The University of Navarra pays tribute to Mariano Artigas, founder of group of research Science, Reason and Faith

The University of Navarra held the First Mariano Artigas Memorial Lecture, paying tribute to the founder of group of research 'Science, Reason and Faith' (CRYF) and first Dean of the School Ecclesiastical Philosophy of campus. The activity was organized by the CRYF and financed by the John Templeton Foundation.

The lecture was given at position by William R. Shea, professor at the University of Padua (Italy) and head of the Galilean Chair History of Science. He discussed what theologians can learn from scientists in relation to the Galileo case.

First of all, Professor Shea recalled the figure of Mariano Artigas, of whom he was a friend and colleague, and some of his professional and personal experiences: "He was not an ordinary man, in the sense that he possessed uncommon qualities. You could not get to know him without learning from him intellectual matters, but also aspects of great relevance about the heart and soul". 

He also referred to the origins of the book they wrote together, Galileo in Rome, which is considered one of the best written in modern times on the topic, and which has been translated into English, German, Italian, Korean and Japanese. "He was struck by the fact that the Galileo case is considered the first example of the conflict between science and religion. He did not minimize the importance of the event, but insisted that after it happened, there was never another one like it; Rome learned from that experience," he stressed.

The boundaries between the scientific and the religious

Finally, William R. Shea discussed the boundaries between what is considered scientific and what is considered religious, and the difference between the theistic and atheistic worldviews. "Virtually everyone tends toward one of the two positions. This may change over time, but for most agnostics, if they were ever to come to believe in God, it would have to be on the basis of experience staff. While dismissing the importance of traditional philosophical arguments, they have not closed their minds to the possibility, however remote, of a meeting with a God staff".