First Parish Unitarian UniversalistHoly Evolution! Discussion Group
Three Tuesday evenings: March 30, April 6, and April 13
7 - 9 PM at First Parish
"The religion that is afraid of science dishonors God."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
– from the cover of Thank God for Evolution, by Michael Dowd
Join Brian Shoemaker for three stimulating, discussion-filled evenings exploring some of the concepts raised in the October sermon, "Thank God for Evolution."
- Why do fundamentalists feel so threatened by scientific theories such as evolutionary biology?
- What are the scientific concepts of changing reality?
- How can we recognize objective and subjective approaches to telling the same stories of existence?
- What do we mean by "nested creativity," and how does it lead us to a sense of the holy?
- How does evolutionary understanding help us grasp and master our own inner tendencies?
- Religion is often thought of as a great source of comfort in the face of tragedy. How can we recognize the solace of evolutionary thinking — even to the point of recognizing that death is a natural, necessary, and generative part of existence?
Come with plenty of questions and a willingness to discuss. Suggested preparation (any of the following):
- Listen to any of the online audios posted on either The Great Story or Thank God for Evolution websites.
- Watch one or more of the Michael Dowd/Connie Barlow DVD: "The Great Story," "Celebrating Evolution," "Evolutionary Christianity," and "Thank God for Evolution." (Brian has copies of these.)
Contact Brian Shoemaker if you have questions or to register for the class.