Boyle Lectures

The Boyle Lectures were named after Robert Boyle, son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, and a prominent natural philosopher of the 17th century. Under the terms of his will Boyle endowed a series of lectures or sermons (originally eight each year) which were to serve as a public forum in which to consider the relationship between Christianity and the new natural philosophy (what we today term 'science') then emerging in European society.

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

> Sir, When I wrote my Treatise about our System, I had an Eye upon such Principles as might work with considering Men, for the Belief of a Deity; nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that Purpose.[1][2]

The lecturers were specifically charged to prove the truth of the Christian religion against infidels, without descending to any controversies among Christians; and to answer new difficulties, scruples, etc. Some lecturers targeted Christian Deism.[3] A learned theologian within the Bills of Mortality, was to be elected for a term, not exceeding three years, by Thomas Tenison (later Archbishop of Canterbury), and three others.[4] To support the lectures, Boyle assigned the rent of his house in Crooked Lane. But the fund proving precarious, the salary was ill-paid. To remedy this, Archbishop Tenison procured a yearly stipend of 50 pounds, forever, to be paid quarterly, charged on a farm in the parish of Brill, Buckinghamshire.[5]

The Boyle lectures were revived in 2004 at the Anglican church of St Mary-le-Bow by Michael Byrne. They now take place annually and are administered by a board whose members include John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork; Robert Boyle; Julian Tregoning; David Vermont; George R. Bush; John Hedley Brooke; Alister McGrath; Russell Re Manning; and Michael Byrne (Convenor). 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'.

## The lectures

* 1692 – A Confutation of Atheism, by Richard Bentley[6][7][8]
* 1693-94 - A Demonstration of the Messias, in which the Truth of the Christian Religion is proved, especially against the Jews, by Richard Kidder[6][9][10]
* 1694 - [Title Unknown], by Richard Bentley[11]
* 1695 - The Possibility, Expediency and Necessity of Divine Revelation, by John Williams[6][9][10][12][13]
* 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 (Bishop of Chester)[6][9][10]
* 1698 - The Atheistical Objections against the Being of God and His Attributes fairly considered and fully refuted, by John Harris[6][9][14][15]
* 1699 - The Credibility of the Christian Revelation, from its intrinsick Evidence, by Samuel Bradford (Bishop of Rochester)[6][10][16]
* 1700 - The Sufficiency of a Standing Revelation, by Offspring Blackall[6][9][10]
* 1701–02 - Truth and Exellency of the Christian Religion, by George Stanhope[6][9]
* 1703 - Adams
* 1704 - A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, by Samuel Clarke[9][17][18]
* 1705 - The Evidences of Natural and Revealed Religion, by Samuel Clarke[18]
* 1706 - Arguments to Prove the Being of a God, by John Hancock[6][9][10]
* 1707 - The Accomplishment of Scripture Prophecies, by William Whiston[6][9][10]
* 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[6][9][10]
* 1709 - Religion no Matter of Shame, by Lilly Butler[6][9]
* 1710 - The Divine Original and Excellence of the Christian Religion, by Josiah Woodward[6][9][10]
* 1711–12 - Physico-Theology, or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God from his Works of Creation, by William Derham[6][9][10][19]
* 1713–14 - On the Exercise of Private Judgment, or Free-Thinking, by Benjamin Ibbot[6][9][10]
* 1717–18 - Natural Obligations to Believe the Principles of Religion and Divine Revelation, by John Leng[6][9][10]
* 1719 - An Enquiry into the Cause and Origin of Evil, by John Clarke[6][9][20]
* 1720 - On the Origin of Evil, by John Clarke[21]
* 1721 - https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boyle_Lectures&action=edit#22 \- The pretended Difficulties in Natural or Revealed Religion, no Excuse for Infidelity, by Robert Gurdon[9][10]
* 1724–25 - A Demonstration of True Religion, in a Chain of Consequences from certain and undeniable Principles, by Thomas Burnett[6][9][10][22]
* 1725–28 - John Denne[23]
* 1730–32 - The Gradual Revelation of the Gospel from the time of Man's Apostacy, by William Berriman[6][9][10]
* 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[6][24]
* 1739–41 - Leonard Twells[6][10][25]
* 1747–49 - Christianity justified upon the Scripture Foundation; being a Summery View of the Controversy between Christians and Deists, by Henry Stebbing[6][10][26]
* 1750–52 - John Jortin[10]
* 1756–58 - Thomas Newton[4][27]
* 1759–62 - Charles Moss[28]
* 1763 - A Discourse upon the Being of God against Atheists, by Ralph Heathcote[10]
* 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[6][10]
* 1769–71 - The Intent and Propriety of the Scripture Miracles considered and explained, by Henry Owen[6][10][29]
* 1778–80 - An Argument for the Christian Religion, drawn from a Comparison of Revelation with the Natural Operations of the Mind, by James Williamson[6][10][30]
* 1802–05 - An Historical View of the Rise and Progress of Infidelity, with a Refutation of its Principles and Reasonings, by William Van Mildert[31]
* 1812 - William Van Mildert[16]
* 1814 - Frederick Nolan
* 1821 - The Connection of Christianity with Human Happiness, by William Harness[6][31]
* 1845–46 - The Religions of the World; and Their Relations to Christianity Considered in Eight Lectures \- Frederick Denison Maurice
* 1854 - Christopher Wordsworth[31]
* 1857 - Eight discourses on the miracles, by William Gilson Humphry[32]
* 1861 - The Bible and its Critics: an Enquiry into the Objective Reality of Revealed Truths, by Edward Garbett[31][33][34]
* 1862 - The Conflict between Science and Infidelity, by Edward Garbett[31]
* 1863 - The Divine Plan of Revelation, by Edward Garbett[31]
* 1864 - The conversion of the Roman empire, by Charles Merivale[31]
* 1865 - The Conversion of the Northern Nations, by Charles Merivale[31]
* 1866–67 - Christ and Christendom, by Edward Hayes Plumptre[35]
* 1868 - The Witness of the Old Testament to Christ, by Stanley Leathes[31][36]
* 1869 - The Witness of St. Paul to Christ, by Stanley Leathes[31][37]
* 1870 - The Witness of St. John to Christ, by Stanley Leathes[31][38]
* 1871–72 - Moral Difficulties Connected with the Bible, by James Augustus Hessey[31]
* 1874–75 - Christianity and Morality Or the Correspondence of the Gospel with the Moral Nature of Man, by Henry Wace[39]
* 1876 - What is Natural Theology?, by Alfred Barry[40]
* 1877–78 - The Manifold Witness for Christ, by Alfred Barry[40]
* 1879–80 - The Evidential Value of the Holy Eucharist, by George Frederick Maclear[31][41]
* 1884 - The Scientific Obstacles to Christian Belief, by George Herbert Curteis[31][42]
* 1890 - Old Truths in Modern Lights (The Present Conflict of Science and Theology), by T. G. Bonney[31][43]
* 1891 - Christian Doctrines and Modern Thought, by T. G. Bonney[44]
* 1893 - Ascent of Faith or the Grounds of Certainty in Science and Religion, by Alexander James Harrison[31]
* 1895 - The Gospel of Experience Or the Witness of Human Life to the Truth of Revelation, by W. C. E. Newbolt[45]
* 1897 - William Benham[46]
* 1903–05 - The Testimony of St. Paul to Christ Viewed in Some of its Aspects, by Richard John Knowling[47][48]
* 1935–36 - God, Creation and Revelation, by Allen John MacDonald[49]
* 1965 - The Christian Universe, by Eric Mascall
* 2004 - Darwin, Design, and the Promise of Nature, by John F. Haught,[16] with a response by Richard Chartres
* 2005 - Darwin’s Compass: How Evolution Discovers the Song of Creation, by Simon Conway Morris,[16] 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[16]
* 2007 - Cosmology of Ultimate Concern, by John D Barrow, with a response by Martin Rees
* 2008 - Psychologising and Neurologising about Religion: Facts, Fallacies and the Future, by Malcolm Jeeves, with a response by Fraser Watts
* 2009 - Misusing Darwin: The Materialist Conspiracy in Evolutionary Biology, by Keith Ward, with a response by John Polkinghorne
* 2010 - The Legacy of Robert Boyle - Then and Now, by John Hedley Brooke, with a response by Geoffrey Cantor
* 2011 - Is the World Unfinished? On Interactions between Science and Theology in the Concepts of Nature, Time, and the Future, by Jürgen Moltmann, with a response by Alan Torrance
* 2012 - Christ and Evolution: A Drama of Wisdom, by Celia Deane-Drummond, with a response by Fount LeRon Shults
* 2013 - Science and Religion in Dialogue, by John Polkinghorne, with a response by Richard Chartres
* 2014 - New Atheism – New Apologetics: The Use of Science in Recent Christian Apologetic Writings, by Alister McGrath, with a response by Richard Harries
* 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, 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

## References

1. ↑ Scholars and Antiquaries (The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21))
2. ↑ "Notes on the Religious Orientation of Scientists" by Gerald Holton in Science Ponders Religion, Harlow Shapley, Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1960, p. 59
3. ↑ Franklin, Benjamin (1909–14). "112". His Autobiography. The Harvard Classics. 1. New York: P.F. Collier & Son. p. 1. ISBN 0-8370-2638-5. http://www.bartleby.com/1/1/3.html. Retrieved 2010-11-01.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Newton, Thomas (1808). Dissertations on the prophecies : which have remarkably been fulfilled and at this time are fulfilling in the world. 1. Berwick: Printed by W. Gracie for J. Rennison [etc.]. p. 257. https://archive.org/details/dissertationson01newt. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
5. ↑ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed (1728). "article name needed". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (first ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.article+name+needed&rft.atitle=[[Cyclopædia,+or+an+Universal+Dictionary+of+Arts+and+Sciences]]&rft.date=1728&rft.edition=first&rft.pub=James+and+John+Knapton,+et+al&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikibooks.org:Unsolved:Boyle_Lectures">
6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 J. H. Parker's Divinity Catalogue. Oxford. 1837. p. 39. ISBN 0-524-00298-3. (titles might be trimmed)
7. ↑ Bentley, Richard (1976). Eight Boyle Lectures on Atheism. New York: Garland. ISBN 978-0-8240-1752-1.
8. ↑ Separate first editions of lectures #2–8: Bentley, Richard (1692). Matter and Motion Cannot Think, Or A Confutation of Atheism from the Faculties of the Soul. London: T. Parkhurst and H. Mortlock. http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksNew/index.cfm?textID=bentley1&PagePosition=1. Retrieved 2008-09-16. A Confutation of Atheism from the Structure and Origin of Humane Bodies. London. 1692. http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sCETI/printedbooksNew/index.cfm?TextID=bentley2&PagePosition=1. Retrieved 2008-09-16. A Confutation of Atheism from the Origin and Frame of the World. London. 1693. http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/printedbooksNew/index.cfm?textID=bentley3&PagePosition=1. Retrieved 2008-09-16. The eight lectures, from 1735 edition, reprinted Alexander Dyce, ed (1838). The Works of Richard Bentley, Vol. 3. London: Francis Macpherson. https://archive.org/details/worksbentley03bentuoft. First full edition, in html .
9. ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 Burnet, Gilbert (fl. 1737), ed (2000). Boyle Lectures (1692–1732): A Defence of Natural and Revealed Religion, being an Abridgement of the Sermons preached at the Lectures founded by Robert Boyle. Philosophy and Christian Thought in Britain 1700–1900. Bristol: Thoemmes. ISBN 978-1-85506-813-1.
10. ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 10.18 10.19 10.20 10.21 Horne, Thomas Hartwell (1827). A Catalogue of the Library of the College of St. Margaret and St. Bernard: Commonly Called Queen's College, in the University of Cambridge. London: S. and R. Bentley. pp. 301–304. https://books.google.com/?id=SwwDAAAAYAAJ.
11. ↑ Monk, James Henry (1833). The life of Richard Bentley, with an account of his writings and anecdotes of many distinguished characters during the period in which he flourished. University of California Libraries. London : Printed for J. G. & F. Rivington. https://archive.org/details/lifeofrichardben01monk.
12. ↑ Williams, J., Five Sermons at the Boyle Lectures
13. ↑ Williams, John (1695). [A collection of eight sermons preached in defense of the Christian religion, called the "Boyle lectures", 1694-1696].. London: Printed for Ric. Chitwell ... and Tho. Cockerill .... OCLC 26374055.
14. ↑ Oliver, Ryan (December 2007). "Aliens and Atheists: The Plurality of Worlds and Natural Theology in Seventeenth-Century England". p. 66. https://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-5134:1. Retrieved 2008-09-09
15. ↑ The Encyclopædia Britannica. 13 (11th ed.). New York. 1911. p. 20. https://archive.org/details/EncyclopaediaBritannica1911HQDJVU
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 "St Mary le Bow Church, London - Boyle Lectures". http://www.stmarylebow.co.uk/?Boyle_Lecture. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
17. ↑ Clarke, Samuel. A Discourse Concerning the Being and Attributes of God, the Obligations of Natural Religion, and the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Revelation, in opposition to Hobbes, Spinoza, the author of the Oracles of Reason, and other Deniers of Natural and Revealed Religion (1823 ed.). https://archive.org/details/discourseconcern1725clar. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Clarke, Samuel". The Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). New York. 1911.
19. ↑ Derham, William (1720). Physico-Theology, or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God from his Works of Creation (fifth ed.). London: W. and J. Innys. ISBN 0-405-10383-2. https://archive.org/details/physicotheologyo00derh. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
20. ↑ Clarke, John (1720). An Enquiry into the Cause and Origin of Evil. London: James Knapton. https://archive.org/details/enquiryintocause00clar. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
21. ↑ http://www.ilab.org/db/detail.php?booknr=350617182
22. ↑ Burnett, Thomas (1726). A Demonstration of True Religion, in a Chain of Consequences from certain and undeniable Principles; wherein the Necessity and Certainty of Natural and Revealed Religion, with the Nature and Reason of both are explained, and in particular the Authority of the Christian Revelation is established, not only from the Natures, and Reasons of things, but also from the Relation it bears to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. London: Arthur Betyesworth. Vol. 1; Vol. 2
23. ↑ Stephen, Leslie, ed (1888). "Denne, John". Dictionary of National Biography. 14. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
24. ↑ Biscoe, Richard (1840). The History of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, confirmed from other Authors, and considered as full Evidence for the Truth of Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-548-70278-0. https://archive.org/details/historyoftheacts00biscuoft. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
25. ↑ Twells, Leonard (1743). Twenty-four Sermons Preach'd at the Parish Church of St. Mary Le Bow: London, in the Years 1739, 1740, 1741, at the Lecture Founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esq; and Eight Sermons Preach'd at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, in the Years 1738 and 1739, at the Lecture Founded by the Honoured Lady Moyer. To which are Added, A Visitation Sermon, A Sermon before the Religious Societies and a Charity Sermon. London. , Vol. 1; Vol. 2
26. ↑ Stebbing, Henry. Christianity justified upon the Scripture Foundation; being a Summery View of the Controversy between Christians and Deists. https://archive.org/details/christianityjust00steb. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
27. ↑ Popkin, Richard Henry (1992). "Prognostics from Nostradamus to Hume". The Third Force in Seventeenth-century Thought. BRILL. p. 299. ISBN 978-90-04-09324-9.
28. ↑ Wikisource:Moss, Charles (DNB00)
29. ↑ Owen, Henry (1773). The Intent and Propriety of the Scripture Miracles considered and explained. London. ISBN 1-104-31163-1. Vol. 1; Vol. 2
30. ↑ Williamson, James (1783). An Argument for the Christian Religion, drawn from a Comparison of Revelation with the Natural Operations of the Mind. P. Elmsly. https://archive.org/details/argumentforchris00will. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
31. ↑ 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 31.14 31.15 Hunt, John. Religious Thought in England in the Nineteenth Century. pp. 38, 338–342. ISBN 978-1-4212-6545-2.
32. ↑ Humphry, William (1858). Eight discourses on the miracles : preached in the parish church of St. Martin in the Fields in the year 1857 : at the lecture founded by the Hon. Robert Boyle. London: John W. Parker. OCLC 52633386.
33. ↑ "The Christian observer". The Christian observer (London: Hatchard and Co.) 60: 696–710. September 1861. https://books.google.com/?id=COIRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA696.
34. ↑ Garbett, Edward (1861). The Bible and its critics: an enquiry into the objective reality of revealed truths ___ being the Boyle lectures for MDCCCLXI. London: Seeley and Griffiths. https://books.google.com/?id=hW8rAAAAYAAJ.
35. ↑ New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. I: Aachen - Basilians | Christian Classics Ethereal Library
36. ↑ Leathes, Stanley (1868). The Witness of the Old Testament to Christ. London, Oxford and Cambridge: Rivingtons. https://books.google.com/?id=nosEAAAAQAAJ. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
37. ↑ Leathes, Stanley (1869). The Witness of St. Paul to Christ. London, Oxford and Cambridge: Rivingtons. ISBN 0-8370-9713-4. https://archive.org/details/witnessofstpault00leat. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
38. ↑ Leathes, Stanley (1870). The Witness of St. John to Christ. London, Oxford and Cambridge: Rivingtons. ISBN 0-8370-5662-4. https://archive.org/details/witnessofstjohnt00leat. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
39. ↑ Wace, Henry (1882). Christianity and Morality Or the Correspondence of the Gospel with the Moral Nature of Man (Fifth ed.). London: Pickering. ISBN 0-7905-0410-3. https://archive.org/details/christianitymora00waceuoft.
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. I: Aachen - Basilians - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc01.html?term=Barry,+Alfred.
41. ↑ Maclear, George Frederick (1883). The Evidential Value of the Holy Eucharist. London: Macmillan and Co. https://archive.org/details/evidentialvalue01maclgoog. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
42. ↑ Curteis, George Herbert (1885). The Scientific Obstacles to Christian Belief. London: Macmillan and Co. https://archive.org/stream/scientificobstac00curt. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
43. ↑ Bonney, T. G. (1891). Old Truths in Modern Lights, with Other Sermons. New York: James Pott and Co. ISBN 0-8370-2412-9. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008623990.
44. ↑ Bonney, T. G. (1892). Christian Doctrines and Modern Thought. London: Longmans, Green and Co. https://archive.org/details/christiandoctri01bonngoog.
45. ↑ Newbolt, William Charles Edmund (1896). The Gospel of Experience Or the Witness of Human Life to the Truth of Revelation. London, New York and Bombay: Longmans, Green & Co.. https://archive.org/details/thegospelofexper00newbuoft.
46. ↑ Lee, Sidney, ed (1912). "Benham, William". Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). 1. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
47. ↑ Knowling, Richard John (1905). The Testimony of St. Paul to Christ Viewed in Some of its Aspects. London: Hodder and Stoughton. https://archive.org/details/thetestimonyofsx00knowuoft.
48. ↑ Schaff, P. & Herzog J. J. , New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Volume VI, Innocents - Liudger, pp. 360–61 | Christian Classics Ethereal Library
49. ↑ Macdonald, A (1938). God, creation and revelation. London: John Heritage the Unicorn Press. OCLC 21108337.

## External links

* Boyle, Robert, and the Boyle Lectures, in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. II (CCEL)

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