Indonesian Society for Religion and Civilization (ISRAC)

Surakarta State Institute of Islamic Studies
Surakarta Jl. Pandawa Pucangan Kartasura
Sukoharjo, Central Java

With a core belief that “ultimately science as well as religion are for humanity,” this inter-religious society brings together scholars, theologians, and scientist to concentrate on the many considerations in both the natural and social sciences. The group is committed to the open consideration of both historical and new developments in science, “to contextualize and refresh” religious thought and social sciences in methodological terms in order to inform the arena on which religion may play a constructive role. Monthly meetings bring together scholars from area academic communities for lectures, followed by open discussion. Public events invite students, scholars, and laity from area academic and faith communities, as well as the community-at-large, to consider the ideas generated during internal monthly roundtables. Core society members act as presenters and respondents during public events. “In the long run”, writes the chair of the program “we hope that one of our contributions to the international community of science and religion will be in the form of showing how global issues of science and religion play out in an Indonesian context”. Examples of the themes for consideration includes: theology and environment; anthropological and scriptural insights; human cloning; the origin of human religious consciousness; neuro-theology; teaching science and religion in higher education – a study of Islamic and Christian universities; and religion in university education.