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Dr. John M. Templeton, Jr., Hubert Meisinger and Eric Weislogel
Science-Human Being-Religion
Evangelische Akademie Arnoldshain
Schmitten, Hessen, Germany
Chairpersons: Hermann Düringer, Ph.D., and Hubert Meisinger, D. Theol.
This society is organizing two conferences per year, the most recent being entitled, “Mystery of the Origins of Life.” Interesting to note about this conference—it appealed to a class of persons known as the “junge Alte”—maybe a translation would be, “youthful seniors,” engaged retirees still hungry to learn and to be involved. Sir John, I think, would like that expression of the power of purpose in retirement! In addition, this group has been very involved in pastoral continuing education in issues at the intersection of science and religion. The society’s elaborate and well-though-out plans include hosting what they call a “visionary meeting,” comprising young academics and professors of systematic theology to discuss the role of the science and religion dialogue in academia. In addition, they hold weekend conferences with titles such as “Between ‘Anything Goes’ and Truth-Claims: Perspectives of Theology and Science in a Postmodern Time”. They hope to publish a collection of sermons on science-and-theology themes, continue to develop pastoral education programs, and to have a prominent showing at “German Protestant Churchday 2007,” an event that attracts more than 100,000 mostly younger people. They are also working on a special program aimed at highly-gifted youth. And there is much more that I just don’t have time to tell you about. This is an ambitious group with outstanding vision and the organizational skills to make a big impact in their educational and ecclesiastical context.
Award Accepted by : Hubert Meisinger
Hubert Meisinger studied Protestant Theology in Heidelberg, Germany, and Chicago, USA. His doctoral dissertation (1995) was about the love command in the New Testament and investigations on altruism in sociobiology. For this thesis, he was awarded the first ESSSAT Prize for Studies in Science and Theology in 1996. He spent a year at the Center of Study for Pedagogic of Religion in Kronberg near Frankfurt working on genetics and gen-ethics. After a year as regular minister in a parish, he became Campus Minister at Darmstadt University of Technology in 1998. He has had special teaching posts at the Department of Philosophy in 2002 and 2003 and has been Associate Lecturer for Systematic Theology at Darmstadt University of Technology since 2004. He is Vice-President of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology (ESSSAT), founding member of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), member of the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS), and Associate Director of Studies for Science and Theology at the Protestant Academy Arnoldshain, where he also is founding member of the Metanexus LSI-group “Science – Human Being – Religion.” He participated in the John Templeton Oxford Seminars on Science and Christianity at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, 2003-2005. He also is conductor of a choir and a flute-ensemble. His latest publications include: Wisdom or Knowledge? Science, Theology and Cultural Dynamics, Hubert Meisinger, Willem B. Drees, Zbigniew Liana (ed.), London: T&T Clark, 2006; and Physik, Kosmologie und Spiritualität. Dimensionen des Dialogs zwischen Naturwissenschaft und Religion, Hubert Meisinger, Jan C. Schmidt (ed.), Frankfurt: Lang, 2006 (forthcoming).” His current research includes Christology, the role of art in science and religion, bio-/nanotechnology and theology, and sociobiology and theology.
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