The wall between church and science has long been a point of debate and contention for both sides. But next month both church and science will come together to exchange their views.

A five day international conference is set to take place the first week of March, where evolution and creationism will take center stage.

Prof D. Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti
Universidad Pontificia de la Santa Cruz
From the perspective of Christian theology, biological evolution and creation are by no means mutually exclusive. If we talk about evolution in a broad sense, not as an evolutionary mechanism but as a process of organization  whereby human life is formed, then at its very root, evolution is the way in which God creates.

While the church does not entirely reject the idea of human evolution as a species, Pope John Paul II drew the line at the soul, condemning any teaching that suggest that the spirit is product of living matter.

Though theology and science have long been at odds on different issues, the church says historically that hasn’t always been the case.

Prof D. Giuseppe Tanzella-Nitti
Universidad Pontificia de la Santa Cruz
In Italy, all the astronomical observatories were established or directed in the very beginning by priests, by religious men, by people involved in church institutions.

The last two popes have tried to do away with the idea that faith and science are exclusive of one another, a debate that’s still taking place in the Vatican.

Theologians and scientists are hoping this kind of direct dialogue will help build bridges between both schools of thought.

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