The Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies in Faith and Science
In seeking to provide Christian leadership in a secular culture, the Pascal Centre addresses not only current, but also new and forgotten questions. For many the question how science can help to understand the Bible has high priority, but the Centre also explores how Christian faith can contribute to an understanding of nature. The Centre approaches this not just in the sense that faith motivates the study of God's creation, but it explores how religious beliefs affect the very content of scientific explanation.
The Pascal Centre was founded in 1988 by Redeemer College, a private, non-denominational Christian liberal arts and sciences university in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. The founding Director, Jitse van der Meer holds a Ph.D. in biology and an M.A. in philosophy of science. Eighteen years later Redeemer College has become Redeemer University College. The current Director is Wayne D. Norman, emeritus professor of psychology and Director of Research and Faculty Development.
The Centre has also changed over the years. Although the mission of the Centre remains the same, the means of accomplishing our aims is different. In the early years, the Pascal Centre hosted visiting scholars, funded various small publications and sponsored educational colloquia. Gradually there has been a shift with major emphasis being given to focussed, international conferences and workshops with published proceedings.
With the launch of this web site, the Pascal Centre begins the process of accomplishing its mission in cyberspace. That mission, to explore how religious beliefs and scientific insights mutually interact, is as important today as it was in 1988. We welcome your comments as we take a position, along with others, investigating the science-religion interface.
Item of Interest
The "Nature and Scripture in the Abrahamic Religions: Up to 1700" series is published and currently available for order. Details for ordering directly from the Pascal Centre will be made available soon!