April 2-3. The conference includes lectures and panel discussions led by nationally known scholars in the fields of science, spirituality and theology. The event is the culmination of the Quest Project, which was initiated at the College two years ago with a nearly $100,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation. With women historically being underrepresented in the sciences, this project has sought to educate our undergraduate women to explore the deep connections between science and religion—to, in fact, embark on a quest.

Since Quest began, students, faculty, staff and administrators have used the time to design and implement a wide range of activities, ranging from student/faculty research opportunities to campus discussions, workshops, lectures, and opportunities for theological reflection. Saint Mary’s students have helped plan the conference, and several students from the College and neighboring institutions will present their research on the interface of science and religion.

The event opens on the evening of Thursday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Little Theatre, Moreau Center for the Arts, with a panel discussion titled Evolutionists on Religion/Faith. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, religion correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR), will moderate.

Panelists include:
o    Joseph Bracken, SJ, PhD, professor emeritus, theology, Xavier University
o    Mary Gerhart, PhD, professor emerita, religious studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
o    Tom Parisi, PhD, professor, psychology, Saint Mary's College
o    Molly Duman Scheel, PhD, assistant professor, genetics and biology, Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend and the University of Notre Dame

The conference continues Friday, April 3, with the following four public lectures and seminars:

Lecture: God and the World: Sharing a Common Space?
Speaker: Joseph Bracken, SJ, PhD, professor emeritus, theology, Xavier University     
Time: 9 a.m.
Place: Vander Vennet Theatre, Student Center

Lecture: Developments in Cosmology: Implications for Understanding God or the Divine
Speakers: Mary Gerhart, professor emerita, religious studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Allan Russell, professor emeritus, physics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges           
Time: 1 p.m.
Place: Vander Vennet Theatre, Student Center

Seminar: Bi-disciplinary Passion: My Intellectual and Spiritual Journey through Science and Religion
Speakers: Mary Gerhart, professor emerita, religious studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Time: 1:50 p.m.
Place: Vander Vennet Theatre, Student Center

Lecture: Under the Sign of Jonah: Spirituality in a Time of Ecosystemic Crisis
Speaker: Mary Frohlich, RSCJ, associate professor, spirituality, Catholic Theological Union
Time: 3:45 p.m.
Place: Vander Vennet Theatre, Student Center

To see the conference schedule, click here. Those wishing to attend the entire conference, which is free of charge, are asked to register.

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees in more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.