Scientists sometimes complain about the introduction of religious ideas into science. But many scientists, especially evolutionary biologists, blatantly introduce materialism into science. In fact neither theism nor materialism are entailed by science. They are philosophical views, and materialism is a highly disputed and problematic philosophical theory, not supported by any major classical philosopher. Many eminent scientists confuse science and philosophy, commit themselves to materialism without seriously considering its problems, and make ill-considered remarks about religion, largely based on the anti-scientific beliefs of a minority of extremist Christians. Creationism should not be taught as science; but neither should materialism. It is time for some scientists to see that their allegedly purely scientific views are often founded on blind prejudice and culpable misunderstanding.

Professor Ward's lecture will be followed by a response by The Revd Dr John Polkinghorne ScD KBE DRS

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Audio and Video are available either streamed or to download.

Prof Ward is Gresham Professor of Divinity - a dead give-away. And they've thrown in Polkinghorne as the ex-physicist Christian.

Thing is, they're setting up a man of straw to then knock down. As a former physicist it was obvious from the age of about 15 that the idea of matter, of solid stuff, was out-dated. Many phenomena, such as photons, are not considered to be matter as they have no rest mass. A harder target for our learned doctors of divinity would be either physicalism or naturalism, both of which take the position that anything that can be meaningfully said to exist has to manifest itself in the natural world. If it doesn't, like God, angels, flying teapots, then it's either a figment of the imagination, a mental delusion or a metaphysical construct... or all three.

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