About the Fellowship
Do science and religion have to be at war with each other? Francis Collins doesn't think so. As head of the Human Genome Project, he has a distinguished track record as a gene hunter. He's also an evangelical Christian who believes in miracles. But biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins says religion can never be reconciled with science. SEGMENT 1: Steve Paulson immmersed himself in the subject of science and religion as one of this year's Templeton-Cambridge Fellows. He filed this report on his experience at Cambridge University with comments from philosopher Ken Wilber, socio-biologist E.O. Wilson, popular writer on the history of religion, Karen Armstrong and evolutionary biologist and atheist, Richard Dawkins. SEGMENT 2: We hear some opinions of ordinary people on the relative importance of science and religion. Also, Jim Fleming talks with Rebecca Goldstein, author of "Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity." Goldstein explains how Spinoza envisioned God and why his conception appealed to later scientists like Einstein. Also, Francis Collins is one of America's most prominent scientists, longtime head of the Human Genome Project and author of "The Language of God." He's also a Christian and talked with Steve Paulson about his conversion and what it's meant for his beliefs about science and religion. Collins also sings and plays the guitar. We hear a bit of his version of "All the Good People" in honor of the genome's promise for curing rare diseases. SEGMENT 3: Wicca or Neo-paganism began as a movement to recreate pre-Christian nature religions. It turns out to be just what a lot of scientists are looking for. Anne Strainchamps prepared this report on the growing popularity of Wicca. We hear from Ronald Hutton, a historian of paganism and author of "Triumph of the Moon," and from Margot Adler, NPR's New York Bureau Chief and author of "Drawing Down the Moon." We also hear from Wicca practitioners in Wisconsin and Scotland.
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