charles darwin 

Charles DarwinJohn J. Reilly Center
University of Notre Dame
Indiana, U.S.A.

November 1-3, 2009

"In order to move forward, we must examine more closely both the creation account and also the idea of evolution..." This remark by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger from a 1968 talk in Germany appears in the Foreword of Creation and Evolution, the proceedings of Pope Benedict's 2006 conference of that title with a select group of his former students. "Belief in creation does not tell us what the meaning of the world is but only that there is one...To believe in creation means to understand, in faith, the world of becoming revealed by science as a meaningful world that comes from a creative mind."

And what does it mean to believe in evolution? "The theory of evolution does not invalidate the faith, nor does it corroborate it..." We do not discount science, because it offers us vast knowledge and advancement. But it is limited knowledge, and cannot explain creation and answer man's ultimate questions.

The union of faith and science in the quest to understand how God relates to the world in creation and providence is at the heart of the "new humanism" of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It is also the focus of this conference.

How does evolutionary theory affect contemporary issues in society? Where does evolution fit in the human sciences? How do we reconcile theology, philosophy, evolution, social thought and providence? These and other pressing contemporary issues will be the focus of an interdisciplinary discussion at the University of Notre Dame's John J. Reilly Center in November 2009.

Sunday, November 1
04:00 pm Opening Keynote Address
05:30 pm Dinner and Reception 

Monday, November 2
09:00 am Opening Session:  "New Directions in Evolutionary Theory:"
10:45 am Evolution and the Human Sciences
12:30 pm Lunch
02:00 pm Contributed Paper Sessions
04:00 pm Evolution, Theology,  and Providence
06:00 pm Dinner
08:00 pm Contributed Paper Sessions
09:30 pm Wine and Cheese Reception

Tuesday November 3
09:00 am Evolution and Philosophy: Directions for Future Dialogue
10:45 am Evolution, Philosophy and Social Thought
12:15 pm Lunch
01:30 pm Evolution and Contemporary Issues
Evolution and the  Environmental Crisis
Evolutionary Approaches to Disease
4:00 pm Closing Keynote Address