In the Beginning

The Biblical journey begins with the relationship between what can be done and what should be done.

"There is so much that you can do," says God to our primordial couple. "Just don't do everything that you can do."

Adam and Eve fail. They take the thing they should not have taken. And so we begin.

In many ways religion is and always has been the moderator between that which is possible, for humanity, and that which we should do.

Fast forward to the very cutting edge of contemporary society, and creation of life has a very different valence. Lives are created in test-tubes; increasingly constructed out of synthesised this and modified that. The realm of the possible has expanded beyond the imagination of ancient framers of effective limits on the possible, or has it?

This Sunday, 6th March, I will be in conversation with two of this country's leading experts on the origins of life - the possibilities of creation, Baroness Deech is one of our foremost ethicists, a former chair of the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority. Professor Baum is one of our foremost scientists working on 'microfabrication' and the ' evolution of eukaryotic cell shape.'

This is the winter Quest lecture of the Synagogue, our keynote opportunity to engage in the vision and the relevance of the community. It's an important occasion and it should be fascinating and fun too.

You can book here and I look forward to seeing you then (7:30pm Sunday, you can even come if you haven't booked in advance!)