Spring Institute: Science, Religions and the Spaces in-Between
Spring Institute
“Sciences, Religions and the Spaces in-Between: A Historical Approach”
Princeton Athens Center
May 26-30, 2025
Description
From pandemics to wars and from Scientific American articles to Futurama episodes, the relationship between the natural sciences and the various religions has been the source of innumerable arguments. One has only to invoke the names of Galileo or Darwin for images of sinister Inquisitors and heroic scientists to emerge. Over the last forty years, historians have demonstrated the historicity of concepts and practices that we take for granted today. This spring institute aims to examine all these ‘mythical’ episodes, as well as many others, in their historical contexts. We will read and critically discuss primary sources: texts by scientists, philosophers, scholars of religion, and theologians. We will also study paintings, posters, and other cultural artifacts, and we will examine documentaries and opinion articles. Crucially, this spring institute will extend beyond the realms of Protestantism and Catholicism. Thus, we will also focus on Orthodox Christianity, atheism and other world religions, to consider how the emergence of modern science interacted with different religiosities. Themes will include: sacred spaces and nature in the Middle Ages; Who was a “Byzantine”? Romaioi, theology and natural philosophy; Galileo on trial and the perils of the Scientific Revolution; Another Enlightenment: Orthodox Christianity and the study of nature; Science, religion, modernity; Atheism, secularism and the emergence of modern science.
Methodology and teaching goals
The main goal of the course is to expose the students to recent developments in the historiography of science and religion. We will approach the field from different disciplinary and methodological perspectives and we will critically reexamine archetypical events, such as the Galileo affair. We will also consider scholarship on postcolonialism, global history, secularism and nationalism, and methodological approaches from sociology, anthropology and religious studies. Participants will work with both primary sources and secondary readings. The course is unique in that it will engage with texts from the Orthodox tradition, from the 17th century to today, in combination with cultural artifacts such as posters, paintings and documentaries. Students will move beyond traditional categories and periodization (Byzantine, Western, modern) and consider alternative approaches. A secondary goal of the course is to introduce students to specialized digital research tools, which are not often discussed in traditional historical and theological courses. These will include databases, repositories, and AI-based tools.
Syllabus
Session 1a: Spaces of religion and spaces of nature in the Western Middle Ages
Session 1b: Nature and the Greek Church Fathers
Session 2a: Who was a “Byzantine”? Romaioi, theology, and natural philosophy
Session 2b: Galileo ‘s trials and the courtier’s life
Session 3a: Christianity and the perils of the Scientific Revolution
Session 3b: Another Enlightenment: Orthodox Christianity and the study of nature
Session 4a: A Darwin for all seasons
Session 4b: Science, religion, and secularism in the long nineteenth century
Session 5a: Atheism and the emergence of modern science
Session 5b: Science and religion in the public perception
Selected bibliography
Brooke, John H., Numbers, Ronald, eds, Science & Religion around the world, Oxford University Press, 2011
Bullivant, Stephen, Ruse, Michael, eds, The Cambridge History of Atheism, Two volumes, Cambridge University Press, 2021
Harrison, Peter. The territories of science and religion. University of Chicago Press, 2020.
Harrison, Peter, ed, Narratives of Secularization, Routledge, 2017
Navarro, Jaume, Tampakis, Kostas, eds, Science, Religion and Nationalism: Local Perceptions and Global Historiographies, Routledge, 2024
Nongbri, Brent, Before Religion: A History of a Modern Concept, Yale University Press, 2013
Nicolaides, Efthymios. Science and Eastern Orthodoxy: From the Greek Fathers to the Age of Globalization. John Hopkins University Press, 2011.
Numbers, Ronald, ed. Galileo goes to jail and other myths about science and religion. Harvard University Press, 2009.
Tampakis, Kostas, Numbers, Ronald, eds, Orthodox Christianity and the Study of Nature: Histories of Interaction, Brepols, 2025
Instructor
Kostas Tampakis received his PhD in the History of Science from the University of Athens. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies, Princeton University, a Research Associate at Darwin College, University of Cambridge, and a Visiting Scholar at the History and Philosophy of Science Department, University of Cambridge. He is currently a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Historical Studies of the National Hellenic Research Foundation and a visiting professor at the Department of History and Philosophy of the University of Athens. His research interests include the relation between science and Orthodox Christianity, the history of science and technology in Greek-speaking regions (18th century-20th century), and the history of science and ideology interactions. His latest co-edited book, Orthodox Christianity and the Study of Nature: Histories of Interaction, was published by Brepols in 2025.
Guest lecturer
Efthymios Nicolaidis is an Emeritus Director of Research at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation. He is the former President of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology / Division of History of Science and Technology (2013-2017), the Permanent secretary of the International Academy of History of Science, and the Laureate of a Chaire Blaise Pascal. His more recent book is Science and Eastern Orthodoxy. From the Greek Fathers to the Age of Globalization, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. His research interests include history of the science and religion, science in Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire, history of science policy, and history of astronomy.
Schedule
Sessions will be held at the Princeton Athens Center, May 26 – 30, 2025. There will be ten sessions on weekdays, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 12.00 noon. Participants will be required to attend all sessions and participate actively.
Funding
Princeton University students are eligible for funding via SAFE. For participants from Greek universities who do not reside in Athens, Princeton University will provide funding, by way of reimbursement upon presentation of original receipts, (a) towards transportation (normally, bus or train; or economy class, fixed dates); (b) a modest stipend towards lodging in Athens for the duration of the workshop. Workshop participants will be responsible to make their own arrangements for travel and accommodation.
Doctoral students enrolled at Greek Universities. Doctoral students at Princeton University; In exceptional cases, graduate students enrolled in full-time MA programs at Greek Universities or early-career scholars will be considered. Students of history, history of science, religious studies, theology, science and related fields are welcome to submit applications. Participants will be required to submit brief reports within two weeks of the last session.
Admission to the institute is competitive. The number of participants will be limited. Interested candidates should: (1) complete the application form and (2) combine a cover letter (one page) and current CV into one pdf document and upload it as one document. Applicants should provide the name and email of their academic supervisor or another faculty reference. The cover letter should indicate the relevance of this Institute to the candidate’s academic interests, current research, and professional goals.
Deadline: All application materials should be sent to [email protected] by 11:59 pm EDT Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
