A fantastic opportunity to learn about science and faith from an expert in the field.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://biologos.org/blogs/jim-stump-faith-and-science-seeking-understanding/new-free-online-course-on-science-and-religion-by-denis-lamoureux
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Minor correction: A MOOC is a "Massive Open Online Course."
Not a “Massively Open Online Course.”
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This course is a massive tour de force on the part of Denis Lamoureux. Those who were present at the Spring 2017 BioLogos meeting in Houston were generously offered a free copy of Denis’ latest book, Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes. Chapter 9 in that book gives poignant student testimonies of the effect of his teaching.
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This course starts TODAY (September 25). I’m sure that late registration is possible, but it’s best to keep up with your classmates, so register today. There are discussion boards available. @still_learning This course would be perfect for you!
I visited Dr. Lamoureux last week, precisely in order to see him in the classroom and to learn about his MOOC. The latter is based on many years of classroom teaching, though in recent years he has “flipped” the classroom to put less emphasis on live lectures, which he uses mainly or entirely to review things that students have learned from recorded slide lectures they have listened to in the week since their previous live lecture. It’s a very impressive course that has been shown to be highly effective in reaching the course objectives, much more effective than traditional lecture courses.
In some ways I envy Dr. Lamoureux’s local situation. Because he teaches at a Roman Catholic college that is located at the geographical center of a major secular research university (i.e., smack in the middle of campus at the U of Alberta, on privately owned land), his students include both religious believers (Christians and others) and unbelievers, including some self-identified atheists. They all learn a great deal about “science and religion,” in an atmosphere of mutual respect for diverse viewpoints. He isn’t shy to express his Christian faith, or to explain and defend specific Christian beliefs, but he also very clearly brackets his personal beliefs from formal academic content: students are repeatedly cautioned not to channel him, unless they actually agree with a specific personal point he made in the course. Rather, students are expected to master the academic content (based on the best scholarly work in religion, history and philosophy of science, and several of the natural sciences) and encouraged to formulate their own personal understanding(s) of the issues and questions, based on their own individuals worldview(s).
The combination of innovative teaching methods and diverse audience (here I use the word “diverse” to mean religiously and philosophically diversity, a very meaningful type of diversity that is often ignored by secular university curricula, not ethnic diversity, even though the class I attended was certainly ethnically diverse) might be unique in the field of science and religion.
I unreservedly recommend his online course to all readers of BioLogos.
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Cool, thanks for the heads up.
The course is really free. I would like that. Will I need to buy a text? Please let me know.
You’ll need to contact Denis Lamoureux directly. It’s not a course offered by BioLogos; we were just promoting it.
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I wish to thank you for the information. God bless you, fellow historian.
Dr. Lamoureaux’s course is very interesting. I wish to thank you for introducing it to me.
Edward
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