Back Transdisciplinarity and the Unity of Knowledge: Beyond the Science and Religion Dialogue

Skip Navigation Links
Home
Agenda
Participants
Information
Culture
Prado
Toledo
Photos
Contact
   
Julio A. Gonzalo
Lucia Guerra Menendez
Singular Moments of Cosmic History


Abstract

A Symposium was held in Madrid from the 24th to the 26th of October 2007 on “Singular Moments of Cosmic History” at the Conference Room of the Matritensis Royal Society, Plaza de la Villa, 2, organized by the LSI “Science, Culture, Theology”. In it, a review was made of recent important scientific discoveries in Cosmology, Geology, Molecular Biology and Anthropology posing questions difficult to respond to within a materialistic and atheistic cosmic perspective.

The speakers, E. M. Carreira, Elisa Buforn, (distinguished collaborator of Prof. A.Udías, UCM), Nicolás Jouve, José F.Guijarro and Julio A. Gonzalo, focused on the general subject from different angles but with a common aim: to show that cosmic evolution (as given by contemporary science) not only does not exclude the action of a Creator but, rather, it requires his creative intervention, more evident in certain moments or époques of cosmic history.
In the final Round Table, chaired by Rafael Rubio de Urquía, the speakers responded to questions from the floor.

Some precursors of the materialistic atheism, so much in vogue today (Wiener for example), were completely wrong when they thought that the main reasons why a good number of Christians found Darwin’s theories repulsive was that they did not like the idea that a gorilla was their antecessor. What preoccupied them more was, rather, that there were no clear distinctions within Darwin’s perspective. Chesterton, in particular, noted that that gray coloration permeating Darwin’s work meant the negation of all meaning and all purpose to existence, i.e. to everything which is most valuable in human life. A sensible observer can easily see around him the work of an intelligent Creator in the cosmos, even if contemporary science as such remains content with herself merely illustrating the marvels of Creation, without necessarily extracting the final conclusion.

This conclusion, strictly speaking, falls outside its realm.

In the flyer announcing the Symposium, the following questions were raised:

  • Is the universe finite or infinite?

  • Is it possible to explain the Big Bang simply by quantum mechanical fluctuations of the vacuum?

  • Are there many planets like ours in the Milky Way?

  • How must be the physical constants, quantitatively, to make possible the existence of nuclei, atoms and molecules?

  • What are the properties of water which make it so indispensable for the existence of life?

  • And how about the properties of carbon chemistry?

  • Is there a strict continuum between chimpanzee and man?

  • Why is man the only animal who worships his Creator?

  • Are the roots of contemporary science medieval?

All these questions require concrete responses.



Biography

Julio A. Gonzalo is Professor of Physics at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and is the author of several books on Condensed Matter and on Cosmology, the latest being Inflationary Cosmology Revisited.  In 2003, he was awarded the Medal of "Alfonso X El Sabio" by the Government of Spain.



Lucia Guerra Menendez is a Lecturer on Human Physiology at the School of Medicine of the University of San Pablo CEU (Madrid).  She served as Lecturer on Human Genetics at the Institute Angel Ayala, San Pablo CEU (2005-06).  She holds Licentiate in Pharmacology (2004) and an MBA (2005) from IEB (Madrid).  She has made oral presentations at scientific conferences in Philadelphia, Toulouse, and Madrid.  She also supervised the translation of the book The Ethical Foundations of Bioethics by Prof. Stanley L. Jaki, winner of the Templeton Prize in 1987.  In 2007, she obtained a DEA (Diploma of Advanced Studies, or the equivalent to an MA in Bioethics and Biomedical Legislation, UNESCO).  She is the joint author, with Prof. Julio Gonzalo, (Universita Autonoma Madrid), of the article “Science and Energy Politics,” in Nuntium   (Roma), February 2007.

 

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1112, Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA  |  Voice: + 1 484.592.0304 Fax: +1 484.592.0313   |   Email  |  Privacy Policy