The Boyle Lectures are named after

Robert Boyle Robert Boyle (; 25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, alchemist and inventor. Boyle is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of ...

, a prominent

natural philosopher Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior throu ...

of the 17th century and son of

Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork (13 October 1566 – 15 September 1643), also known as the Great Earl of Cork, was an English politician who served as Lord Treasurer of the Kingdom of Ireland. Lord Cork was an important figure in the continuing ...

. Under the terms of his Will, Robert Boyle endowed a series of lectures or sermons (originally eight each year) which were to consider the relationship between Christianity and the new natural philosophy (today's 'science') then emerging in European society.

History

Early lectures

The first such lecture was given in 1692 by

Richard Bentley Richard Bentley FRS (; 27 January 1662 – 14 July 1742) was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. Considered the "founder of historical philology", Bentley is widely credited with establishing the English school of Hellen ...

, to whom

Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...

had written: The early lecturers were specifically charged to prove the truth of the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

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 Thomas Tenison (29 September 163614 December 1715) was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death. During his primacy, he crowned two British monarchs. Life He was born at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, the son a ...

(later

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

) 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 Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonly ...

church of

St Mary-le-Bow The Church of St Mary-le-Bow is a Church of England parish church in the City of London. Located on Cheapside, one of the city's oldest and most important thoroughfares, the church was founded in 1080 by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury. Rebui ...

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 The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 110 Livery Companies of the City of London and ranks second in order of precedence. The Grocers' Company was established in 1345 for merchants occupied in the trade of grocer and is one of the Gr ...

and the

Worshipful Company of Mercers The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in the order of precedence of the Companies. It is the first of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. Although of even older origin, the c ...

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 John Richard Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork and 15th Earl of Orrery (born 3 November 1945) is a British hereditary peer and a member of the House of Lords, where he sits as a Crossbencher. Boyle was an officer in the Royal Navy and then had a career ...

; the Hon. Robert Boyle; Julian Tregoning, Past Master of the

Grocers' Company The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 110 Livery Company, Livery Companies of the City of London and ranks second in order of precedence. The Grocers' Company was established in 1345 for merchants occupied in the trade of grocer and is ...

; 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, President of the ISSR.

Chronological list

; 17th century * 1692 – ''A Confutation of Atheism'', by

(titles might be trimmed) * 1693-94 - ''A Demonstration of the Messias, in which the Truth of the Christian Religion is proved, especially against the Jews'', by

Richard Kidder Richard Kidder (1633–1703) was an English Anglican churchman, Bishop of Bath and Wells, from 1691 to his death. He was a noted theologian. Biography He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was a sizar, from 1649, graduatin ...

* 1694 - itle Unknown by Richard Bentley * 1695 - ''The Possibility, Expediency and Necessity of Divine Revelation'', by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

* 1696 - ''The Perfection of the Evangelical Revelation'', by John Williams * 1697 - ''The Certainty of the Christian Revelation and the Necessity of believing it, established'', by

Francis Gastrell Francis Gastrell (10 May 1662 – 24 November 1725) was Bishop of Chester and a writer on deism. He was a friend of Jonathan Swift, mentioned several times in ''A Journal to Stella'', and chaplain to Robert Harley, when Harley was Speaker of th ...

(

Bishop of Chester The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York. The diocese extends across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the C ...

) * 1698 - ''The Atheistical Objections against the Being of God and His Attributes fairly considered and fully refuted'', by John Harris * 1699 - ''The Credibility of the Christian Revelation, from its intrinsick Evidence'', by

Samuel Bradford Samuel Bradford (20 December 1652 – 17 May 1731) was an English churchman and whig, bishop successively of Carlisle and Rochester. Life He was the son of William Bradford of London and was born in St. Anne's, Blackfriars. He was educated at ...

(

Bishop of Rochester The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury. The town of Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was foun ...

) * 1700 - ''The Sufficiency of a Standing Revelation'', by

Offspring Blackall Ofspring Blackall (26 April 1655 (baptised) – 29 November 1716), Bishop of Exeter and religious controversialist, was born in London. Early life and education Baptized on 26 April 1655 at St Gregory by Paul's, he was the son of Thomas Blac ...

; 18th century * 1701–02 - ''Truth and Exellency of the Christian Religion'', by

George Stanhope George Stanhope (5 March 1660 – 18 March 1728) was a clergyman of the Church of England, rising to be Dean of Canterbury and a Royal Chaplain. He was also amongst the commissioners responsible for the building of fifty new churches in Lond ...

* 1703 - Adams * 1704 - ''A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God'', by

Samuel Clarke Samuel Clarke (11 October 1675 – 17 May 1729) was an English philosopher and Anglican cleric. He is considered the major British figure in philosophy between John Locke and George Berkeley. Early life and studies Clarke was born in Norwich, ...

* 1705 - ''The Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion'', by Samuel Clarke * 1706 - ''Arguments to Prove the Being of a God'', by John Hancock * 1707 - ''The Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies'', by

William Whiston William Whiston (9 December 166722 August 1752) was an English theologian, historian, natural philosopher, and mathematician, a leading figure in the popularisation of the ideas of Isaac Newton. He is now probably best known for helping to inst ...

* 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 * 1709 - ''Religion no Matter of Shame'', by

Lilly Butler Lilly Butler (died Jan 1792) was an Anglican priest, most notably Dean of Ardagh from 1785 to 1790. He was born in Bletchingley and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon in 1754, and priest in 1756. He held livings at Wo ...

* 1710 - ''The Divine Original and Excellence of the Christian Religion'', by

Josiah Woodward Josiah Woodward (1657 – 1712) was an English Church of England clergyman and moral reformer. He was a devout Anglican and his advocacy of stringent adherence to Christian moral ethic is evident in the vast majority of his works. Religious views ...

* 1711–12 -
Physico-Theology, or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God from his Works of Creation
', by

William Derham William Derham FRS (26 November 16575 April 1735)Smolenaars, Marja.Derham, William (1657–1735), ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004. Accessed 26 May 2007. was an English clergyman, natural theologian, na ...

* 1713–14 - ''On the Exercise of Private Judgment, or Free-Thinking'', by Benjamin Ibbot * 1717–18 - ''Natural Obligations to Believe the Principles of Religion and Divine Revelation'', by John Leng * 1719 -
An Enquiry into the Cause and Origin of Evil
', by John Clarke * 1720 - ''On the Origin of Evil'', by John Clarke * 1721 - ''The pretended Difficulties in Natural or Revealed Religion, no Excuse for Infidelity'', by Robert Gurdon * 1724–25 - ''A Demonstration of True Religion, in a Chain of Consequences from certain and undeniable Principles'', by Thomas Burnett * 1725–28 -

John Denne John Denne D.D. (1693–1767) was an English churchman and antiquarian, Archdeacon of Rochester from 1728. Life Born at Littlebourne, Kent, on 25 May 1693, he was the eldest son of John Denne, woodreeve to the see of Canterbury. He was educated a ...

* 1730–32 - ''The Gradual Revelation of the Gospel from the time of Man's Apostacy'', by William Berriman * 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 * 1739–41 -

Leonard Twells Leonard Twells (1684?–1742) was an English cleric and theological writer. Life His father John was Master of Newark School. He received his education at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1704. In 1722 Twells was presented to ...

* 1747–49 - ''Christianity justified upon the Scripture Foundation; being a Summery View of the Controversy between Christians and Deists'', by

Henry Stebbing Henry Stebbing (1687–1763) was an English churchman and controversialist, who became archdeacon of Wilts. Life Baptised at Walton, Suffolk on 19 August 1687, he was the fourth son of John Stebbing (1647–1728), a grocer of Walton, by his wife ...

* 1750–52 -

John Jortin John Jortin (23 October 1698 – 5 September 1770) was an English church historian. Life Jortin was the son of Renatus Jordain, a Breton Huguenot refugee and government official, and Martha Rogers, daughter of Daniel Rogers. He was educated ...

* 1756–58 -

Thomas Newton Thomas Newton (1 January 1704 – 14 February 1782) was an English cleric, biblical scholar and author. He served as the Bishop of Bristol from 1761 to 1782. Biography Newton was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and was subsequently elect ...

* 1759–62 - Charles Moss * 1763 - ''A Discourse upon the Being of God against Atheists'', by

Ralph Heathcote Ralph Heathcote (1721–1795) was an English cleric and writer. Life He was born on 19 December 1721 at Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, where his father (died 1765), later vicar of Sileby and rector of Morton, Derbyshire, was then curate. His m ...

* 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 * 1769–71 - ''The Intent and Propriety of the Scripture Miracles considered and explained'', by

Henry Owen Henry Owen (1716–1795) was a Welsh theologian and biblical scholar. In biblical scholarship he discussed the date of publication and the form and manner of the composition of the four canonical gospel accounts. Life He was the son of Willia ...

* 1778–80 -
An Argument for the Christian Religion, drawn from a Comparison of Revelation with the Natural Operations of the Mind
', by James Williamson ; 19th century * 1802–05 - ''An Historical View of the Rise and Progress of Infidelity, with a Refutation of its Principles and Reasonings'', by William Van Mildert * 1812 - William Van Mildert * 1814 - Frederick Nolan * 1821 - ''The Connection of Christianity with Human Happiness'', by William Harness * 1845–46 - ''The Religions of the World; and Their Relations to Christianity Considered in Eight Lectures'' -

Frederick Denison Maurice John Frederick Denison Maurice (29 August 1805 – 1 April 1872), known as F. D. Maurice, was an English Anglican theologian, a prolific author, and one of the founders of Christian socialism. Since World War II, interest in Maurice has exp ...

* 1854 -

Christopher Wordsworth Christopher Wordsworth (30 October 180720 March 1885) was an English intellectual and a bishop of the Anglican Church. Life Wordsworth was born in London, the youngest son of Christopher Wordsworth, Master of Trinity, who was the youngest b ...

* 1857 - ''Eight discourses on the miracles'', by

William Gilson Humphry William Gilson Humphry (1815–1886) was an English clergyman and academic. Life Humphry was born at Sudbury, Suffolk, on 30 January 1815, son of William Wood Humphry, barrister-at-law, and brother of George Murray Humphry. Humphry was educated a ...

* 1861 -
The Bible and its Critics: an Enquiry into the Objective Reality of Revealed Truths
', by

Edward Garbett Edward Garbett (1817–1887), was a religious figure and writer of the 19th century. Garbett was born in Hereford on 10 December 1817, the sixth son of the Reverend James Garbett (1775–1857), custos rotulorum and prebendary of Hereford Cathedra ...

* 1862 - ''The Conflict between Science and Infidelity'', by Edward Garbett * 1863 - ''The Divine Plan of Revelation'', by Edward Garbett * 1864 - ''The conversion of the Roman empire'', by Charles Merivale * 1865 - ''The Conversion of the Northern Nations'', by Charles Merivale * 1866–67 - ''Christ and Christendom'', by

Edward Hayes Plumptre Edward Hayes Plumptre (6 August 1821 – 1 February 1891) was an English divine and scholar born in London. Life He was born on 6 August 1821, being the son of Edward Hallows Plumptre, a London solicitor. Charles John Plumptre was his brother. ...

* 1868 -
The Witness of the Old Testament to Christ
', by Stanley Leathes * 1869 -
The Witness of St. Paul to Christ
', by Stanley Leathes * 1870 - ''The Witness of St. John to Christ'', by Stanley Leathes * 1871–72 - ''Moral Difficulties Connected with the Bible'', by

James Augustus Hessey James Augustus Hessey (17 July 1814 – 24 December 1892) was a British cleric and Headmaster of Merchant Taylors' School. Life He was born in London, the eldest son of publisher James Augustus Hessey, of St. Bride's, City of London and was ...

* 1874–75 -
Christianity and Morality Or the Correspondence of the Gospel with the Moral Nature of Man
', by Henry Wace * 1876 - ''What is Natural Theology?'', by

Alfred Barry Alfred Barry (15 January 18261 April 1910) was the third Bishop of Sydney serving 1884–1889. Over the course of his career, Barry served as headmaster of independent schools, Principal of King's College London university and founded Anglic ...

* 1877–78 - ''The Manifold Witness for Christ'', by

* 1879–80 -
The Evidential Value of the Holy Eucharist
', by George Frederick Maclear * 1884 -
The Scientific Obstacles to Christian Belief
', by George Herbert Curteis * 1890 -
Old Truths in Modern Lights
' (''The Present Conflict of Science and Theology''), by T. G. Bonney * 1891 -
Christian Doctrines and Modern Thought
', by T. G. Bonney * 1893 - ''Ascent of Faith or the Grounds of Certainty in Science and Religion'', by Alexander James Harrison * 1895 -
The Gospel of Experience Or the Witness of Human Life to the Truth of Revelation
', by W. C. E. Newbolt * 1897 -

William Benham William Benham may refer to: *William Benham (priest) (1831–1910), English churchman and writer *William Benham (zoologist) (1860–1950), New Zealand zoologist and biologist *William Gurney Benham Sir William Gurney Benham, FSA, FRHS (; 16 ...

; 20th century * 1903–05 -
The Testimony of St. Paul to Christ Viewed in Some of its Aspects
', by Richard John Knowling * 1935–36 - ''God, Creation and Revelation'', by Allen John MacDonald * 1965 -
The Christian Universe
', by

Eric Mascall Eric Lionel Mascall (1905–1993) was a leading theologian and priest in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of the Church of England. He was a philosophical exponent of the Thomist tradition and was Professor of Historical Theology at King's College ...

; 21st century * 2004 -
Darwin, Design, and the Promise of Nature
', by

John F. Haught John F. Haught is an American theologian. He is a Distinguished Research Professor at Georgetown University. He specializes in Roman Catholic systematic theology, with a particular interest in issues pertaining to physical cosmology, evolutionary b ...

, with a response by Richard Chartres * 2005 -
Darwin’s Compass: How Evolution Discovers the Song of Creation
', by

Simon Conway Morris Simon Conway Morris (born 1951) is an English palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist, and astrobiologist known for his study of the fossils of the Burgess Shale and the Cambrian explosion. The results of these discoveries were celebrated in ...

, with a response by Keith Ward * 2006 -
The Emergence of Spirit: From Complexity to Anthropology to Theology
', by Philip Clayton, with a response by Niels Gregersen * 2007
''Cosmology of Ultimate Concern''
by John D Barrow, with a response by

Martin Rees Martin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where: (born 23 June 1942) is a British cosmologist and astrophysicist. He is the fifteenth Astronomer Royal, ...

* 2008
''Psychologising and Neurologising about Religion: Facts, Fallacies and the Future''
by

Malcolm Jeeves Malcolm Alexander Jeeves (born 16 November 1926) is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of St Andrews, and was formerly President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He established the Department of Psychology at St Andrews and his ...

, with a response by Fraser Watts * 2009
''Misusing Darwin: The Materialist Conspiracy in Evolutionary Biology''
by

Keith Ward Keith Ward (born 1938) is an English philosopher, and theologian. He is a fellow of the British Academy and a priest of the Church of England. He was a canon of Christ Church, Oxford, until 2003. Comparative theology and the relationship between ...

, with a response by John Polkinghorne * 2010
''The Legacy of Robert Boyle - Then and Now''
by

John Hedley Brooke John Hedley Brooke (born 1944) is a British historian of science specialising in the relationship between science and religion. Biography Born on 20 May 1944, Brooke is the son of Hedley Joseph Brooke, and Margaret Brooke, née Brown. He was edu ...

, with a response by

Geoffrey Cantor Geoffrey N. Cantor (born 1943) is Emeritus Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Leeds and Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. He h ...

* 2011
''Is the World Unfinished? On Interactions between Science and Theology''
by

Jürgen Moltmann Jürgen Moltmann (born 8 April 1926) is a German Reformed theologian who is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at the University of Tübingen and is known for his books such as the ''Theology of Hope'', ''The Crucified God'', ''God in Creat ...

, with a response by

Alan Torrance Alan Torrance (born 1956) is professor of systematic theology at St Mary's College of the University of St Andrews. Previously he lectured at King's College London from 1993–1998, where he was also Director of the Research Institute in Systematic ...

* 2012
''Christ and Evolution: A Drama of Wisdom''
by

Celia Deane-Drummond Celia Deane-Drummond is Director of the Laudato Si’ Research Institute and Senior Research Fellow in theology at Campion Hall, University of Oxford. She is also honorary visiting Professor in Theology and Science at the University of Durham, UK ...

, with a response by Fount LeRon Shults * 2013
''Science and Religion in Dialogue''
by

John Polkinghorne John Charlton Polkinghorne (16 October 1930 – 9 March 2021) was an English theoretical physicist, theologian, and Anglican priest. A prominent and leading voice explaining the relationship between science and religion, he was professor of ma ...

, with a response by Richard Chartres * 2014
''New Atheism – New Apologetics: The Use of Science in Recent Christian Apologetic Writings''
by

Alister McGrath Alister Edgar McGrath (; born 1953) is a Northern Irish theologian, Anglican priest, intellectual historian, scientist, Christian apologist, and public intellectual. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in ...

, with a response by

Richard Harries Richard Douglas Harries, Baron Harries of Pentregarth, (born 2 June 1936) is a retired bishop of the Church of England and former British Army officer. He was the Bishop of Oxford from 1987 to 2006. From 2008 until 2012 he was the Gresham Profes ...

* 2015
''Natural Theology Revisited (Again)''
by Russell Re Manning, with a response by Louise Hickman * 2016 - ''Natural Theology in a Changed Key? Evolution, Cooperation, and the God Question'', by

Sarah Coakley Sarah Anne Coakley (born 1951) is an English Anglican priest, systematic theologian and philosopher of religion with interdisciplinary interests. She is an honorary professor at the Logos Institute, the University of St Andrews, after she step ...

, with a response by Christopher Insole * 2017 - ''Theological Influences in Scientific Research Programmes: Natural Theology 'in Reverse, by Robert J. Russell, with a response by

Rowan Williams Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...

* 2018 - ''Apocalypses Now: Modern Science and Biblical Miracles'', by Mark Harris, with a response by

*2019 - ''Science, Religion and Ethics'', by Michael Reiss *2020 - ''Mental Health and the Gospel'', by Christopher Cook, with a response by Fraser Watts *2021 - ''The Rediscovery of Contemplation Through Science'', by

Tom McLeish Thomas Charles Buckland McLeish (1 May 1962 – 27 February 2023) was a British theoretical physicist. His work is renowned for increasing understanding of the properties of soft matter. This is a matter that can be easily changed by stress ...

, with a response by

References

{{reflist, colwidth=30em

External links

Boyle, Robert, and the Boyle Lectures
in

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, Vol. II (

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) Christian theological lectures Lectures on religion and science Philosophy events