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LOG

August 10, 2015 by Debra Mason

Please enter your current project here, and update the publish date so it stays at the top of the list.  SAVE IT AS A DRAFT – DO NOT PUBLISH.

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Kate (Sept. 16, 2009):  I’m doing a full inventory of earlier sites. Today I’ll be working on the archives of syllabi.

Kate (Sept. 28, 2009): I’ve added a secondary menu that displays the categories and older subcategories.


Filed Under: Events 2009-2010

Chemistry

October 23, 2014 by Debra Mason

About the discipline

Chemistry and religion both give structure and order to the universe, helping people to understand the constitution of the natural world; how, why and what results when we interact; and providing a sense of certainty and inevitability for those who trust in the principles.

Religious and philosophical beliefs (Christianity in Europe; Islam in the Middle East, Africa and Spain; and Confucianism in China) early on gave their followers a belief in an ordered state of the universe and sense of comprehensibility about the world. Christianity and Islam drew on classical Greek philosophies of an “ordered world.” Confucianism described an intrinsically harmonious world, with a balance between two elements of opposite qualities, yin and yang. Confucians believed the universe is made up of five elements: fire, earth, metal, water and wood, which transform into each other, making the universe dynamic.

Such beliefs led to the practice of alchemy, first in China and then in the Middle Ages in Europe and the Middle East. Alchemists viewed their materials as expressions of the fundamental principles that ordered the world. They hoped that by manipulating those principles, they could create new substances, turn base metals into gold or distill an “elixir of life.” Alchemists developed techniques such as sublimation and distillation, as well as equipment to perform techniques and advance knowledge of the chemicals they used. Their experimentation was based on belief in the universe’s divine order.

Early Muslim scientists’ exploration of the elements led to understanding of the constitution of matter. A number of terms used in chemistry, such as alcohol, alembic, alkali and elixir, are of Islamic origin. “Alchemy,” as well as its derivative, “chemistry,” come from the Arabic word “al-Kimiya’.” Some scholars link the introduction of the “scientific method” to early Muslim chemist Jabir ibn-Hayyan.

The work of early Christian chemists such as Roger Bacon and Robert Boyle has also informed modern science. Bacon believed Christianity and experimentation went hand in hand because God created everything and imbued it with his order and harmony. Boyle saw the world as a marvelous creation of God, and also believed in objective observation in research. While experimenting with air, Boyle began promoting his atomic theory, the foundation for modern understanding of matter. He formulated what is now known as Boyle’s Law, that the volume of a quantity of gas varies inversely with the pressure when the temperature is constant. In 1661, he overturned Aristotle’s concept of the four elements (everything is composed of earth, air, fire and water), replacing it with the modern idea of an element as a substance that cannot be separated into simpler components by chemical methods. He believed that the study and dominion of nature is a duty given to man by God — based on the scriptural mandate in Gen. 1:28: to “rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the Earth” – and that the universe works in accordance with the laws of nature, established by God for its order and control.

By the late 19th century, scientists pondering faith and new theories about the natural world such as Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, found evidence both of God’s plan in the elements and chemistry, and support for their faith in the sciences. Writing in “Religion and Chemistry” in 1880, Josiah Parsons Cooke, founder of the Harvard Chemistry Department, based his belief in proof of God’s plan on the premises that “everything which begins to exist must have a cause;” “that a combination of means conspiring to a particular end implies intelligence;” “that design may be traced from its effects;” and “that there are evidences of design in the universe.” Cooke believed in both the scriptural truth of Gen 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” as well as that there is “evidence of design in the properties of the chemical elements alone.” He also marveled at the attributes of the atmosphere, whose properties seemed uniquely to serve “the welfare and happiness of mankind.” He believed that the evidences of God in nature, including the human soul, “are the only proof we have or can have of his existence.”

Chemist and author Primo Levi tackled chemistry, faith and human nature in several of his writings, most notably, “The Periodic Table,” published in 1975, in which he used Russian chemist Dmitriy Mendeleyev’s periodic table of elements as the basis of autobiographical meditations, including on his experience as a Jew imprisoned at Auschwitz during World War II. The books’ 21 pieces are each named after a chemical element, through which Levi assessed his life experience. “The properties of elements often reflect the properties of life itself — volatile, inert, lustrous, precious, poisonous, brittle …,” he wrote. “Argon” is an homage to the author’s Jewish ancestors. “Vanadium” represents Levi’s encounter with a former official in Auschwitz, who was the chief of the laboratory. “Zinc,” a “boring” metal, explores the fascist myth of racial purity.

Levi was not religiously observant, but Fascist race laws and the Nazi camps made him identify with his Judaism. Chemistry was of genuine spiritual importance to him. In “Hydrogen,” Levi wrote, “For me chemistry represented an indefinite cloud of future potentialities which enveloped my life to come in black volutes torn by fiery flashes, like those which had hidden Mount Sinai. Like Moses, from that cloud I expected my law, the principle of order in me, around me, and in the world… I would watch the buds swell in spring, the mica glint in the granite, my own hands, and I would say to myself: ‘I will understand this, too, I will understand everything.’”

Debate will continue over the role of religious origin of life and the universe and how it ought to be taught. Polls show most Americans believe God was involved in the creation of Earth and the universe, and that they are dismayed that biblical perspectives on creation are not taught at many public schools. Researchers can understand the perspectives of religious believers, the role religious and philosophical thought has played in development of the science, and the perspectives of researchers who come from a religious perspective. Chemists also can be aware of ethical concerns in their field, such as the integrity of the research process; the environmental consequences of their work; and the health and welfare of co-workers, consumers and the community, to advance science while also protecting the environment and human life.

Articles

  • “Beyond Evolution: Addressing Broad Interactions Between Science and Religion in Science Teacher Education” by Joseph W. Shane, Ian C. Binns, Lee Meadows, Ronald S. Hermann and Matthew J. Benus. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 27 no. 2 (2016): 165-181.
  • “Can the Effects of Religion and Spirituality on Both Physical and Mental Health be Scientifically Measured? An Overview of the Key Sources, with Particular Reference to the Teachings of Said Nursi” by Mahshid Turner. Journal Of Religion And Health. 54 no. 6 (2015): 2045-51.
  • “Depression and God: the effects of major depressive disorder on theology and religious identity” by Stephen J. Sorenson. Pastoral Psychology. 62 no. 3 (2013): 343-353.
  • “Enhancing Teachers’ Awareness about Relations between Science and Religion” by Alexandra Bagdonas and Cibelle Celestino Silva. Science & Education. 24 no. 9 (2015): 1173-1199.
  • “Joseph Priestley Across Theology, Education, and Chemistry: An Interdisciplinary Case Study in Epistemology with a Focus on the Science Education Context” by KC de Berg. Science & Education. 20 no. 7-8 (2011): 805-p830.
  • “Perspectives on the Origins of Life in Science Textbooks from a Christian Publisher: Implications for Teaching Science” by Geilsa Costa Santos Baptista, Rodrigo de Silva Santos and William W. Coburn. International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education. 14 (2016): 309-326.
  • “Recommending a child enter a STEM career: The role of religion” by Christopher P. Scheitle and Elaine Howard Ecklund. Journal of Career Development. 44 no. 3 (2017): 251-265.
  • “Science and Religion: Lessons From History?” by John Brooke, Science, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Vol. 282, Dec. 11, 1998.
  • “The feasibility of educating trainee science teachers in issues of science and religion” by Michael Poole. Cultural Studies of Science Education. 11 no. 2 (2016): 273-281.
  • “The Nature of the Arguments for Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution” by Ralph M. Barnes, Rebecca A. Church and Samuel Draznin-Nagy. Science & Education. 26 no. 1-2 (2017): 27-47.
  • “Ways to prepare future teachers to teach science in multicultural classrooms” by Berry Billingsley. Cultural Studies of Science Education. 11 no. 2 (2016): 283-291.

Books

  • Recent Themes in the History of Science and Religion: Historians in Conversation. Donald A. Yerxa (ed.). The University of South Carolina Press, 2010.
  • Chemistry, as Exemplifying the Wisdom and Beneficence of God. George Fownes, London: John Churchill, 1844.
  • The Chemical Catechism, with Notes, Illustrations and Experiments. Samuel Parkes, London: Lackington Allen, 1808.
  • Religio Chemici: Essays. George Wilson. London: Macmillan, 1862.
  • Reconstructing Nature: the Engagement of Science and Religion. John H. Brooke and Geoffrey Cantor. Edinburgh, UK: T&T Clark, 1998.
  • Chemistry, Meteorology, and the Function of Digestion, Considered With Reference to Natural Theology. William Prout. London: William Pickering, 1834.
  • The Chemistry of Common Life. James F. W. Johnston. Edinburgh, Scotland: Blackwood, 1855.
  • Religion And Chemistry; Or, Proofs Of God’s Plan In The Atmosphere And Its Elements. Josiah Parsons Cooke. BiblioLife, 2009.
  • Science and Religion: A Critical Survey. Holmes Rolston. New York: Random House, 1987.
  • Science and Religion: From Conflict to Conversation. John Haught. Paulist, 1995.
  • Religion and chemistry: A re-statement of an old argument. Josiah Parsons Cooke C. Scribner’s sons, 1886.
  • LSD, Spirituality, and the Creative Process: Based on the Groundbreaking Research of Oscar Janiger, M.D. Marlene Dobkin de Rios Ph.D. and Oscar Janiger M.D. Park Street Press, 2003.
  • Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy. Clark Heinrich. Park Street Press, 2002.
  • A Science and Religion Primer. Heidi A. Campbell and Heather Looy (eds.) Supported by a grant from the Templeton Publishing Subsidy. BakerAcademic, 2009.
  • Science and religion: some historical perspectives. John Hedley Brooke. Cambridge University Press, 1991.
  • Why the Science and Religion Dialogue Matters: Voices from the International Society for Science and Religion. Fraser Watts and Kevin Dutton. International Society for Science and Religion. Published by Templeton Foundation Press, 2006
  • Reinventing the Sacred. Stuart Kauffman. Basic Books, 2008.

Case studies

  • “The interaction of students’ scientific and religious discourses: two case studies” by Roth Wolff-Michael. International Journal of Science Education, 1464-5289, Volume 19, Issue 2, 1997, Pages 125-146.
  • Science and Religion: An Overview (Chapter 9, Case Studies in Science and Religion) by Alister E. McGrathWiley-Blackwell, 1999

Codes of ethics

  • American Institute of Chemical Engineers – Code of Ethics
  • The Chemical Professional’s Code of Conduct – American Chemical Society
  • Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America – Principles for Conduct in Clinical Trials (.pdf)
  • American Pharmacists Association – Mission and Value Statements
  • American Chemical Society – “Professional Ethics and Moral Responsibility in Chemistry”

Journals

  • Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science

More links

  • Chemistry: Encyclopedia of Science and Religion

Professional associations and faith groups

  • American Scientific Affiliation: A Fellowship of Christians in Science
  • Association of Christian Engineers and Scientists: (503) 228-0779
  • Christian Nuclear Fellowship
  • Christians in Science
  • Canadian Science and Christian Affiliation
  • European Society for the Study of Science and Theology
  • Fellowship of Scientists
  • International Muslim Association of Scientists & Engineers

Syllabi

  • American Academy of Religion Syllabi Search

Filed Under: Events 2010-2011, Religious literacy toolkit drafts

Pope Francis, Atheists and Tweeting, oh my!

March 20, 2014 by Debra Mason

Join the Mizzou Religion Newswriters Association for an evening of Religion News Service guest lectures on current journalism topics including the popularity of Pope Francis, how social media is utilized to cover religion and how the media covers non-faith. There will be a reception with free pizza as well. If you are unable to attend in person, use http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mizzourna-symposium-2014 to watch the event live streamed.

Date/Time: 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 2

Location: Tucker Forum

Cost: Free

For more information: Check out the event’s Facebook page for a more detailed schedule and contact information for the Mizzou Religion Newswriters Association.

Filed Under: Communication, Events, Events 2013-2014, Journalism and media, Professional associations and faith groups, Religion

The Predicament of the Aftermath: Oklahoma City and 9/11

March 4, 2014 by Debra Mason

From the organizers: Dr. Edward T. Linenthal, Professor of History at Indiana University and Editor of the Journal of American History, will be delivering the  sixth annual Distinguished Lecture on Religion and Public Life. Dr. Linenthal (Ph.D. in Religious Studies, UC Santa Barbara, 1979) has written several books dealing with public memory and memorialization in the U.S., focusing on the ways that the nation and its people have marked and commemorated catastrophic events such as the Pearl Harbor, the Civil War, the Holocaust, and the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing. He has worked with the National Park Service’s Civic Engagement and Public History Program and was a member of the federal advisory commission for the memorial to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on 9/11/2001.
Date/Time:  April 28, 2014. Time TBA.
Location: TBA
Cost: Free
For more information: Please contact the Department of Religious Studies at rsinfo@missouri.edu or at (573) 882-4769.
You can learn more about Dr. Linenthal’s work and perspectives at the following links:
http://www.indiana.edu/~histweb/faculty/Display.php?Faculty_ID=19
http://www.ushmm.org/confront-antisemitism/antisemitism-podcast/edward-t-linenthal
http://www.c-span.org/video/?157012-1/dilemma-interpretation

You can also learn more about past lectures at the following link:

http://religiousstudies.missouri.edu/events/religion-publiclife.shtml

Filed Under: Events, Events 2013-2014, History and social sciences, Religion, Upcoming events

Diaspora: A Film Series

January 29, 2014 by Debra Mason

The world’s diaspora has brought people of different races, ethnicities, cultures, and faiths together to create diverse communities across the globe. But with that transplantation come conflicts. This fall, the Center on Religion and Professions is screening a series of films that explore communities affected by religious diaspora, and we want you to join us! Each evening will feature a documentary followed by a conversation.

To kick off the series, we’ll watch Musafer: Sikhi is Traveling. The hour-long documentary takes a look at how a younger generation of Sikhs has emigrated across the world, taking their faith with them in a tumultuous time for those who practice Sikhism.

Professor Emeritus Paul Wallace of the Political Science department will join us for a conversation after the screening. 

Date/Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 13

Location: Missouri United Methodist Church, 209 S. Ninth St. Meet us in the church lobby at the corner of 9th and Elm. Downtown street parking is available, and the Hitt Street Garage is the closest to the church.

Cost: Free. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information: Contact The Center on Religion & Professions at (573) 882-9257 or email Sangeeta Shastry at ssf73 at mail dot missouri dot edu.

Filed Under: Campus religious organizations, Events, Events 2013-2014, Film and theater, Films, Films 2013-2014, Professional associations and faith groups, Religion, Upcoming events

WORKSHOP: Youth Mental Wellness and Faith Communities

January 29, 2014 by Debra Mason

Columbia’s Youth Community Coalition — or YC2 — is planning a workshop to help educate faith community leaders on understanding the positive contributions they can make to the mental wellness of youth. The workshop aims to help leaders recognize possible early signs of mental health and substance use issues in youth, project an accepting, welcoming (no-blame) culture and language for youth and families who live with mental illness, and point youth and their families to community resources for help.

The workshop, called “Look Up, Wake Up, Step UP: Youth Mental Wellness and Faith Communities,” will be hosted by Phoenix Programs, Inc., and will be sponsored by YC2, Phoenix Programs, the Columbia Interfaith Council, the Mid-America Center for Ministry, and Teen Relationship Education and Empowerment.

Date/Time: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30

Location: Phoenix Programs, 90 E. Leslie Lane, Columbia, MO

Cost: Free. Lunch will be included.

For more information: Please contact Heather C. Harlan of Phoenix Programs at (573) 875-8880 ext. 2142 or via email at hharlan at phoenixprogramsinc dot org.

Filed Under: Events, Events 2013-2014, Professional associations and faith groups, Psychology and psychiatry, Sociology and social work, Upcoming events

EVENT: What is the Future of Faith?

January 29, 2014 by Debra Mason

The Missouri United Methodist Church is hosting a two-day event featuring Publishers Weekly religion editor and author Phyllis Tickle on the future of faith. The event will also include a Friday evening service by Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver, a former United Methodist pastor and current United States Congressman.

Date/Time/Location:

The schedule of events is as follows:

Friday, March 14

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Clergy Leaders’ Session with Phyllis Tickle: “What are the Implications for the Inherited Church?”

  • Location: First Presbyterian Church, 16 Hitt St.
  • $25 Registration fee includes box lunch (payable through Broadway Christian Church by check or electronic charge at http://www.broadwaychristian.net/giving.)

2 – 5 p.m.: “The Future of Faith: Religion in a Postmodern World”: A Conversation with Phyllis Tickle

  • Location: MU Student Center Leadership Auditorium, 901 Rollins Road (second floor leadership auditorium)
  • Free to the public. Refreshments sponsored by the MU Office of Extension.
  • Featuring MU panelists Chip Callahan (MU Associate Professor and Chair of Religious Studies), Nathan Hoffer (Assistant Professor of Religious Studies), Debra Mason (Professor of Journalism and Director of the Center on Religion & Professions), and John Wigger (Professor of History)

7 p.m.: Community Worship Service at Missouri United Methodist Church

  • Location: Missouri United Methodist Church, 204 S. Ninth St.
  • Free to the public. Highlights will include a community choir and brass ensemble. Refreshments sponsored by Missouri United Methodist Church following the service in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Saturday, March 15

10 a.m. – Noon: Lecture with Phyllis Tickle: “What is the Future of Faith?”

  • Location: MU Tate Hall, Conley & Ninth streets (adjacent to Jesse Hall)
  • Free to the public.

Noon – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on your own

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.: Lecture and Q&A with Phyllis Tickle

  • Location: MU Tate Hall, Conley & Ninth streets (adjacent to Jesse Hall)
  • Free to the public.

Cost: Please see above. Costs vary.

For more information: For questions about the Community Worship Service or about Phyllis Tickle’s visit, please contact Missouri United Methodist Church at (573) 443-3111 or by email at contact.us@moumc.org.

Filed Under: Events, Events 2013-2014, Professional associations and faith groups, Religion, Upcoming events

EVENT: Third Goal International Film Festival

January 27, 2014 by Debra Mason

From the organizers: The Third Goal International Film Festival is a showcase of films covering diverse topics of worldwide significance; each film was either impacted by a Peace Corps volunteer or features significant issues faced in the countries hosting volunteers. Films were followed by speakers’ panels featuring Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from the highlighted region(s) as well as country nationals.

Date/Time:

6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31: Chat with filmmaker Ashley Tindall about rough cuts of her film 27 Months, which follows Peace Corps volunteers on their journeys around the world.

The following is a list of screenings for the film festival, all held on Saturday, Feb. 1:

  • 1 p.m.: Call Me Kuchu
  • 3:30 p.m.: The Garden of Steven
  • 5 p.m.: 27 Months
  • 6:30 p.m.: Mongolian Bling

Location: The conversation with filmmaker Ashley Tindall will be held in Columbia Access Television Studio A, 1405 E. Broadway. The Third Goal International Film Festival will be held in the MU Student Center.

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit the festival’s website to learn more.

Filed Under: Community development, Events, Events 2013-2014, Films 2013-2014, Human development, Upcoming events

EVENT: Fat Bird Theater

January 23, 2014 by Debra Mason

From the MU Chinese Studies Program and the Department of German and Russian Studies: Fat Bird is a collective of professional and non-professional performers dedicated to expanding theatrical possibilities in Shenzhen. To that end, the troupe collaborates with architects, visual artists, and poets, local and international. Projects include experimental workshops, guerilla performances, movement pieces, and more traditional pieces staged in a theatre. Please join us for a workshop series and staged reading of “Crossroads,” a play about the breakdown of the traditional Chinese family during economic boom times.

Date/Time: 

Workshop Series: 4 to 6 p.m. February 3 through 5, Strickland Hall, Room 217

Staged Reading: 4 to 5:45 p.m. February 7, Jesse Wrench Auditorium

Location: Please see above.

Cost: Free

For more information: Contact the Department of German and Russian Studies by phone at (573) 882-4328 or email grs@missouri.edu. You can also visit https://sites.google.com/site/maryannodonnell/fatbird or http://shenzhennoted.com/fat-bird/.

 

Filed Under: Art, Classics and classical history, Events, Events 2013-2014, Film and theater, German and Russian languages

Conference: Association for the Study of Religion, Economics & Culture

September 5, 2013 by Debra Mason

From the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics & Culture: The Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, & Culture will hold its 2014 Annual Conference March 21-22 at Chapman University in Orange, California.  The Economic Journal will publish a Feature on the Economics of Religion drawing on papers presented at the conference. We are looking forward to an exciting program and you are invited very kindly to contribute to it by submitting a paper.  We are seeking papers that engage with questions of economics, religion and culture across the social sciences, bringing together a wide variety of academics as well as policy specialists. Professor James Andreoni will deliver the Keynote Address at the conference.

Date/Time: Conference runs from March 21-22, 2014. Single paper abstracts are due Oct. 4, 2013. Single papers for feature are due Oct. 4, 2013. Complete sessions are due Oct. 18, 2013.

Location: Chapman University, Orange, Calif.

Cost: Register at ASREC’s website.

For more information: Email and submit proposals to conference@asrec.org.

Filed Under: Conferences, Events, Events 2013-2014, Upcoming events

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30 Neff Annex
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