SCIENCE and religion will be going head-to-head during a packed weekend of debate in Malvern.

Leading astrophysicists will be heading to town to take part in an annual celebration exploring the relationship between faith and reason.

Organisers of the Malvern Science and Faith Weekend have announced a packed programme for the three-day event from Friday, March 7.

It will open with a talk by Peter Owen-Jones, who presented the BBC programme The Simple Life – which saw him following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi by living simply and without money.

The flagship Saturday afternoon event, entitled The Big Bang, will see top scientists give talks and participate in a Question Time-style debate.

Respected names including Sky at Night presenter and Oxford University professor Dr Chris Lintott, Professor Eric Priest from the University of St Andrews and Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell have all signed up to take part.

The Saturday evening event will see philosopher Angie Hobbs and John Churcher, former chairman of the Progressive Christianity Network, debate the relationship between faith and secularism while on the Sunday afternoon a variety of speakers will take part in an inter-faith discussion ‘God and the New Physics’.

Children will be catered for with their own dedicated art and science activity day including a visit from Thinktank, a science museum in Birmingham.

In previous years the weekend has focused on subjects including Charles Darwin and his evolutionary theory.

Organiser Andrew Webb said: “It promises to be an exciting weekend of debate and discussion in the community.”

Most events are free but people are advised to make bookings early.

Brochures with full details are available from the Malvern tourist information centre, in Church Street, or by calling 01684 565708 or e-mailing info@ scienceandfaith.org.uk.