Evolution, Transcendence, and the Nature of Faith

Reassessing Darwin's Impact on Science and Society on the Occasion of His 200th Birthday

February 11, 2009, 12:30pm - 2:00pm

Darwin's radical deduction that random mutation and natural selection can explain all the diversity of life on Earth shook longstanding beliefs that humans are inherently superior creatures, uniquely capable of being moral, already fully evolved, and made in the image of a perfect creator.

Since then, waves of research have expanded and strengthened Darwin's seminal observations, prompting a century-and-a-half of reflection and reassessment about the place of humankind in the universe, the relationship between humans and a divine creator, and the nature of faith itself.

Join our distinguished panelists for a conversation about the ways evolutionary theory has revolutionized our understanding of the struggle between personal freedom and the common good, and to explore the role of religious thought as humankind gradually gains the capacity to direct its own evolution.