Outreach and Communications Coordinator, Laura Donnelly, has been selected to be a Sinai and Synapses Fellow 2017-2019. Donnelly is one of 17 fellows who will participate in the two-year commitment which involves three meetings at The National Center for Learning and Leadership to interact and engage with experts and strengthen connections across disciplines to further more productive dialogue between religion and science.
“It is a honor to be selected as a Sinai and Synapses Fellow and I’m really looking forward to engaging with and learning from experts and peers who are doing significant work in environmental science, bioethics, theology, philosophy, and psychology. I hope to contribute to this conversation by bringing tenets of critical realism to the fore, such as, ontological realism, epistemic relativity, and judgmental rationality which help me to articulate my approach to understanding the consonance between science and theology. I find this philosophical approach particularly helpful when exploring questions pertaining to God’s existence, the convergence of reason and faith, and the nature and limits of our knowledge and experienced reality. I’m really looking forward to learning more about the moral implications of scientific developments and technological advancements like human enhancement and transhumanism, and considering the expansiveness of the universe and other entities or beings who may inhibit unknown dimensions,” Donnelly said.
Sinai and Synapses seeks to bridge the worlds of science and religion by offering the opportunity for extended academic and personal enrichment for the fellows who interact with a diverse group of clergy, scientists, professionals, and writers who are committed to elevating the discourse surrounding religion and science. “The Sinai and Synapses Fellowship showcases inspiring people who believe we need wisdom from both science and religion in our world,” said Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman, Founding Director. By personalizing the relationship around religion and science, the fellows are selected to be models for a productive conversation surrounding religion and science. The Fellowship is supported by grant funding secured with the assistance of The Issachar Fund.
Originally published by at ctshf.nd.edu on September 20, 2017.