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A word from the director - january 2009 The Forum of Existence and Science is part of the Copenhagen University Network of Science and Religion, which was founded by Professor Niels Henrik Gregersen in 2005. The network, which is a cooperation between the Dept. of Systematic Theology, the Copenhagen University Star Program Naturalism and Christian Semantics (NaSC) and the Forum for Existence and Science (FEV), is financed by the Metanexus Institute, www.metanexus.net, NaSC and the dept. of Systematic Theology. In the meantime Niels Henrik Gregersen passed the directorship for the network to Associate Professor, Dr. Anne Runehov in 2008 www.annerunehov.com. Since January 2008, the network has developed in the following way.    (1) The Forum for Existence and Science, has become an association member of the ESSSAT. This implies, amongst other things, that the members of the network are able to participate in the ECST at a reduced fee and furthermore, that the network has all the advantages related to ESSSAT membership. For example, free books, but more importantly, intellectual exchange. www.esssat.org.   (2) New is also the introduction of specific respondents to the invited speakers. When possible, these opportunities are given to recently disserted doctors or PhD students. The idea is to give room for communication and eventual future collaboration between established and promising young scholars across the world. In other words, continuation meets novelty.   (3) Because of the importance of interdisciplinary and international intellectual exchange, primary steps have been taken to gather the lectures of both the main speakers and the respondents and to publish these under the editorship of the director of the network. Co-editors are Associate Professor, Dr. Jakob Wolf and Dr. René Rosfort. The lectures will be written (in English) in a way that makes them available for undergraduate students as well as a broader public, however without reducing the academic quality. By doing so, past, now and future are connected and presented to all who want to learn more about the field.   The emphasis of the network is to bring in strong proponents of the dialogue between science and religion to stimulate the discussions in Copenhagen, and to bring about a dialogue between international science-religion scholars and scholars from all disciplines at highest level at the University of Copenhagen at large. Our striving is to change the attitude towards different branches of science, theology and philosophy. We hope that theologians, philosophers and scientists begin to discuss commonalities rather than differences.   Since 2008, the emphasis has been to highlight human existence from different disciplinary perspectives. The concern is hence to understand what it means to be a human being from several perspectives. Hence, at least the following questions are raised: How could or should science and religion/theology and philosophy be related? What does this imply for our understandings of God and God's action in the world? What do discoveries within palaeontology and biology mean for understanding human existence? What is the place of human beings in the universe? How are human beings related to the world, others and God? What can our brain tell us about whom we are? Is there a purpose with human life? What is the potential of gene-technology and biotechnology to enhance human existence? Related to this question, what role should ethics play? How should we understand the evil in the world? What does global warming mean for our existence? Can mathematics and quantum physics tell us about the relations and conditions of the world including human existence?   Since the year 2009 is the bicentennial of Darwin's birthday, and sesquicentennial of publication of his book The Origin of Species, the 2009 lectures will concern the theory of evolution and Darwinism understood from different perspectives.   Copenhagen 9 January 2009     Anne L.C. Runehov