Science and Religion

The Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford is home to one of the world's leading centres for the study of science and religion. Research in this area, led through the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, investigates religious beliefs and theological concepts in relation to the sciences, as well as the application of scientific tools to religious phenomena. Directed by Professor Mark Harris, the Centre produces top-tier research and hosts regular public events, and Science & Religion has one of the largest student bodies of any sub-discipline in the Faculty.

Current work at the Centre includes The Quantum Worldviews Project, supported by a major grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation, which explores what quantum science means for human meaning and purpose. The Centre also hosts the Oxford Collaboration on Theology and Artificial Intelligence (OCTAI), a global interdisciplinary initiative addressing the ethical and vocational challenges of AI development, including the creation of the "Oxford Oath for AI Engineering." Alongside these, the Centre recently convened the 2026 conference on Rethinking Science and Religion 101, building a network of partners across the Majority World to test and revise how the field is taught in diverse cultural contexts.

Past projects reflect the Centre's long-standing commitment to global engagement and public outreach: New Horizons for Science and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe (2019–2024) explored questions of reason and faith and the place of persons and mind in the cosmos; New Horizons for Science and Religion in Latin America (2011–2017) expanded research and outreach across the region; and the Philosothon Expansion in the UK brought competitive, inquiry-based philosophical events to schools.

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Research Areas & Projects

The Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion (1974 - Present)

The Faculty of Theology & Religion is proud to host the Ian Ramsey Centre, which is dedicated to research and outreach in Science & Religion. Directed by Professor Mark Harris, the Centre produces top-tier research and hosts regular public events. Over the past two decade the project has directed several large projects thanks principally to generous grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the Templeton World Charity Foundation. These projects are:

The Quantum Worldviews Project (2026 - Present)
The Quantum Worldviews Project is supported by a major grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation and is led by the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion. The project explores the implications of quantum science for human meaning and purpose, based at the Faculty of Theology & Religion in the University of Oxford.

Oxford Collaboration on Theology and Artificial Intelligence (2023 - Present)
The Oxford Collaboration on Theology and Artificial Intelligence (OCTAI) is a global, interdisciplinary initiative hosted by the Ian Ramsey Centre, supported by a donation from the John Templeton Foundation. It brings together a diverse network of experts to address the ethical and vocational challenges of AI development, including through the creation of the "Oxford Oath for AI Engineering."

Rethinking Science and Religion 101: Ian Ramsey Centre 2026 Conference (2026)
Scholars at the Ian Ramsey Centre are working to test and revise "Science and Religion 101" in Majority World contexts. The project is building a network of partners—individuals, university groups, churches, and others—from diverse cultural backgrounds who share an interest in pushing the boundaries of the field.

New Horizons for Science and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe (2019 - 2024)

This five-year project for over £2 million aims to stimulate world-class research and outreach in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The project will enhance engagement with Big Questions in science and religion within the region and in dialogue with researchers elsewhere in the world. Over two hundred diverse subgrants and major activities of the project, covering the twenty-four countries of CEE, will focus principally, though not exclusively, on a suite of questions within the broad themes of (a) Science and Religion in the CEE Context; (b) Reason and Faith; and (c) Persons, Mind, and Cosmos. 

 

 

Community

Science & Religion has one of the largest student bodies of any sub-discipline in the Faculty of Theology & Religion. The field is also one of the most diverse. In a Science & Religion seminar you may find yourself sitting in a room with a philosopher, a particle physicist, an astronomer, an anthropologist, and a neurologist. Our community is supportive and stimulating, full of people passionate about big questions. 

Outside of seminars, the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion hosts regular events within the field, providing a great place to connect with colleagues and people with shared interests from across the university. In particular, there are regular public seminars and an annual summer conference that attracts scholars from across the world.

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