Metanexus Institute
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The Metanexus Institute, formally named the Metanexus Institute on Religion and Science [1] and formerly known as the Philadelphia Center for Religion and Science, is a Philadelphia-based educational center that promotes the engagement between science and religion. It seeks to advance research, education and outreach on the interplay of religion and science. The Institute was founded by William Grassie, who served as its executive director until the Fall of 2006. The current executive director is Eric Weislogel. [2] Weislogel is also director of the Metanexus Local Society Initiative [3], with over 200 groups active in more than 36 countries.
The Institute describes itself as "a growing network of individuals and groups exploring the dynamic interface between cosmos, nature and culture in communities and campuses throughout the world. Metanexus sponsors lectures, workshops, research, courses, grants, and publications. Projects include the Local Societies Initiative, the Templeton Research Lectures, the Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Project, and other projects. Metanexus hosts an online magazine and discussion forum with over 180,000 monthly page views and 7000 regular subscribers in 57 different countries."
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[edit] Science and Religion
Metanexus Institute proposes an innovative meaning of the term "science and religion dialogue." As executive director Eric Weislogel writes: [4]
What goes by the name of the Science and Religion dialogue is itself neither scientific nor religious, but philosophical, metaphysical, ethical, and, therefore, institutional. To this way of conceiving the matter, the S&R dialogue and the movement that fosters it ends up being about academic praxis. The pursuit of S&R dialogue is an indicator of academic and educational problems calling for academic and educational solutions...
The truly constructive engagement of science and religion is not some idiosyncratic academic sideline. Rather, what we mean by the “science and religion dialogue” is short-hand for the essence of liberal, humane, integrated education—education that not only is internally integrated but that is also integrated with the whole of life. It is the attempt to get "the whole story of the whole cosmos for the whole person."
[edit] Publication
The institute publishes the online "Global Spiral", which accepts submissions for essays, commentaries, and book reviews.
The Global Spiral became one of the common venues for the publishing of reviews of books published by leading intelligent design proponents, many of them critical, and the responses of those authors to these reviews. From 1999 through 2003 the publication was one of the hot spots in the debate over intelligent design, featuring articles by leading proponents and critics like William A. Dembski and Matt Young, and its archive is still heavily referenced by current debate participants [5]. Founder William Grassie joined the debate with his article critical of ID, "Beyond Intelligent Design".
[edit] Projects
Metanexus Institute has hosted several research programs and conferences. These include:
- The "Amazing Light: Visions for Discovery" symposium in honor of Nobel Laureate and inventor of the laser Charles Townes, and featuring 18 other Nobel Laureates.
- The Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Program which seeks rigorous investigation on various aspects of the sociocultural, psychological and neurological factors that underlie the processes of spiritual transformations of individuals and groups.
- The Spiritual Capital Research Program, an interdisciplinary social scientific research initiative on the economic and social consequences of religion and spirituality.
