GC conference to examine challenges facing science and religion;
Theologian to lead third Conference on Science and Religion

GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College’s third annual Conference on Science and Religion from April 4 to 6 will examine the challenges facing the dialogue between science and religion at this time, specifically the issues surrounding hermeneutics, feminism and postmodernism.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Antje Jackelén, presently assistant professor of systematic theology/religion at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She will be the director of the Zygon Center in Chicago, starting next year.

Jackelén will present two public lectures and a private address for registered conference participants. Jackelén’s first public lecture will be at 7:30 p.m. April 4 in the Church-Chapel. Her second public lecture will be at 10:30 a.m. April 5 in the Church-Chapel.

Carl Helrich, professor of physics and conference organizer, said, “I know that Jackelén is going to be one of the most important voices in the science and religion dialogue in the future. I am really quite happy that she is going to be with us at this time.”

Ordained by the Church of Sweden in 1980, Jackelén was a parish pastor for the diocese of Stockholm for eight years. In 1988, she became pastor of Gardstanga and Lund Cathedral, a position she held until 1999.

Having moved to the United States from Sweden in September 2001, Jackelén has been a member of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology (ESSSAT) since it began in 1989 and served as its general secretary from 1994 to 2000. In 1999, she was editor of “ESSSAT-News,” and European regional director of the science and religion course program for the Center for Theology and Natural Sciences.

Fluent in German, Swedish, English and French, Jackelén has made presentations at the University of Pisa, Italy, Oxford University, England, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Science held in Moscow.

Her book “Tidsinställningar” was published in 2000 and she has written many articles on eschatological theories in theology and science. She co-authored “Ljus av ljus. Läsning av en kristen bekännelse” (“Light of Light: Reading a Christian Creed,” 1998) and “Perspektiv pa prästfort-bildningen” (“Perspectives on Continued Pastoral Education,” 1996).

Jackelén received a master’s degree in theology from Uppsala University in Sweden in 1979, and a doctorate degree in theology from Lund University in 1999. She earned diplomas in leadership for woman and church leadership from the Church of Sweden in 1990 and 1993.

The Goshen College Conference on Science and Religion is unique in that undergraduates are also registrants. “The discussions flow at a very high level, but our students are prepared,” said Helrich.

The conference is planned to maximize interaction between the participants and Jackelén. Most of the conference will be devoted to moderated discussion with Jackelén, dealing directly with the lecture topics and Jackelén’s thoughts on related issues. Participants share meals together as an integral part of the conference. Registration is limited; cost for the entire weekend is $100, including all meals. There is no charge for either of the public lectures.

The annual Science and Religion conference is sponsored by the Miller-Jeschke Program for Christian Faith and the Natural Sciences. The program, founded by Elizabeth (Miller) Jeschke, aims to stimulate conversation and scholarship in an area often heavily influenced by secular thinking. All Miller-Jeschke funds will be used to pay for new programs in the natural science or Bible, religion and philosophy departments, including prominent guest lecturers, faculty development grants, an annual award for a student paper on science and faith, student or faculty summer research internships and future conferences.

For more information or to register, contact Doris Yoder at (574) 535-7305.

Goshen College is a national liberal arts college known for leadership in international education, service-learning and peace and justice issues in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program and exceptional educational value, GC serves about 1,000 students in both traditional and nontraditional programs. The college earned citations of excellence among U.S.News & World Report and Barron’s Best Buys in Higher Education. For more information, visit www.goshen.edu/.

Editors: For information, contact Jodi Hochstedler at (574) 535-7572 or jodih@goshen.edu.

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