First report from Origins ’09

Origins ’09 in Tallahassee has kicked off and here’s the first newspaper report: Hundreds turn out Tuesday night to hear Oxford scholar discuss science and religion

Greek philosophers Aristotle and Ptolemy believed nature and science were an integral part of religion. The premier scientist of the Middles Ages, Roger Bacon, viewed science in a theological context. Even Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution can be viewed as complementary to religion.

In short, said theologian Peter Harrison, the modern Western belief that science and religion are in opposition is misguided.

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More than 500 people packed historic First Presbyterian Church to listen to Harrison, with dozens sitting on the floor or listening from the foyer.

Harrison is a professor of science and religion at England’s University of Oxford. He has published three highly regarded books on religion, including the 2007 book, “The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science.”