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Science and religion converge in teaching at Augsburg

By Lenore Franzen

What makes teaching in a Lutheran college different from teaching in a secular institution?

At Augsburg, that difference is best understood through the course Issues in Science and Religion, designed and taught by Mark Engebretson, physics professor, and John Benson, professor of religion, who retired from full-time teaching in January.

"In a secular institution, this course might not exist," said Engebretson. "Augsburg encourages students to connect their faith with their intellectual pursuits in all aspects of campus life." The College also requires students to take three religion courses, and Issues in Science and Religion fits into this requirement. Yet students who sign up for the course do so for larger reasons. "It allows them to connect to issues that are personally important," said Engebretson.

"The course also helps students see the inconsistencies in both fields," added Benson.

The course¹s final project, designing a utopian civilization in space, allows students to integrate their learning. "It forces students to ask questions about the role of religion and their Christian faith in society," said Benson, "and it helps them see that human ecology is an intricate web of life that developed over a long time." Benson and Engebretson first offered the course during the 1980 Interim. In 1997, the course moved into the regular term and has been taught every year since.

In 1995, they received a Templeton Foundation Award, given to faculty worldwide who promote intellectual discourse connecting science and religion. In 1997, they were recognized with a second Templeton honor for continuing to offer the course.

Had such a course existed when Engebretson and Benson were college students, they likely would have taken it. Both have lifelong interests in science and religion. Engebretson was ordained as a Lutheran pastor before settling on a career in physics. Benson¹s academic area - systematic theology and the philosophy of religion - puts him on the border between the secular world and the church.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, Augsburg will expand the conversation around science and religion through three lectureships. The Christensen Symposium will focus on spirituality and academia. The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Program will address the religious aspects of extraterrestrial life, and the Augsburg Seminar in Applied Ethics will examine the ethics of patenting life.

Lenore Franzen is a freelance writer and lives in St. Paul.

What makes teaching in a Lutheran college different from teaching in a secular institution?

At Augsburg, that difference is best understood through the course Issues in Science and Religion, designed and taught by Mark Engebretson, physics professor, and John Benson, professor of religion, who retired from full-time teaching in January.

"In a secular institution, this course might not exist," said Engebretson. "Augsburg encourages students to connect their faith with their intellectual pursuits in all aspects of campus life." The College also requires students to take three religion courses, and Issues in Science and Religion fits into this requirement. Yet students who sign up for the course do so for larger reasons. "It allows them to connect to issues that are personally important," said Engebretson.

"The course also helps students see the inconsistencies in both fields," added Benson.

The course¹s final project, designing a utopian civilization in space, allows students to integrate their learning. "It forces students to ask questions about the role of religion and their Christian faith in society," said Benson, "and it helps them see that human ecology is an intricate web of life that developed over a long time." Benson and Engebretson first offered the course during the 1980 Interim. In 1997, the course moved into the regular term and has been taught every year since.

In 1995, they received a Templeton Foundation Award, given to faculty worldwide who promote intellectual discourse connecting science and religion. In 1997, they were recognized with a second Templeton honor for continuing to offer the course.

Had such a course existed when Engebretson and Benson were college students, they likely would have taken it. Both have lifelong interests in science and religion. Engebretson was ordained as a Lutheran pastor before settling on a career in physics. Benson¹s academic area - systematic theology and the philosophy of religion - puts him on the border between the secular world and the church.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, Augsburg will expand the conversation around science and religion through three lectureships. The Christensen Symposium will focus on spirituality and academia. The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Program will address the religious aspects of extraterrestrial life, and the Augsburg Seminar in Applied Ethics will examine the ethics of patenting life.

Lenore Franzen is a freelance writer and lives in St. Paul.

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