Religion and Science
with Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour
Wednesdays, January 21st - March 11th, 2:30PM EST.
Tuition: $200
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After taking this class, students will be able to:
Understand how religion and science have shaped one another — from the Enlightenment to modern neuroscience — and how each influences the way we define truth, knowledge, and meaning.
Analyze historical and contemporary case studies such as evolution debates, artificial intelligence, and brain-based spirituality to see how ideas about the sacred and the scientific continue to collide and co-evolve.
Evaluate the major theories about the relationship between religion and science, including the Conflict, Independence, Dialogue, and Integration models, and apply them to real-world examples.
Discuss how scientific and religious ways of knowing interact, overlap, and sometimes challenge each other, revealing the cultural and philosophical assumptions behind both.
Gain a deeper appreciation for how religion and science shape human identity, ethics, and our understanding of the cosmos — and why these conversations remain vital in today’s world.
Want to Learn more?
See the SyllabusAbout Dr. Andrew Ali Aghapour
Andrew Ali Aghapour is a scholar of religion, storyteller, and editor who lives in Durham, North Carolina. He received Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the College of Charleston, an M.Phil in the History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University, and a Masters and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill. He worked as the Consulting Scholar of Religion and Science for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where he helped develop the “Discovery and Revelation,” exhibition and co-author the exhibit book.
As a writer and editor, Andrew has covered stories about religion and science for outlets including Crash Course, Slate, On Being, Religion Dispatches, and the Revealer. He was the co-founder, with Michael Schulson, of The Cubit, the managing editor of Harvard Divinity School’s Cosmologics magazine, and a consulting producer for the Ministry of Ideas podcast’s Illuminations series. Andrew is a managing editor for the Smithsonian and Religion for Breakfast, and the co-founder of the Religion Department.
Andrew lives in Durham, NC with his wife and kids, where he likes to do improv and ride bikes.
Class Schedule
Week 1: Introductions
Week 2: How do religion and science interact? And what are they?
Week 3: Cosmology 101
Week 4: “Case Study”: American History
Week 5: Sciences of Religion
Week 6: Evolution(s)
Week 7: The Brain & A.I.
Week 8: The Body
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About the Religion Department
The Religion Department is an online platform for learning about religion, taught by leading scholars in the field. We offer both pre-recorded courses and live video seminars, connecting curious learners with cutting-edge research and expert teaching in religious studies.
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