Faculty of Law and Politics
Shanghai Normal University

This society brings together scholars of religion, philosophy, politics, law, and the sciences, in conjunction with the Institute of Religious Studies in the Department of Philosophy, to collaborate on creating a vibrant and exploratory group. The core planners facilitate the collaboration of scholars and students of Islamic, Buddhist, Confucianism, Christian, and Taoism studies, with sections on ethics, scientific philosophy, law, politics and the sciences to initiate and support research projects within the university. The group takes several approaches, including asking how people, particularly scientists, maintain spiritual faith while confronting hi-tech society; exploring the complementarity of science and faith; and highlighting the contributions of religion to scientific research. The Workshop invites research scientists and practitioners and clerics from varying faiths to provide their perspectives on the relation between science and faith in public forums for students from Shanghai Normal and other surrounding institutions, as well as for the general public. Additionally, a national conference brings together representatives of other science-faith efforts throughout China. Papers from the national conference are submitted to scholarly journals for publication. The Workshop purchases books and maintains a reference room for students, teachers, and members of the community interested in the subject of science and faith. The group also encourages pursuit of theses and doctoral dissertations in the field to promote the credibility and importance of these considerations within higher education in China.