Monday 25^th January 2021

7.30 – 8.45 pm

Zoom meeting and discussion

(contact: sfnorfolk1@gmail.com for details and an invitation to the meeting)

In the summer of 2021, the skeleton of a Diplodocus (an enormous dinosaur) will be displayed in the nave of Norwich Cathedral. This provides a good opportunity to think about evolution from the joint perspectives of science and faith.

The struggle for survival, against competitors and the natural environment, is an essential driver of evolution. Consequently, biological evolution by natural selection comes at a huge cost in terms of pain, suffering and death. The vast majority of all the species that have ever lived have become extinct. The history of dinosaurs is a good example of this.

How can such a brutal and 'wasteful' mechanism be reconciled with the Christian understanding of the Creator as a God of love? Dr Denis Alexander, a distinguished biologist and theologian, will consider the types of answer that have been given in reply to this question, finding some more useful than others. His talk will be followed by a period of discussion.

Dr Alexander writes, lectures and broadcasts in the field of science and religion, particularly on the theme of creation and evolution. His recent books include: - ‘Are We Slaves to Our Genes?’ [CUP 2020]; ‘Is There Purpose in Biology?’ [Lion, 2018]: ‘Genes, Determinism and God’ [CUP, 2017]. He is an Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion at Cambridge and previously spent 40 years in the biological research community. From 1992-2013, he was Editor of the Journal Science and Christian Belief, and he currently serves as a member of the executive committee of the International Society for Science and Religion.

Download poster here