“Between God and Galapagos: The Impact of New Evolutionary Thinking on the Sciences and Humanities” is the theme of the spring 2013 Science and Spirituality Forum, a free three-part lecture series at MTSU that kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Dr. Andrew Brower

Dr. Thomas Brinthaupt

The first brown-bag luncheon discussion in the forum will take place at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 20 in Room 475 of the James E. Walker Library.

The lecture series title refers to the exploration the intersection of spiritual thinking with the evolutionary progress symbolized by the Galapagos Islands, a Pacific island chain studied by Charles Darwin as he formulated his theory of evolution.

MTSU biology professor Dr. Andrew Brower and Dr. Thomas Brinthaupt, a professor of psychology, will present the Feb. 20 lecture, “The Evolving Theory of Evolution and the Evolution of Intelligence.”

Dr. Rami Shapiro

Dr. Rami Shapiro, adjunct professor of religious studies at MTSU, will speak about “The Impact of Evolution on Religion” at the second brown-bag lunch event, slated for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 6, also in Room 475 of the Walker Library.

Carter Phipps

Carter Phipps, author of Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science’s Greatest Idea, will deliver the forum’s special-event lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

Phipps’ topic will be “The New Spirit of Evolution: Breaking the Science vs. Religion Deadlock.”

All events in the forum are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the lecture series website at http://library.mtsu.edu/spirituality/index.php or contact Bill Black at 615-898-8378 or william.black@mtsu.edu.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)