Faith and the science of worship

Faith and the science of worship is the second presentation by Prof Ken Miles exploring the relationship between faith and science.

Pope Benedict XVI has described liturgy as participation in God’s action. By considering models of divine action that are compatible with science alongside neurobiological data acquired during religious experience, this presentation proposes that Christian worship can be seen as a means to promote brain states that are more open to divine action. A science-based account of liturgical practices that might otherwise seem obscure or esoteric, could potentially increase public engagement with traditional forms of worship.

Professor Ken Miles is a clinical academic specialising in Radiology and Nuclear Medicine as applied to cancer. He holds clinical appointments in Brisbane, Australia and has a Professorship at University College London. Ken’s interest in connecting religion and science has arisen from a need to reconcile his professional work with the personal faith he has held since his medical training over 30 years ago. As radiological science is a broad field that encompasses biology and physics, he has needed to address a wide range of difficult issues at the interface between religion and science. Inspired by writing such as John Polkinghorne, John Haught and CS Lewis, Ken sees a dialogue between religion and science as beneficial to both disciplines.