Benjamin J. Samuels is a doctoral student in the Science, Philosophy and Religion program. He holds a BA in English Literature, a MA in Bible and Medieval Jewish Studies, and rabbinical ordination, all of which he earned at Yeshiva University. Benjamin is primarily interested in how changes in scientific understanding and awareness impact upon the development of Jewish law and theology. He has explored this interest in the context of astronomy and cosmology, as well as regarding Jewish receptions of evolutionary theory. For his doctoral research, he plans to investigate Jewish legal and theological responses to advances in medical theory and technology.