The Evolution of Paley's Natural Theology

In the final episode of the season, James and Will are joined by Dr Adam R. Shapiro, an historian of science, whose work focuses on public understandings and misunderstandings of science and the relationship between science and religion. Adam provides an overview of some of the emerging trends in the history of science and religion and situates his own work within this wider disciplinary movement. The discussion ranges from the development of and public controversies surrounding two space telescopes - the James Webb Space Telescope and the 30 Metre Telescope on Mauna Kea; the role of Natural Theology in the American Declaration of Independence; Adam's contribution to the second edition of Thomas Dixon's Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction; and where and how Adam sees the field moving beyond 'complexity'.