Grant helps prof explore religion and science

According to visiting Religious Studies Professor William Grassie, religion and science are the two most important institutions in the world. For that reason, Grassie addresses the relationship between the two in his Religious Studies course, "Science and the Sacred." "Religion has a lot to teach science about interpretation," he told yesterday's class of about 35 students. Grassie's class was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The grant, which was awarded last spring, is part of an international competition initiated to help fund the exploration of links between spirituality and science, according to Judith Marchand, program officer at Templeton. More than 200 institutions applied for the 1995 grant. Penn was one of the 97 schools to receive the grant. According to Grassie, the grant could not have come at a better time. "There was talk about abolishing the Religious Studies Department three years [in a row]," he explained. "We got a letter from Templeton just last week saying how glad they are that the department is still open." Ann Matter, chairperson of the Religious Studies Department, said she is pleased with Grassie's work so far. "Any place there's a big science focus, it's important to focus on spirituality too," she said. Grassie teaches his class in room 103 of Williams Hall, utilizing the room's multimedia system to enhance his lectures and expand class discussions. "Computers and the Internet are metaphors and realities of many of the evolutionary social and economic changes going on today," he said. Grassie added that he feels computer images help to make the ideas he lectures about less abstract for students. He said he encourages students to interact with each other by requiring them to wear nametags while in class. In fact, Grassie takes roll each session by requiring the students to pick up their personalized tag at the beginning of the class. Students in Grassie's class also carry on lively discussions over the Internet by using the class listserv. "Students have discussions on everything from evolution to heaven and hell to Star Trek," Grassie said. According to Grassie, students in his class are from all walks of life and span just about all of the major world religions. "I don't try to impress my world view and beliefs on them, and they don't try to impress theirs on me," he said. "I often find I learn from my students just as much as they learn from me." Grassie said he plans to teach the class again next semester, though he will not be able to reapply for the Templeton grant. "I'm interested in exploring where the boundaries break down," he said. "[I'm exploring] epistemology, not naively or arrogantly realistically or nonsensically and immorally relativistically."