In this lecture Professor Alister McGrath explores the complex ways in which science and religion can interact with each other, with a view to exploring how we can think about their relationships. Engaging in dialogue with the writings of Albert Einstein and Richard Dawkins, Professor McGrath maps out a range of possibilities, and offers his assessment of their merits.
Professor McGrath is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University. He grew up in Northern Ireland, before going to Oxford to study chemistry, followed by a doctorate in molecular biophysics. McGrath then moved to studying theology. He is the author of many books and academic articles.
The lecture was organised by Armagh Robinson Library, Northern Ireland’s oldest public library, as part of its 250th anniversary programme. Established in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson, the Library was the first public building Robinson erected in Armagh City. His last, Armagh Observatory, which was founded in 1789, is Northern Ireland’s oldest scientific research institution. The motto Robinson chose for the Observatory was, ‘The Heavens declare the Glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1).
