RELG 340 - Science and Religion

Syllabus

Contact Information

I am available to meet with any student regarding any matter.
However, there will be no face-2-face office hours this semester.
Students may contact me by phone, email, or through the Canvas system.
To contact me by email, use my ENMU email address : Shirley.Rollinson@enmu.edu
My Home Phone is 575-763-0101 (9am-9pm), with answering machine to leave a message if I am not there.
My office phone is 575-562-2519, with voice mail to leave a message. I will not be in my office every day, so it will be better to contact me at my home phone. Or send me an email, or send a message via Canvas.

For my bio., go to http://www.drshirley.org/sjr/bio.html
For my spiritual journey, go to http://www.drshirley.org/sjr/salvation.html

Response Time and Feedback
I try to respond to phone and email messages within a day of receiving them.
Discussion Boards - I try to start grading Discussion Boards on the Monday after they were due. For large classes this may take me more than one day.
Reports and Papers - I try to start grading these on the Wednesday after they were due. This may take me several days.
On some weekends during the semester I may be traveling and may have limited access to the InterNet - at such times feedback and grading may be delayed until Monday.

Office Hours

My Office is in JWLA 127-T.
There will be no face-2-face office hours this semester.
Students may contact me by phone, Home phone 575-763-0101 (9 am to 9 pm), Office phone 575-562-2519, with answering machines to leave messages.
Or send me an email, Shirley.Rollinson@enmu.edu, or send a message via Canvas.

Required Materials

Text Books

• The Bible : I have not assigned any particular readings from the Bible, but you will need a Bible to check out some of the references to it which are made in some of the other textbooks. You may use any translation of the Bible you wish, though please make sure that you use a "translation" (which keeps close to the meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek texts) rather than a "paraphrase" (which can be easier to read, but is less true to the original - for example "The Message")
  Go here for helps in choosing a Bible.
• Science and Religion - A Very Short Introduction, Thomas Dixon, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-929551-7, available at the ENMU Bookstore.
• Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity, John Polkinghorne, Crossroad Books, ISBN 978-0-8245-2406-7 or 0-8245-2406-3, available at the ENMU Bookstore.
• The Language of God, Francis S. Collins, Free Press, ISBN 978-0-7432-8639-8 or 0-7432-8639-1, available at the ENMU Bookstore.
• Practicing Science, Living Faith, Clayton & Schaal, Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-13576-4 or 0-231-13576-9, available at the ENMU Bookstore.

Technology

• Computer with basic audio/video output equipment. For students on the ENMU campus, there are computers available in the Golden Student Success Center and the Campus Union Building.
• Internet access (broadband recommended)
• Word-processing software capable of producing .doc .docx or .txt files

Learning Management System
You can access Canvas from the myENMU Portal, or directly at ENMU's Canvas Login Page.
Canvas works with most computers, mobile devices, and browsers. You can check the webpage at https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Basics-Guide/What-are-the-browser-and-computer-requirements-for-Canvas/ta-p/66 to see if your computer/device and browser are compatible with Canvas.
Mobile apps for Android and Apple devices can be downloaded at no cost from Google Play and the Apple App Store, respectively.
If you are new to using Canvas, here are a few tips:

• Welcome Tour - A welcome tour will pop up and show you the main features of the system. This is a great way to get started.
• Passport to Canvas - This self-paced student workshop will teach you everything you need to know about Canvas. Check your Dashboard or Courses menu to access the workshop.
• Help Menu - If you need help, click on the Help menu. You can:
  • Call or chat with Canvas Support 24/7
  • Search the Canvas Guides for step-by-step help
  • Open the Student Guide and scan by topic
  • And more - click Help to see all the support the university has provided for you.

Course Description

This is a course focusing on both the historic and contemporary dialog between religion and science. Topics include evolution and creation, quantum theory, cosmology, epistemology, the nature of reality, and scientific ethics.
The course will consist of reading and reflecting upon the textbooks and other resources provided. It will be important for the student to keep up with all reading and written assignments.
This is a 3-credit-hour course, so is the equivalent of 3 one-hour lectures per week with at least another 3 hours of individual study and class assignments per week. As a general guide, students should devote about 6 hours per week to this course, i.e. about an hour a day, Monday through Saturday, with Sunday for a brief review of the past week's work. Students who work steadily for an hour-or-so each day on this course should have no difficulty in getting a good Grade. Students who make a habit of leaving the week's work for an overnighter on Sundays will probably not do very well.
Those who have difficulty keeping to an orderly routine of study, or who lack self-discipline when faced with conflicting priorities, will probably do better to attend a lecture-based course rather than a Web-based course, and should register for one of the other Religion courses offered at ENMU.

Learning Outcomes - Objectives of the Course

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to :

1. Describe and discuss the current state of the Science and Religion dialogue.
2. Describe and discuss current theories of cosmology and the origin of the universe.
3. Describe and discuss current theories of the origin of life.
4. Describe and discuss current theories of evolution.
5. Describe and discuss current ethical questions raised by scientific endeavors.
6. Describe and discuss the ways in which a selection of scientists of various faiths integrate scientific knowledge with their spiritualities.
7. Begin to formulate a religious response to current scientific theories.

Course Prerequisites : None

Suggested Background Knowledge/Skills : As this course deals with the interface of Science and Religion, it would be advantageous for students to have taken an introductory course in Physics or Chemistry before enrolling in this course.
Students should be comfortable with reading and writing at College level, and should have sufficient computing, word processing and library skills to be able to complete assignments without over-straining themselves. Those who wish to improve their writing skills may take advantage of the Writing Workshop which is offered free to all students at ENMU.

Course Grading

See the ENMU Catalog, pages 29-30 for the Grading System at ENMU.

Grades will be based on : Reports + Discussion Boards + Papers

Timeframe for Feedback on Graded Work

Discussion Boards - I try to start grading Discussion Boards on the Monday after they were due. For large classes this may take me more than one day.
Reading Reports and Papers - I try to start grading these on the Wednesday after they were due. This may take me several days.
On some weekends during the semester I may be traveling and may have limited access to the InterNet - at such times feedback and grading may be delayed until Monday.

Student Expectations - Attendance / Participation

Students are expected to study the assignments from the text books and other resources given, and to complete the weekly assignments on time.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students should refer to the University catalogue for a definition of academic dishonesty and its penalties.

Grades will be based on Term Papers, Discussion Boards, and weekly Reports. There are no Exams in this course this semester. Instead, there are two research papers, one of which is due on the Monday of Midterm Week, the other is due on the Monday of Finals' Week. The topics for the papers are already posted. Students are encouraged to start work on them early, and to continue to work on them through the semester.

Course Organization

The course is divided into 15 Modules corresponding roughly to the weeks of the semester.
Each Module includes a Discussion Board, and concludes with a Report, which is to be completed and submitted to Canvas by 9 am on the following Monday.

The course starts with a brief over-view of some of the historical interactions between Science and Religion in the West. The first half of the semester concentrates on the ways in which physics, astronomy, and cosmology have impacted our view of the Universe and its origin. The second half of the semester concentrates on the ways in which Chemistry, Biology, and Molecular Biology have impacted our views of life, its origin and evolution.
Towards the end of the course some of the ethical questions raised by scientific research will be introduced.
Throughout the course there will be readings from a book of interviews with noted scientists who discuss openly their beliefs and spirituality. Some of them are Christian, one is a Quaker, two are Muslim, one is Baha'i, one Buddhist, one an observant Jew, one combines Christianity with her native Judaism, one combined Christianity with a study of African Native religions, one is more comfortable speaking about "Mother Nature" and another speaks of "a Power up there", but all are seeking to integrate their spirituality with their scientific work.

• Reading Reports - The Reading Reports for each week are due by 9 am on the Monday of the next week. It is recommended that students try to submit their reports a few days ahead of time in case there are problems with the computers over the week-end.
• Discussion Board - In each module/week of the course, by 9 am Wednesday, students should post a thread that addresses the topic provided by the instructor. They should also respond with meaningful replies to at least 2 classmates' threads by 9am Friday. Discussion Board threads and replies will count towards the Course Grade.
• Papers - There is a Mid-Term Paper and a Final Paper, both of which will count towards the Course Grade.
• Late Work - For work to be eligible for an "A" Grade, it must be submitted on time. Students may submit their reports early, and are advised to do so whenever possible. Work may be submitted late, but may drop a letter Grade per week that it is overdue.
• Makeup - Because of the nature of this course, in which students do not have to attend classes at particular times on particular days, there is no provision for "make-up" work.
• Extensions - extensions will only be granted under grave extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. If you think that you may need an extension, you should contact the instructor ahead of time with your request, and explain the situation.

ENMU Academic Integrity Policy

Plagiarism and Cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.
See the Student Handbook for further information.
I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone.
Plagiarism is a serious offense. When in doubt, please cite your sources!
Please refer to the Catalog for information concerning plagiarism; action can include, but is not limited to failure of the assignment; failure of or a reduced grade for the course; suspension or dismissal from your program of study.

Disability Statement

If you have, or believe you have a disability, you may contact the Accessibility Resources and Testing Center to coordinate reasonable classroom accommodations, access to technology, or other academic assistance.
The Accessibility Resources and Testing Center serves students with a wide range of disabilities including but not limited to medical or health impairment, vision or hearing disability, physical disability, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, or mental health impairment.
All information will be treated confidentially.
Accommodations are not retroactive. They begin only after:

• Appropriate documentation has been received and accepted by the Coordinator of Disability Services
• Letters of Accommodation (LOA) have been prepared
• You have delivered your Letters of Accommodation to your instructors

Appropriate academic accommodations may then be provided for you.
You may contact the Accessibility Resources and Testing Center in room 186, Student Academic Services building, phone 575.562.2280.

FERPA and Privacy

As a student, your educational records are considered confidential. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances your records will not be released without your written and signed consent. However, some directory information may be released to third parties without your prior consent unless a written request to restrict this is on file.
You can learn more about student rights to privacy at http://www.enmu.edu/FERPA.

In this course, we may be working with third party applications online (i.e. wikis, blogs and other Web 2.0 applications). The different proprietors of these sites may or may not have privacy guarantees and the FERPA policy at ENMU does not apply to these sites. It will be your responsibility to read the privacy documentation at each site. There are many other options to protecting your information at these sites. If you have filed the paperwork and are classified as protected under the ENMU FERPA qualifications, it will be acceptable for you to use an alias when using the Web 2.0 sites required for this course. If you still have concerns, please e-mail me as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are either linked to or are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Title IX

ENMU is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment and we comply with all aspects related to Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and 34 C.F.R. Part 106. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination to include sexual misconduct defined as harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Incidents of harassment or assault can be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at 575.562.2991 or titleix.coordinator@enmu.edu .
Reports can also go to the ENMU Police Department by calling 575.562.2392.
If you wish to receive fully confidential support and victim's advocacy you can contact Arise Sexual Assault Services at 575.226.7263.

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting
As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus.
I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility. I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on ENMU's campus with the Title IX Coordinator and/or the ENMU Police.
Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting Arise at 575.226.7263

Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved

Dr. Rollinson

Station 19, ENMU
Portales, NM 88130

Last Updated : January 6, 2023

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