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On YouTube, watch here: https://youtu.be/pVP6BDFlMEU?si=Qqsk65MdtnRmeIz9

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share a discussion with the award-winning author of the 2025 ISSR Book Prize for Science and Religion, Francis Collins, for his 2024 book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust (Hachette Books). https://www.francisscollins.com/

In conversation with Francis is Ron Cole-Turner, with an introduction by the chair of the Prize Committee, Fraser Watts.

https://www.issr.org.uk/fellows/user/137/

Originating with a donation from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the ISSR Book Prize is intended to understand ‘religion’ broadly and seek excellence in content and communication. We seek to reward books that make a major contribution to the field, especially those with the potential to take it in new directions. We expect three books to be selected each year, one suitable for a general audience, one for an academic audience, and one for a professional audience. Each year there are three financial prizes of £500 for the winning authors presented to the winning authors at the American Academy of Religion’s (AAR) annual meeting. 

For more information about the Book Prize and to find out how to nominate books, please visit this link: https://www.issr.org.uk/projects/issr-annual-book-prize/

Each year, we have awarded three prizes in distinct categories: Academic, General, and Professional. 

ISSR is pleased to have awarded the following authors the 2025 ISSR Book Prize on Science and Religion:   

In the academic category, the prize goes to Emily Qureshi-Hurst for Salvation in the Block Universe: Time, Tillich, and Transformation (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

In the category of books for a general readership, the prize goes to Francis Collins for The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith and Trust (Little Brown & Worthy Books, 2024).

In the category of books for professionals and educators, the prize goes to Beth Singler for Religion and Artificial Intelligence: An Introduction (Routledge, 2024).

ISSR, a beacon of interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. 

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Assistant Director
www.issr.org.uk

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The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture Discussion, which was recorded live following the Premiere of the 2026 Boyle Lecture on YouTube on 16 April.  

Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the ISSR Boyle Lectures (available on our channel) have been offered online for all to listen to, learn from, and enjoy this most prestigious lecture series. These Digital Lectures have been followed by a Live Discussion on Zoom with the Lecturer, Respondent, and a panel of experts.

This year's discussion included:
Dr Iain McGilchrist
https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/

along with

Dr Mari van Emmerik 
https://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-mari-van-emmerik

Chris Oldfield
https://www.chrisoldfieldphilosophy.com/ 

Dr Marius Dorobantu
https://vu.nl/en/research/scientists/marius-dorobantu

Respondent the Revd Prof Michael J Reiss
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/48389-michael-reiss

and chairing, ISSR President Professor Niels Gregersen
https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/en/persons/niels-henrik-gregersen/

The original Boyle Lectures were given as a series of sermons at several churches in London and Westminster following their establishment in 1692. The ‘original Boyles’ lasted until about 1730, although sporadic later ‘Boyle Lectures’ continued to be given in the centuries since then. The lecture series was revived in 2004 at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London, where it continues to be hosted each year. 

The International Society for Science and Religion was founded in 2002 under the guidance of Sir John Templeton to promote education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the field of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-(non)faith context. To find out more about ISSR, please visit our website here: https://www.issr.org.uk/

ISSR is thankful to all who continue to make the Boyle Lectures possible each year. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Assistant Director
www.issr.org.uk

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The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the ISSR 2026 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion, which was given by Dr Iain McGilchrist, on:

“God, the Brain, and the nature of Truth”

This year's Response was given by The Revd Professor Michael J Reiss, Professor and Chair of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University College London.

The original Boyle Lectures were given as a series of sermons at several churches in London and Westminster following their establishment in 1692. The ‘original Boyles’ lasted until about 1730, although sporadic later ‘Boyle Lectures’ continued to be given in the centuries since then. The lecture series was revived in 2004 at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London, where it continues to be hosted each year. We are grateful to St Mary-le-Bow, the Rector Fr Simon Cuff, the Parish Council, the Boyle family, and the Boyle Lecture Trustees for their continued support and guidance. 

Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Boyle Lectures (available on our channel) have been offered online for all to listen to, learn from, and enjoy this most prestigious lecture series. 

Prior Boyle Lectures before 2021 can be found on St Mary-le-Bow’s YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/stmarylebow

The International Society for Science and Religion was founded in 2002 under the guidance of Sir John Templeton to promote education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the field of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-(non)faith context. To find out more about ISSR, please visit our website here: https://www.issr.org.uk/

ISSR is thankful to all who continue to make the Boyle Lectures possible each year. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Assistant Director
www.issr.org.uk

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Welcome back to the ISSR YouTube channel and ISSR’s In Conversation series. ISSR In Conversation is a discussion series in which ISSR Fellows discuss topics related to their work and developments in the academic field of science and religion. 

In this episode, the pedagogy of science and religion, and the classroom context, are discussed. This episode will be especially interesting to anyone who engages with teaching in this field, or anyone interested in how science and religion are taught at the university level in different geographic and cultural environments.

In conversation in this episode are: 

Jörg Matthias Determann is a Professor of History in the Liberal Arts & Sciences program at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, specializing in the history of science, technology, and scholarship in the modern Middle East. 
https://qatar.vcu.edu/our-faculty/dr-jorg-matthias-determann/

and

Shoaib Ahmed Malik, a Lecturer in Science and Religion in the School of Divinity at New College, University of Edinburgh, is working at the intersection of Islamic theology and the contemporary sciences. 
https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/shoaib-ahmed-malik

If you enjoy this content and want to see or hear more, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us keep content like this coming. This is also available on most major podcast services, so consider subscribing if you enjoy listening on the go. 

https://youtu.be/iOJPmM3szf8

Please enjoy this episode.

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

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Re-Uploaded from 2022

Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation series. ISSR In Conversation is a discussion series in which ISSR Fellows discuss topics related to their work and the happenings in the academic field of science and religion. If you enjoy this content and want to see or hear more, please consider hitting the like button and subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us keep content like this coming. This is also available on most major podcast services, so do consider subscribing to the podcast if you enjoy listening while on the go. You can access the YouTube video directly using this link: https://youtu.be/Ef4BeA79Chg

In this episode, Prof Robin Dunbar discusses his 2022 book, How Religion Evolved: And Why It Endures, with Dr Miguel Farias. A rich mix of storytelling and insights into the book, Dunbar and Farias engage in a lively and thoroughly enjoyable conversation about life, motivations, experimental psychology, and, of course, the psychology and anthropology of religion. 

In conversation are: 
Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology Robin Dunbar - https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/people/robin-dunbar
Dr Miguel Farias - https://pureportal.coventry.ac.uk/en/persons/miguel-farias/ 


ISSR was founded to promote education through inter-disciplinary learning and research in the field of "science and religion" (broadly conceived), conducted in an international and multi-(or non-) faith context. For more information about us, please visit our website at https://www.issr.org.uk 

Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel.

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

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Re-Uploaded from 2021

Welcome back to the ISSR Podcast.

I am pleased to be (re)introducing you to this special episode on the late John Polkinghorne. John was the founding President of ISSR, and his involvement in the field of science and religion cannot be understated. His intellectual work has been a source of ongoing discussion over the years and remains so today, as you will see here. John was a professor of theoretical physics at Cambridge University until 1979, when he resigned from that prestigious position to pursue theology, entering the priesthood in 1982. A prolific writer, he authored over 30 books, exploring in depth the relationship between the discoveries of modern physics and the doctrines of the Christian faith.

In 1989, he became President of Queens' College, Cambridge, a position he held until he retired in 1996. The next year, in 1997, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for distinguished service to science, religion, learning and medical ethics. In 2002, he received the prestigious Templeton Prize in recognition of his modern and compelling treatment of theology as a complement to natural science, which, when viewed together, offer what he called a “binocular” vision of the truth. That same year, ISSR was founded, with John as Founding President.

We had a number of speakers present for the event, and all gave thoughtful reflections and respectful criticism of John’s life, work and influence. In Conversation for this episode are:

Michael J Reiss, Professor of Science Education at the Institute of Education, University College London. Prof Reiss is also past president of ISSR.
https://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/pr...

Mark Harris is Professor and Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre in Science and Religion at Oxford University.
https://www.theology.ox.ac.uk/people/...

Michael Welker is Senior Professor of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Heidelberg
https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/fakulta...

Nicholas Saunders is a barrister and former lecturer at Cambridge University.
https://www.faraday.cam.ac.uk/about/p...

Nicholas

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The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share the Plenary talks from the ISSR 2025 Summer Conference, titled "Ecology between Religions and Sciences: Minds and Bodies in Nature."

The fourth talk in this series was given by Panu Pihkala, adjunct professor of environmental theology in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki. His talk was titled "Environmental emotions, attitudes, and religion". 

This was the fourth of seven Plenary talks at the conference, which publicly launched ISSR's new priority research area on ecology and the environment engaged from the field of science and religion. It was designed to encourage growth on a wide range of topics relevant to religious and scientific engagements with environmental/ecological issues from interdisciplinary angles, including:

• The role of the natural, social, and human sciences in current discourse about climate change

• Diverse religious approaches to environmental issues in world faith traditions, and their history and sociology;

• The relationship between worldview beliefs and environmental emotions, anxieties, actions and commitments;

• Eco-theologies and conceptualizations of the environment;

• Pedagogies of environmental awareness,

• Experiences of nature and official discourses in religious and scientific environmentalisms;

• Planetary intelligence and environmental sensitivity in relation to spiritual intelligence. 

View the rest of the Plenary talks in the playlist here:   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJNG998NhMIMYQnpl2ZDdUFDTMKHs2gl&si=4pqgAvid0y6w7eGh

We hope that you enjoy and take away positive lessons from these deeply engaging and inspiring talks. These seven Plenary talks comprise a playlist featuring leading thinkers in the field of science and religion who engage with ecological and environmental issues. 

ISSR, the premier academic society focused on interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. We invite you to learn more about us and consider becoming an Associate member by visiting our website: https://www.issr.org.uk.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk


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You can listen to the YouTube version here: https://youtu.be/U--QBn4Glwg

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share the Plenary talks from the ISSR 2025 Summer Conference, titled "Ecology between Religions and Sciences: Minds and Bodies in Nature."

The third talk in this series was given by Niels Henrik Gregersen, Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Copenhagen. His talk was titled "Three Irreducible Aspects of Ecology: Alterity, Power, and Entanglement". 

This was the third of seven Plenary talks at the conference, which publicly launched ISSR's new priority research area on ecology and the environment. It was designed to engage with a wide range of topics relevant to religious engagements with environmental/ecological issues, including:

• The role of the natural, social, and human sciences in current discourse about climate change

• Diverse religious approaches to environmental issues in world faith traditions, and their history and sociology;

• The relationship between worldview beliefs and environmental emotions, anxieties, actions and commitments;

• Eco-theologies and conceptualizations of the environment;

• Pedagogies of environmental awareness,

• Experiences of nature and official discourses in religious and scientific environmentalisms;

• Planetary intelligence and environmental sensitivity in relation to spiritual intelligence. 

View the rest of the Plenary talks in the playlist here:   https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJNG998NhMIMYQnpl2ZDdUFDTMKHs2gl&si=4pqgAvid0y6w7eGh

We hope that you enjoy and take away positive lessons from these deeply engaging and inspiring talks. These seven Plenary talks comprise a playlist featuring leading thinkers in the field of science and religion who engage with ecological and environmental issues. 

ISSR, the premier academic society focused on interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. We invite you to learn more about us and consider becoming an Associate member by visiting our website: https://www.issr.org.uk.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Watch the YouTube version here: https://youtu.be/NJAza_N9SpU

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share the Plenary talks from the ISSR 2025 Summer Conference, titled "Ecology between Religions and Sciences: Minds and Bodies in Nature."

The second talk in this series was given by Susan P Bratton, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at Baylor University. Her talk was titled "Religion, scientific ecology, and environmental problem solving: Shared worldviews, constructive cooperation, separation, or conflict?". 

This was the second of seven Plenary talks at the conference, which publicly launched ISSR's new priority research area on ecology and the environment. It was designed to engage with a wide range of topics relevant to religious engagements with environmental/ecological issues, including:

• The role of the natural, social, and human sciences in current discourse about climate change

• Diverse religious approaches to environmental issues in world faith traditions, and their history and sociology;

• The relationship between worldview beliefs and environmental emotions, anxieties, actions and commitments;

• Eco-theologies and conceptualizations of the environment;

• Pedagogies of environmental awareness,

• Experiences of nature and official discourses in religious and scientific environmentalisms;

• Planetary intelligence and environmental sensitivity in relation to spiritual intelligence. 

View the rest of the Plenary talks in the playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJNG998NhMIMYQnpl2ZDdUFDTMKHs2gl

We hope that you enjoy and take away positive lessons from these deeply engaging and inspiring talks. The seven Plenary talks comprise a playlist featuring leading thinkers in the field of science and religion who engage with ecological and environmental issues. 

ISSR, the premier academic society focused on interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. We invite you to learn more about us and consider becoming an Associate member by visiting our website: https://www.issr.org.uk.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

You can watch the YouTube version here: https://youtu.be/oz42NeALXKE?si=-9GjOWwV1oou7Gpd 

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share the Plenary talks from the ISSR 2025 Summer Conference, titled "Ecology between Religions and Sciences: Minds and Bodies in Nature."

The first talk in this series was given by Mike Hulme, Professor of Human Geography and Fellow, as well as Director of Studies in Geography at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge. His talk was titled "Climate, Ecological, and Social Crises – Scientific and Religious Perspectives".

A Response to the talk was given by Celia Deane-Drummond, Senior Research Fellow in Theology, and Director of the Laudato Si Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford.

This was the first of seven Plenary talks at the conference, which publicly launched ISSR's new priority research area on ecology and the environment. It was designed to engage with a wide range of topics relevant to religious engagements with environmental/ecological issues, including:

• The role of the natural, social, and human sciences in current discourse about climate change

• Diverse religious approaches to environmental issues in world faith traditions, and their history and sociology;

• The relationship between worldview beliefs and environmental emotions, anxieties, actions and commitments;

• Eco-theologies and conceptualizations of the environment;

• Pedagogies of environmental awareness,

• Experiences of nature and official discourses in religious and scientific environmentalisms;

• Planetary intelligence and environmental sensitivity in relation to spiritual intelligence.

We hope that you enjoy and take away positive lessons from these deeply engaging and inspiring talks. The seven Plenary talks comprise a playlist featuring leading thinkers in the field of science and religion who engage with ecological and environmental issues.

ISSR, a beacon of interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, was established with a global and multi-faith perspective. We invite you to learn more about us and consider becoming an Associate member by visiting our website: https://www.issr.org.uk.

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you next time on the ISSR YouTube channel. 

Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonyknairn.ca
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

Support the show