Purpose

The purpose of the Forum is to promote the mutual dialogue between theology and the natural sciences on questions involving both fields. On the one hand, these are questions concerning the understanding of nature. For example: What is the relation between the doctrine of creation and physical cosmology? How should theology relate to the theory of evolution? What is the relation between theological anthropology and the scientific study of homo sapiens ? On the other hand, these are ethical questions evoked by the sciences and technology, for example the ethical problems associated with the application of gene technology to human beings.

The dialogue between theology and the sciences is not possible unless all parties acquire an elementary knowledge of each others’ disciplines. Therefore an important part of the Forum's activities consists of information about what is going on in the different fields. Moreover, there is room for additional perspectives besides theological and scientific ones, which may enrich or mediate the discussion. This refers primarily to philosophy and the philosophy of science, both with regard to the interpretation of the world and with regard to ethics. Finally we are concerned that the current dialogue be seen in the context of the historical development of the relationship between theology and science.