New Website Hosts Science and Religion Dialogue

Posted on May 11, 2001

Metanexus.net, a website for science and religion discussion, has been launched as a resource for ongoing dialogue on fiercely debated science and religion issues. Metanexus, now in its fourth year and as many metamorphoses, began as a small, moderated email distribute in list that has since grown to thousands of users in 57 different countries. It was conceived in May 1997 at a ``summit meeting'' between a dozen different science and religion organizations held under the auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C.

Metanexus.net will serve as an online epicenter in contemporary discussions between scientists, theologians, philosophers, clergy, and the general public on diverse topics from the microcosmic to the macrocosmic, from the biophysical sciences to the human sciences, and from the metaphysical to the ethical. Contributing editors include Ian Barbour, Paul Davies, William Dembski, George Ellis, Ursula Goodenough, John Haught, Harold Morowitz, Clifford Pickover, Holmes Rolston, Michael Ruse, Eugenie Scott, Robert Wright, and many others.

``As the pace of scientific discovery and technological innovation increases,'' notes Dr. William Grassie, editor of Metanexus, ``there is an urgent cultural need to reflect thoughtfully about these epic changes and challenges in a constructive dialogue with the world's cultural traditions.''

Users can subscribe for free to the site and receive a monthly online publication. They may also subscribe to a number of topical discussion forums and participate with scholars and others in the growing dialogue between science and religion. As an additional service, users may post and keep up to date on news and events in science and religion around the world. Metanexus is a project of the Philadelphia Center for Religion and Science with special funding from the Counterbalance Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation.