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Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation, a discussion series where ISSR Fellows discuss topics on and 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 YouTube, you can access the ISSR channel by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/@ISSR

ISSR has recently completed a large grant generously funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation titled, Understanding Spiritual Intelligence (SI for short). This video is part of a four-part series, recorded on Zoom between 28 June and 10 July 2023. This series arises from the conclusion of the SI grant and the research done for it, from which a few of the keynote presentations will be posted to our channels in the coming months. In the wake of the 2023 ISSR summer conference on Artificial and Spiritual Intelligence, the speakers in this series were critical in bringing together the research and deliverables for this project. 

You can read more about the SI project here: https://www.issr.org.uk/projects/understanding-spiritual-intelligence/ 

This final part, presented live on Zoom on 10 July 2023, titled, Paying Attention to Spiritual Meanings: Modelling Spiritual Practices using Interacting Cognitive Subsystems, begins with an introduction from ISSR Executive Secretary Fraser Watts. 

The developer of the cognitive architecture used for the grant project, Philip Barnard, then provides an in-depth presentation of his architectural design and insights into the process, among many other interesting details.  

This is then followed by responses by both John Teasdale and Fraser Watts, after which an open discussion with the audience takes place. 

http://www.fraserwatts.co.uk/
https://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/people/phil.barnard/
https://www.guilford.com/author/John-Teasdale

ISSR was founded for the promotion of 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 or to become an Associate member, please visit our website at https://www.issr.org.uk 

Follow us on X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/the_issr  

Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel. 

Anthony K Nairn 
https://anthonynairn.com/ 
ISSR Executive Assistant 
https://www.issr.org.uk/

Send us a text

Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation, a discussion series where ISSR Fellows discuss topics on and 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 podcast directly using this link: https://issrpodcast.buzzsprout.com 

ISSR has recently completed a large grant generously funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation titled, Understanding Spiritual Intelligence (SI for short). This video is part of a four-part series, recorded on Zoom between 28 June and 10 July 2023. This series arises from the conclusion of the SI grant and the research done for it. In the wake of the 2023 ISSR summer conference on Artificial and Spiritual Intelligence, the speakers in this series were critical in bringing together the research and deliverables for this project.

You can read more about the SI project here: https://www.issr.org.uk/projects/unde...

This third part, presented live on Zoom on 05 July 2023, titled “Computational Modelling of Friendship using the Affinity Program”, begins with ISSR Executive Secretary Fraser Watts providing some brief introductions, which is followed by the presentation of the Affinity Program demo and details by William Clocksin. This is then followed by a discussion which includes members in attendance that day.

http://www.fraserwatts.co.uk/ 
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...

ISSR was founded for the promotion of 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 or to become an Associate member, please visit our website at

Send us a text

Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation, a discussion series where ISSR Fellows discuss topics on and 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 YouTube, so do consider subscribing to our YouTube channel if you enjoy listening while on the go. You can access our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ISSR

ISSR has recently completed a large grant generously funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation titled, Understanding Spiritual Intelligence (SI for short). This four-part series, which was recorded on Zoom between 28 June and 10 July 2023, arises from the conclusion of the SI grant and the research done for it. In the wake of the 2023 ISSR summer conference on Artificial and Spiritual Intelligence, the speakers in this series were critical in bringing together the research and deliverables for this project. 

This second part, presented live on Zoom on 03 July 2023, titled  Spiritual Conversations with Companion Machines, begins with ISSR Executive Secretary Fraser Watts providing a detailed overview of the late Yorick Wilks’ work for the project on spiritual companions. Wilks, a computer scientist, unfortunately, died late in the project but was a central figure in the grant. 

Then, the methodology of the project is provided by Roberta Catizone, who explains how the “Wizard of Oz” method, using Chat GPT-3, was implemented into a study using participants and a virtual spiritual companion. 

The results of this study are detailed by Fraser Watts in his discussion on the empirical data of spiritual conversations with the machines developed by Wilks and Catizone. 

A linguistic analysis of the participant research is provided by Gregory Grefenstette, and then to lead the open questions period, William Clocksin opens the floor leading the discussion. 

http://www.fraserwatts.co.uk/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorick_Wilks
https://www.ihmc.us/groups/rcatizone/
https://www.ihmc.us/groups/gregory-grefenstette/
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/William-Clocksin

ISSR was founded for the promotion of 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 or to become an Associate member, please visit our website at https://www.issr.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_issr 

Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel. 

Anthony K Nairn 
https://anthonynairn.com/
ISSR Executive Assistant 
https://www.issr.org.uk/

Send us a text

Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation, a discussion series where ISSR Fellows discuss topics on and 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 podcast directly using this link: https://issrpodcast.buzzsprout.com 


ISSR has recently completed a large grant generously funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation titled, Understanding Spiritual Intelligence (SI for short). This four-part series, which was recorded on Zoom between 28 June and 10 July 2023, arises from the conclusion of the SI grant and the research done for it. In the wake of the 2023 ISSR summer conference on Artificial and Spiritual Intelligence, the speakers in this series were critical in bringing together the research and deliverables for this project. 


This first part, titled Spiritual Intelligence - the very idea, has ISSR Executive Secretary Fraser Watts provide an overview of the project and offer some detail on the motivations and challenges of the project. 
http://www.fraserwatts.co.uk/


Then, ISSR Fellow Marius Dorobantu provides interesting context to the idea of artificial intelligence, theology, and the challenges and problems raised by general artificial intelligence having spiritual intelligence. 
https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/marius-dorobantu


It concludes with ISSR Fellow Harris Wiseman offering some discussion questions for both Fraser and Marius. 
http://epiphanyphilosophers.org/ep-history/principal-players/harris-wiseman/


ISSR was founded for the promotion of 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 or to become an Associate member, please visit our website at https://www.issr.org.uk 


Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_issr


Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel.


Anthony K Nairn
www.anthonynairn.com
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.issr.org.uk

Send us a text

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to share a discussion with the award-winning authors for the 2022 ISSR Book Prize for Science and Religion. 

Funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the ISSR Book Prize is intended to understand ‘religion’ broadly and to seek for excellence in both content and communication. We seek to reward books that make a major contribution to the field, especially if they have the potential to take the field into new directions. We expect that three books will be selected each year, with one suitable for a general audience (‘the public’), one for an academic audience, and one for a professional audience (e.g. ministers/pastors, or school teachers). Each year there are three financial prizes of £500 for the winning authors (each financial prize can be shared in the event of there being two co-authors) presented to the winning authors (originally at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion). 

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 2022 ISSR Book Prize on Science and Religion:   

In the academic category, Shoaib Ahmed Malik for Islam and Evolution: Al-Ghazali and the Modern Evolutionary Paradigm, 2021, from Routledge. 
https://www.albalaghacademy.org/ustaad/dr-shoaib-ahmed-malik/
https://www.routledge.com/Islam-and-Evolution-Al-Ghazali-and-the-Modern-Evolutionary-Paradigm/Malik/p/book/9781032026572 

In the general readership category, John Lardas Modern, for Neuromatic, or A Particular History of Religion and the Brain, 2021, from University of Chicago Press.
https://www.fandm.edu/john-modern
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/N/bo105080439.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNeuromatic%20is%20a%20fascinating%20exploration,the%20cave%20of%20the%20skull.%E2%80%9D

 
And in the category of professionals and educators, Calvin Mercer and Tracy Trothen for their book, Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism, 2021, from Palgrave Macmillan. 
https://religionprogram.ecu.edu/calvin-mercer-phd/
https://www.queensu.ca/religion/people/faculty/tracy-j-trothen
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-62359-3

ISSR was founded for the promotion of education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-faith context. For more information about us or to become an Associate member, please visit our website here: https://www.issr.org.uk

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(Originally released 28 April 2022)

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to offer the second episode of our "In Conversation" series, a discussion between two academics on topics currently being worked on by Fellows of the ISSR.

Our second episode focuses on an interesting field of study in the academy, and one that has become an increasingly active area of interest--AI and religion. In Conversation to discuss AI and religion are ISSR Fellows Dr. Beth Singler and Prof Robert Geraci.

Dr Beth Singler is Junior Research Fellow in Artificial Intelligence at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. You can visit her website here: https://bvlsingler.com/

Prof Robert Geraci is Professor of Religious Studies at Manhatten College in NYC. You can visit his website here: https://robertgeraci.com/

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

Thank you for watching the ISSR YouTube Channel.

Anthony K Nairn
ISSR Executive Assistant
www.anthonynairn.com

Send us a text

Welcome back to ISSR’s In Conversation series. ISSR In Conversation is a discussion series, where ISSR Fellows discuss topics on and related to their work and the happenings in the academic field of science and religion. 

This episode is both a special one, and a sad one. On February 27th, 2023, ISSR Fellow Tom McLeish died after a short battle with serious illness. Tom was a major figure in the field of science and religion, having published two major contributions to the field called Faith and Wisdom in Science (2014) and The Poetry and Music of Science (2019), both of which I recommend reading. 

Tom was the 2019 ISSR Boyle Lecturer on Science and Religion, a prestigious annual lecture series that ISSR runs in collaboration with the Boyle family and St Mary-le-Bow church in London. Due to COVID-19, the lecture was moved online, but Tom did not let that get in the way. If you have not yet watched the 2021 Boyle Lecture, I highly recommend it. https://youtu.be/khYs4qJiS-Y 

Afterward, you could also watch the first post-lecture discussion where other scholars ask Tom questions about his Lecture, a first for the Boyle lectures and something we have kept going. https://youtu.be/8NsOVEbBO_o 

This episode then is a celebration of Tom, a reflection of his memory and work. You will hear presentations from highly respected people in the field of science and religion, from a range of disciplines, all of whom knew Tom both professionally and personally. In conversation are: 

ISSR Executive Secretary Fraser Watts - http://www.fraserwatts.co.uk/ 

Prof Christopher Southgate - https://theology.exeter.ac.uk/staff/southgate/ 

Prof Wilson Poon - https://www.ph.ed.ac.uk/people/wilson-poon 

Prof Mark Harris - https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/dr-mark-harris 

Dr Joanna Leidenhag - https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/philosophy/staff/3700/dr-joanna-leidenhag 

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

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_issr

Anthony K Nairn

www.anthonynairn.com

ISSR Executive Assistant

www.issr.org.uk

Send us a text

The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the  ISSR 2023 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion Discussion with Prof Fraser Watts, Dr. Harris Wiseman, Revd Dr. Joanna Collicutt, Lord Williams, and Revd Prof Michael Reiss. There were even a few audience questions. The aim of these Discussions is to go beyond the Lecture and push the Lecturer to reflect on and engage with thoughts on or related to their Lecture. 

What you are about to watch (or listen to) was recorded live after the YouTube Premiere of the Boyle Lecture on 23 March 2023, with the Boyle Lecture itself recorded on 13 February 2023 at St Mary-le-Bow Church in London. The Lecturer for 20230 (who was also the Respondent for Tom’s 2021 Lecture) was Lord Williams–Rowan on “Attending to Attention”. 

If you haven’t yet watched the ISSR 2023 Boyle Lecture, I would recommend you start there and watch this after. You can click the link on the screen, follow the link in the "playlist", or this link here: https://youtu.be/5u9WGaWTgU8

These and other ISSR videos are available on your favourite podcast app: https://issrpodcast.buzzsprout.com 

You can download the Digital Companion Booklet to the Lecture here: https://www.issr.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ISSR-2023-Boyle-Lecture-Companion-Booklet.pdf 

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 take be hosted each year. We are grateful to St Mary-le-Bow the Rector, Revd George Bush, the Parish Council, and the Boyle Lecture Trustees for their continued support and guidance. 

The first Live Discussion occurred in 2021 after the late Tom McLeish’s Boyle Lecture had to be put online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Attracting a large audience, Tom’s Lecture and Discussion helped cement the Lecture and this post-lecture discussion as an annual online feature of the Boyle Lectures and ISSR’s commitment to offering the public stimulating discussions on academic topics at the intersection of science and religion. 

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 for the promotion of education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-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.anthonynairn.com 
ISSR Executive Assistant 
www.issr.org.uk

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Our first episode focused on E O Wilson, who died on 26 December 2021. In Conversation to discuss Wilson and his work are ISSR Fellow, Michael Ruse, and ISSR President, Michael Reiss.  

This episode originally aired on 29 January 2022. 

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The International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) is pleased to present the 2023 Boyle Lecture on Science and Religion, given by The Rt Revd and Rt Hon the Lord (Rowan) Williams of Oystermouth, on the subject of:

“Attending to Attention”

The Response to the Lecture will be given by Dr John Teasdale, a distinguished psychologist and the author of What Happens in Mindfulness: Inner Awakening and Embodied Cognition.

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.

Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Boyle Lectures (available on our channel) have been offered online for all to listen, learn, 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 for the promotion of education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, conducted in an international and multi-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.anthonynairn.com
ISSR Executive Assistant 
www.issr.org.uk