The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) is a non-denominational society that promotes and facilitates the ongoing dialectic between religion and science. The Institute has held annual week-long conferences at Star Island in New Hampshire since 1954. The conference attracts about 250 members and non-members each year. The 1964 conference, for example, was attended by 215 conferees, with speeches by figures including Theodosius Dobzhansky.[1]
In its Constitution, the IRAS purpose is stated as follows: "The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science is established
to promote creative efforts leading to the formulation, in the light of contemporary knowledge, of effective doctrines and practice for human welfare;
to formulate dynamic and positive relationships between the concepts developed by science and the goals and hopes of humanity expressed through religion; and
to state human values in such universal and valid terms that they be understood by all peoples, whatever their cultural background or experience, in such a way as to provide a basis for world-wide cooperation.
The IRAS Council adopted the following statement in 2003: “We at IRAS take the natural world seriously as a primary source of meaning. Our quest is informed and guided by the deepening and evolving understandings fostered by scientific inquiry.
“From here, our quests for meaning take us in divergent directions. For some, the natural world and its emergent manifestations in human experience and creativity are the focus of exploration. Some go on to encounter and celebrate the sacred in such explorations. For others, understandings of the natural world are interwoven with understandings inherent in various religious traditions, generating additional paths of exploration and encounter. As a result, we articulate our emerging orientations with many voices that are harmonious in that we share a common sense of place and gratitude.
“We acknowledge as well a shared set of values and concerns pertaining to peace, justice, dignity, cultural and ecological diversity and planetary sustainability. Although we may differ and hence debate as to how these concerns are here addressed, we are committed to participating in their resolution.”
HistoryEdit
IRAS evolved from the ideas of two pioneer groups. The first was a group of scientists from the Committee on Science and Values of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The second group was an interfaith, religious coalition which hoped to revitalize religion for today's needs. Members of both groups saw what some perceived as a battlefield of conflicting ideologies to be a place of opportunity for a constructive relationship to emerge. The first president was Edwin Prince Booth, a professor of church history at Boston College (1954–59). Subsequent presidents included Harlow Shapley, Philip Hefner, Ursula Goodenough, and Varadaraja V. Raman.[2]
In 1954 the scientists accepted an invitation to present their views to the religious group at a seven-day conference on Religion in an Age of Science on Star Island. On November 9, 1954, members of the two groups established the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science to work toward these goals.
PresidentsEdit
Presidents of IRAS have been:
Edwin Prince Booth, (1954–59), Professor of Church History, Boston College
Harlow Shapley, (1960–62), Professor of Astronomy, Harvard University
Sanborn C. Brown, (1962–67), Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Malcolm R. Sutherland Jr., (1967–68), President of Meadville/Lombard Theological School
Carl Bihldorff, (1968–69), Minister, First Parish, Brookline, Massachusetts
Hudson Hoagland, (1969–71), Director, Worcester Foundation of Experimental Biology
Jerome Malino, (1971–73), Rabbi, United Jewish Center, Danbury, Connecticut
Solomon Hines, (1973–75), Professor of Systematic Theology, Hartford Seminary Foundation
Malcolm R. Sutherland Jr., (1976–77), President of Meadville/Lombard Theological School
Solomon H. Katz, (1977–79), Professor of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Philip Hefner, (1979–81), Professor of Theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Elizabeth Ann Cornett, (1981–83), Professor of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Philip Hefner, (1984–86), Professor of Theology, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Ward Goodenough, (1987–89), Professor of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Marjorie Hall Davis, (1989–92), Minister, United Church of Christ, Granby, Connecticut
Ursula Goodenough, (1992–96), Professor of Biology, Washington University
Karl E. Peters, (1996–99), Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Rollins College
Christopher Corbally, (1999–2002), Astronomer, Vatican Observatory
Michael Cavanaugh, (2002–04), Attorney (retired), Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Barbara Whittaker-Johns, (2004–05), Minister, Arlington, Massachusetts
John Teske, (2005–08), Professor, Psychology, Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Ted Laurenson, (2008–11), Attorney, New York, New York
Varadaraja Raman, (2011–13), Professor of Physics and Humanities, Rochester Institute of Technology
Barbara Whittaker-Johns, (2013–), Minister, Arlington, Massachusetts
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The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science IRAS is a non denominational society that promotes and facilitates the ongoing dialectic between religion and science The Institute has held annual week long conferences at Star Island in New Hampshire since 1954 The conference attracts about 250 members and non members each year The 1964 conference for example was attended by 215 conferees with speeches by figures including Theodosius Dobzhansky 1 Contents 1 Mission 2 History 3 Presidents 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksMission EditIn its Constitution the IRAS purpose is stated as follows The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science is established to promote creative efforts leading to the formulation in the light of contemporary knowledge of effective doctrines and practice for human welfare to formulate dynamic and positive relationships between the concepts developed by science and the goals and hopes of humanity expressed through religion and to state human values in such universal and valid terms that they be understood by all peoples whatever their cultural background or experience in such a way as to provide a basis for world wide cooperation The IRAS Council adopted the following statement in 2003 We at IRAS take the natural world seriously as a primary source of meaning Our quest is informed and guided by the deepening and evolving understandings fostered by scientific inquiry From here our quests for meaning take us in divergent directions For some the natural world and its emergent manifestations in human experience and creativity are the focus of exploration Some go on to encounter and celebrate the sacred in such explorations For others understandings of the natural world are interwoven with understandings inherent in various religious traditions generating additional paths of exploration and encounter As a result we articulate our emerging orientations with many voices that are harmonious in that we share a common sense of place and gratitude We acknowledge as well a shared set of values and concerns pertaining to peace justice dignity cultural and ecological diversity and planetary sustainability Although we may differ and hence debate as to how these concerns are here addressed we are committed to participating in their resolution History EditIRAS evolved from the ideas of two pioneer groups The first was a group of scientists from the Committee on Science and Values of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences The second group was an interfaith religious coalition which hoped to revitalize religion for today s needs Members of both groups saw what some perceived as a battlefield of conflicting ideologies to be a place of opportunity for a constructive relationship to emerge The first president was Edwin Prince Booth a professor of church history at Boston College 1954 59 Subsequent presidents included Harlow Shapley Philip Hefner Ursula Goodenough and Varadaraja V Raman 2 In 1954 the scientists accepted an invitation to present their views to the religious group at a seven day conference on Religion in an Age of Science on Star Island On November 9 1954 members of the two groups established the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science to work toward these goals Presidents EditPresidents of IRAS have been Edwin Prince Booth 1954 59 Professor of Church History Boston College Harlow Shapley 1960 62 Professor of Astronomy Harvard University Sanborn C Brown 1962 67 Professor of Physics Massachusetts Institute of Technology Malcolm R Sutherland Jr 1967 68 President of Meadville Lombard Theological School Carl Bihldorff 1968 69 Minister First Parish Brookline Massachusetts Hudson Hoagland 1969 71 Director Worcester Foundation of Experimental Biology Jerome Malino 1971 73 Rabbi United Jewish Center Danbury Connecticut Solomon Hines 1973 75 Professor of Systematic Theology Hartford Seminary Foundation Malcolm R Sutherland Jr 1976 77 President of Meadville Lombard Theological School Solomon H Katz 1977 79 Professor of Anthropology University of Pennsylvania Philip Hefner 1979 81 Professor of Theology Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Elizabeth Ann Cornett 1981 83 Professor of Anthropology University of Pennsylvania Philip Hefner 1984 86 Professor of Theology Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Ward Goodenough 1987 89 Professor of Anthropology University of Pennsylvania Marjorie Hall Davis 1989 92 Minister United Church of Christ Granby Connecticut Ursula Goodenough 1992 96 Professor of Biology Washington University Karl E Peters 1996 99 Professor of Philosophy and Religion Rollins College Christopher Corbally 1999 2002 Astronomer Vatican Observatory Michael Cavanaugh 2002 04 Attorney retired Baton Rouge Louisiana Barbara Whittaker Johns 2004 05 Minister Arlington Massachusetts John Teske 2005 08 Professor Psychology Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown Pennsylvania Ted Laurenson 2008 11 Attorney New York New York Varadaraja Raman 2011 13 Professor of Physics and Humanities Rochester Institute of Technology Barbara Whittaker Johns 2013 Minister Arlington MassachusettsSee also EditZygon journal European Society for the Study of Science and Theology James Gilbert Redeeming Culture American Religion in an Age of Science University of Chicago Press 1997 pp 273 280 References Edit Religious Institute at Star Island The Portsmouth Herald Portsmouth New Hampshire 29 July 1964 p 18 Past IRAS Presidents Institute on Religion in an Age of Science Retrieved September 12 2019 External links EditInstitute on Religion in an Age of Science official website Center for Advanced Studies in Religion and Science CASIRAS nbsp This article about religious studies is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Institute on Religion in an Age of Science amp oldid 1152753148, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
