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Wikipedia / Boyle Lectures

The Boyle Lectures are a series of public lectures named after 17th century Anglo-Irish scientist and philosopher Robert Boyle (1627 – 1691), a prominent natural philosopher of early modern Britain and Ireland.

Under the terms of his will, Robert Boyle, a wealthy inheritor as the son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, supplied £50 GBP (from 1691, the year of Robert's death, roughly equivalent in purchasing power to £10,000 – £13,500 in 2026) per annum to endow a series of lectures or sermons—originally with the intention that eight lectures be given each year—which were to consider the relationship between Christianity and the then-fledgling discipline of natural philosophy. A field of inquiry comparable to, and the precursor of, modern-day science—and of the sciences and scientific inquiry broadly—the development and study of natural philosophy was a key element of the processes leading to the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution, and on its own a subject of intense intellectual exploration emergent in 17th-century European society, namely among the learned and scholarly classes of the time; European civilization being predominantly Christian—Europe itself considered a cornerstone of wider Christendom—alongside these academic pursuits appeared Christian apologetics aimed at countering the disputations of theology arising from religious engagement with that subject, with a particular focus placed upon doctrinal and dogmatic claims regarding supernatural phenomena scrutinized in the light of scientific skepticism.

Since 2004, this prestigious Lectures series has been organized, with the assistance of Board of the Boyle Lectures, by the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR), and has again been held at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London.

History

Early lectures

The first such lecture was given in 1692 by Richard Bentley, to whom Isaac Newton had written:

The early lecturers were specifically charged to prove the truth of the Christian religion against Jews, Muslims and non-believers, without considering any controversies or differences that might exist between different Christian groups.

A clergyman was to be appointed to the lectureship for a term of no more than three years by Thomas Tenison (later Archbishop of Canterbury) and three other nominated trustees. Boyle had assigned the rent from his house in Crooked Lane to support the lectures but the income from that source soon disappeared. Archbishop Tenison then arranged that the rental income from a farm in the parish of Brill in Buckinghamshire was to be paid at the rate of £12.10.00 per quarter to the lecturer.

Revival

The Boyle Lectures were revived in 2004 at the famous Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow in the City of London by Dr Michael Byrne, a Fellow of Birkbeck College London. Financial support for the lectures has been provided by a number of patrons, principally the Worshipful Company of Grocers and the Worshipful Company of Mercers in the city. A book to mark the 10th anniversary of the revived series was edited by Russell Re Manning and Michael Byrne and published by SCM Press in 2013 as 'Science and Religion in the Twenty-First Century: The Boyle Lectures 2004-2013'.

Having convened the first 15 lectures in the new series, Michael Byrne stepped down as Convenor in 2018. Management of the lecture then passed to the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) in cooperation with the Boyle Lectures Board of Trustees. Members of the board include John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork; the Hon. Robert Boyle; Julian Tregoning, Past Master of the Grocers' Company; Xenia Dennan, Past Master of the Mercers Company; the Revd George R. Bush, Rector of St Mary-le-Bow; Emeritus Professor John Hedley Brooke; Dr Russell Re Manning; Professor Fraser Watts; and the Revd Michael Reiss, former President of the ISSR.

Chronological list

  1. 17th century

  2. 1692 – A Confutation of Atheism, by Richard Bentley

  3. 1693-94 - A Demonstration of the Messias, in which the Truth of the Christian Religion is proved, especially against the Jews, by Richard Kidder

  4. 1694 - [Title Unknown], by Richard Bentley

  5. 1695 - The Possibility, Expediency and Necessity of Divine Revelation, by John Williams

  6. 1696 - The Perfection of the Evangelical Revelation, by John Williams

  7. 1697 - The Certainty of the Christian Revelation and the Necessity of believing it, established, by Francis Gastrell (Bishop of Chester)

  8. 1698 - The Atheistical Objections against the Being of God and His Attributes fairly considered and fully refuted, by John Harris

  9. 1699 - The Credibility of the Christian Revelation, from its intrinsick Evidence, by Samuel Bradford (Bishop of Rochester)

  10. 1700 - The Sufficiency of a Standing Revelation, by Offspring Blackall

  11. 18th century

  12. 1701–02 - Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion, by George Stanhope

  13. 1703 - Adams

  14. 1704 - A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, by Samuel Clarke

  15. 1705 - The Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, by Samuel Clarke

  16. 1706 - Arguments to Prove the Being of a God, by John Hancock

  17. 1707 - The Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies, by William Whiston

  18. 1708 - The Wisdom of God in the Redemption of Man, as delivered in the Holy Scriptures, vindicated from the chief Objections of Modern Infidels, by John Turner

  19. 1709 - Religion no Matter of Shame, by Lilly Butler

  20. 1710 - The Divine Original and Excellence of the Christian Religion, by Josiah Woodward

  21. 1711–12 - Physico-Theology, or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God from his Works of Creation, by William Derham

  22. 1713–14 - On the Exercise of Private Judgment, or Free-Thinking, by Benjamin Ibbot

  23. 1717–18 - Natural Obligations to Believe the Principles of Religion and Divine Revelation, by John Leng

  24. 1719 - An Enquiry into the Cause and Origin of Evil, by John Clarke

  25. 1720 - On the Origin of Evil, by John Clarke

  26. 1721 - The pretended Difficulties in Natural or Revealed Religion, no Excuse for Infidelity, by Robert Gurdon

  27. 1724–25 - A Demonstration of True Religion, in a Chain of Consequences from certain and undeniable Principles, by Thomas Burnett

  28. 1725–28 - John Denne

  29. 1730–32 - The Gradual Revelation of the Gospel from the time of Man's Apostacy, by William Berriman

  30. 1736–38 - The History of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, confirmed from other Authors, and considered as full Evidence for the Truth of Christianity, by Richard Biscoe

  31. 1739–41 - Leonard Twells

  32. 1747–49 - Christianity justified upon the Scripture Foundation; being a Summery View of the Controversy between Christians and Deists, by Henry Stebbing

  33. 1750–52 - John Jortin

  34. 1756–58 - Thomas Newton

  35. 1759–62 - Charles Moss

  36. 1763 - A Discourse upon the Being of God against Atheists, by Ralph Heathcote

  37. 1766–68 - The Evidence of Christianity deduced from Facts and the Testimony of Senses throughout all Ages of the Church to the present time, by William Worthington

  38. 1769–71 - The Intent and Propriety of the Scripture Miracles considered and explained, by Henry Owen

  39. 1778–80 - An Argument for the Christian Religion, drawn from a Comparison of Revelation with the Natural Operations of the Mind, by James Williamson

  40. 19th century

  41. 1802–05 - An Historical View of the Rise and Progress of Infidelity, with a Refutation of its Principles and Reasonings, by William Van Mildert

  42. 1812 - William Van Mildert

  43. 1814 - Frederick Nolan

  44. 1821 - The Connection of Christianity with Human Happiness, by William Harness

  45. 1845–46 - The Religions of the World; and Their Relations to Christianity Considered in Eight Lectures - Frederick Denison Maurice

  46. 1854 - Christopher Wordsworth

  47. 1857 - Eight discourses on the miracles, by William Gilson Humphry

  48. 1861 - The Bible and its Critics: an Enquiry into the Objective Reality of Revealed Truths, by Edward Garbett

  49. 1862 - The Conflict between Science and Infidelity, by Edward Garbett

  50. 1863 - The Divine Plan of Revelation, by Edward Garbett

  51. 1864 - The conversion of the Roman empire, by Charles Merivale

  52. 1865 - The Conversion of the Northern Nations, by Charles Merivale

  53. 1866–67 - Christ and Christendom, by Edward Hayes Plumptre

  54. 1868 - The Witness of the Old Testament to Christ, by Stanley Leathes

  55. 1869 - The Witness of St. Paul to Christ, by Stanley Leathes

  56. 1870 - The Witness of St. John to Christ, by Stanley Leathes

  57. 1871–72 - Moral Difficulties Connected with the Bible, by James Augustus Hessey

  58. 1874–75 - Christianity and Morality Or the Correspondence of the Gospel with the Moral Nature of Man, by Henry Wace

  59. 1876 - What is Natural Theology?, by Alfred Barry

  60. 1877–78 - The Manifold Witness for Christ, by Alfred Barry

  61. 1879–80 - The Evidential Value of the Holy Eucharist, by George Frederick Maclear

  62. 1884 - The Scientific Obstacles to Christian Belief, by George Herbert Curteis

  63. 1890 - Old Truths in Modern Lights (The Present Conflict of Science and Theology), by T. G. Bonney

  64. 1891 - Christian Doctrines and Modern Thought, by T. G. Bonney

  65. 1893 - Ascent of Faith or the Grounds of Certainty in Science and Religion, by Alexander James Harrison

  66. 1895 - The Gospel of Experience Or the Witness of Human Life to the Truth of Revelation, by W. C. E. Newbolt

  67. 1897 - William Benham

  68. 20th century

  69. 1903–05 - The Testimony of St. Paul to Christ Viewed in Some of its Aspects, by Richard John Knowling

  70. 1935–36 - God, Creation and Revelation, by Allen John MacDonald

  71. 1965 - The Christian Universe, by Eric Mascall

  72. 21st century

  73. 2004 - Darwin, Design, and the Promise of Nature, by John F. Haught, with a response by Richard Chartres

  74. 2005 - Darwin's Compass: How Evolution Discovers the Song of Creation, by Simon Conway Morris, with a response by Keith Ward

  75. 2006 - The Emergence of Spirit: From Complexity to Anthropology to Theology, by Philip Clayton, with a response by Niels Gregersen

  76. 2007 - , by John D Barrow, with a response by Martin Rees

  77. 2008 - , by Malcolm Jeeves, with a response by Fraser Watts

  78. 2009 - , by Keith Ward, with a response by John Polkinghorne

  79. 2010 - , by John Hedley Brooke, with a response by Geoffrey Cantor

  80. 2011 - , by Jürgen Moltmann, with a response by Alan Torrance

  81. 2012 - , by Celia Deane-Drummond, with a response by Fount LeRon Shults

  82. 2013 - , by John Polkinghorne, with a response by Richard Chartres

  83. 2014 - , by Alister McGrath, with a response by Richard Harries

  84. 2015 - , by Russell Re Manning, with a response by Louise Hickman

  85. 2016 - Natural Theology in a Changed Key? Evolution, Cooperation, and the God Question, by Sarah Coakley, with a response by Christopher Insole

  86. 2017 - Theological Influences in Scientific Research Programmes: Natural Theology 'in Reverse, by Robert J. Russell, with a response by Rowan Williams

  87. 2018 - Apocalypses Now: Modern Science and Biblical Miracles, by Mark Harris, with a response by John Hedley Brooke

  88. 2019 - Science, Religion and Ethics, by Michael Reiss

  89. 2020 - Mental Health and the Gospel, by Christopher Cook, with a response by Fraser Watts

  90. 2021 - The Rediscovery of Contemplation Through Science, by Tom McLeish, with a response by Rowan Williams

  91. 2022 - "God and a World of Natural Evil: Theology and Science in Hard Conversation" by Prof Christopher Southgate, with a response by Andrew Davidson.

  92. 2023 - “Attending to Attention” by The Rt Revd and Rt Hon the Lord (Rowan) Williams of Oystermouth, with response from Dr John Teasdale

  93. 2024 - “Is religion natural?” by The Very Revd Professor David Fergusson, OBE, FRSE, FBA, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and Dean of the Order of the Thistle, with response from Professor Fiona Ellis, Professor of Philosophy, and Director of the Centre for Practical Philosophy, Theology, and Religion at the University of Roehampton, London.

  94. 2025 - Science, Technology, Theology, and Spirituality: A Necessary Partnership?, by Antje Jackelén, with a response by Arthur C. Petersen.

References