March 13, 2018
MacTaggart gift endows Catholic Intellectual Tradition series
Salman Hameed, Ph.D., will help a St. Mary’s University audience understand how Muslims see the relationship between science and religion.
He will present “The Crescent in the Scientific Age: Muslim Perceptions of Science and Religion” as part of the MacTaggart Catholic Intellectual Tradition Lecture Series at 7 p.m. March 21.
The series has been renamed thanks to a $250,000 gift from Glenn MacTaggart (J.D. ’79, M.A. ’89) and his wife, Karla. It is a free, annual series featuring men and women who have shaped the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, which is at the heart of the educational experience at St. Mary’s. The theme for 2018’s lectures is Faith and Science.
“Pope Francis has emphasized that the Roman Catholic Church is universal,” Glenn MacTaggart said, “so the lecture series seeks to bring religious leaders and intellectuals from across the U.S. and Latin America – including those of other faith communities – to increase our understanding of Catholic Intellectual Tradition and especially inspire students to integrate it into their academic pursuits and everyday lives.”
Hameed is the Charles Taylor Chair and Associate Professor of Integrated Science and Humanities in at Hampshire College in Massachusetts. His research focuses on understanding the reception of science in the Muslim world.
“Dr. Hameed is the first of three speakers at St. Mary’s this year who will address the relationship of religion and modern science,” said the Rev. Timothy Eden, S.M., Ed.D., who was recently reappointed as Rector and Vice President for Mission. “Each of the visitors will speak from the perspective of their respective disciplines, either in the sciences or the humanities. Their time here will afford our community the opportunity to reflect on profound questions that continue to challenge the minds and hearts of modern men and women.”
Those traveling to campus are asked to park in Lot D, near the NW 36th Street entrance, or Lot H, near the Culebra Road entrance. For directions, visit www.stmarytx.edu/map.
More about Salman Hameed, Ph.D.
Hameed, who also directs the Center for the Study of Science in Muslim Societies, led a four-year National Science Foundation-funded research project on the reception of biological evolution in diverse Muslim societies. He is currently leading a study to analyze the discourse and participants in online Islam and science videos. National Public Radio, Public Radio International, the BBC and the Guardian have covered his research.
He runs Irtiqa, a science and religion blog with an emphasis on scientific debates taking place in the Muslim world, and he hosts an online astronomy video series in Urdu and a science podcast for audiences in Pakistan.