Norbert Krüger inviterer til foredrag på SDU – DIAS lecture hall
Charles Darwin’s theory profoundly challenged the prevailing worldview of his time. Most
notably, it called into question the biblical account of human creation and redefined
humanity’s relation to other species and to creation as a whole.
Resistance to evolutionary theory on theological grounds has persisted to this day. In the
United States, for example, nearly 40% of the population continues to reject the theory
outright, particularly within evangelical communities. This resistance has at times led to
efforts to influence educational curricula and scientific research in ways that align more
closely with religious convictions. At the same time, constructive efforts have been made to
reconcile evolutionary theory with systems of faith. In the context of emerging AI, also new
ideas are being formulated about how evolution could develop independently of genetics.
In our workshop, “Evolutionary Theory as an Existential Challenge for Humankind,” we will
explore both the historical development and contemporary dynamics of the relationship
between religion and science, using evolutionary theory as a central case study. We will also
reflect on the broader existential questions raised by Darwin’s work.
Workshop Agenda
15:00 Welcome
15:05 Prof. Norbert Krüger (SDU): The development of modern science and its exclusion of
mankind’s existential questions
15:30 Prof. Duur Aanen (Wageningen University, Netherlands): The two sides of
Methodological Naturalism – no scientific inferences based on metaphysics but neither
metaphysical inferences based on science
15:55 Anders Stjernholm (Ateistik Selskab): Separating life and religion: Dealing with scientific
and existential questions without the concept of a God
16:20 Hans Henrik Hjermitslev (UC-SYD): Protestant responses to Darwinism from the 1860s
to modern-day creationism
16:45 Stefan Lumholdt Pedersen (Kristeligt Forbund for Studerende, KFS): The ideas and
beliefs that matter the most – how do we learn to talk about them
16:50 Discussion
17:15 End
