Announcement List for the Virginia Atheists & Agnostics

[John Kubinski <>]

Hey Everyone,

Below is information about a discussion group on faith and science held at the Christian Study Center (on Chancellor street by the corner.) I've attended the group a lot during my time here, and have really enjoyed the chance it allows to engage Christians. Atheists are very welcome to attend and offer up their views, and they've explicitly asked for VAAers to come down and join the conversation.

This biweekly group meets this Friday for the first time. I will be there, so do join me if it pleases you.

Thanks,

John

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bill Wilder <>
Date: Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 7:55 AM
Subject: Faith & Science group: body and soul, mind and brain
To: FRSR 2012-13 <>

Dear conversation partners in faith and science:

It’s time to reconvene our Faith, Reason, and Science reading group. I’m looking forward to another year of stimulating, scintillating discussion with you!

Here’s the plan. We’ll meet, as we usually do, on every other Friday from 4-5pm here at the Center for Christian Study. Let’s begin this Friday, Sept 14. I expect there will be doughnuts and coffee (as usual too) unless someone has a special request.

I’ve also been thinking a bit about the reading. Over the past few years we’ve talked a lot about issues in biology (such as evolution) and physics (such as the anthropic principle). I think it would be interesting to turn our attention to the mind-body problem (a discussion we began in some ways even last semester).

With that in mind I’ve attached the first chapter of a book entitled In Search of the Soul: Four Views of the Mind-Body Problem. The science being engaged is mainly neuroscience. The faith component is the Christian conviction (held by all the contributors) that God has a future for our bodies and/or souls. The four views represented are substance dualism, emergent dualism, nonreductive physicalism, and the constitution view of persons.

You’ll notice that I’ve attached the first chapter as a pdf. Do try to read this by Friday, but please feel free to come in any case. We’ll have someone summarize the chapter at the beginning and then launch into our conversation.

Finally, spread the word and bring a friend! I’ll hope to see you on Friday.

Best to you,

Bill


--
William N. Wilder, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Center for Christian Study
128 Chancellor Street
Charlottesville, VA 22903

434.817.1050 (work)
434.984.9192 (voicemail)

Attachment: Body and Soul.pdf
Description: Binary data