Welcome
Welcome to the webpage for the HKU common core course CCHU9061 Science and Religion: Conflict or Conversation instructed by Dr. David A. Palmer, Department of Sociology. Here in this website, you could find the teaching materials and various website resources that would facilitate your learning throughout the course. From time to time, we would also suggest outside classroom activities (e.g. public seminars, talks, or forums) where you can observe the current discourse of science and religion.
About the course
Science and religion are two of the most significant influences shaping global society today. We shall examine the relationship between a variety of scientific disciplines in the natural and social sciences, with a variety of religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Daoism, and Islam. Broadly speaking, scholars have identified four main perspectives concerning the relationship between science and religion: Conflict (science is incompatible with religion), Compartmentalization (they belong to separate domains of knowledge), Conversation (they overlap at certain points at which they can respectfully dialogue), and Convergence (they can be integrated). We shall examine how each of these perspectives plays out in the history of science and religion in East and West, and assess their contemporary significance. The course will achieve the goals of the Common Core Curriculum by helping students connect across different disciplines and cultures, and develop the ability to examine controversial issues from multiple perspectives. Students will achieve these aims through interactive learning, outside the classroom activities, and group debates.