'Natural Theology and Arguements ... "& "Geology, Cosmology and ..."

Lectures 8 and 9 out of the 12 part DVD Lecture Series, "Science and Religion"

"Natural Theology and Arguements from Design"
The world is full of wondrous things that evoke our admiration. Some authors, accordingly, have used the natural world to argue the existence of the deity. Indeed, for centuries, the study of the natural world was seen as, in part, a devotional act. This lecture examines the emergence of and content of 'natural theology', especially in England in the 18th and 19th centuries and the important shift it witnesses from a personally devotional aspect science into an expressly apologetic one. Recently, 'intelligent design' (ID) has appeared as a further step in the track of natural theology. This lecture looks at the historical features of both approaches and their limitations.

"Geology, Cosmology and Biblical Chronology"
How old is the Earth and the Universe? One can count backwards through the biblical begats to get a figure, but late-18th century geology began to reveal a vastly older Earth. This lecture attempts to date the Earth, the hints that it is vastly older than the bible implies and the responses from religious figures to this redating. Similiarly, cosmogonic (origin of the Universe) speculation has involved both scientific and theological minds equally over time. Significantly, the historical "battle lines" between rival interpretations of both the Earth's and the Universe's ages and origins do not map out on simple religion/science lines bur, instead, reveal a more complex picture rooted largely in social and professional differences.