The more we evolve, the less we need God. That's the proposition up for debate in a recent Intelligence Squared event. And if that phrasing wasn't enough to raise the eyebrows of Christians, the pro-God side is represented by Deepak Chopra and Anoop Kumar, who share a concept of God that seems more pantheistic than personal. Of course, no two people could represent the full range of religious beliefs, and in many other comparable debates or dialogues one or a few Christians wind up standing for all believers of all … [Read more...] about Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 10
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Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 9
The Easter season is a natural time for Christians to reflect on miracles, as the resurrection of Jesus is the central miracle of our tradition. And as Robert Bruce Mullin reminds us in "Science, Miracles, and the Prayer-Gauge Debate," miracles are a natural point of contact when science and Christianity meet. Thus scientists and theologians at that interface today continue to take up the question of whether one can reasonably believe that Jesus of Nazareth died and subsequently returned to life in a physical sense. … [Read more...] about Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 9
Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 8
Evolutionary biology is a challenging topic; the history of the Christian church's reaction to it, doubly so. Continuing a theme running throughout When Science and Christianity Meet, David Livingston identifies the human element as a major complicating factor. After all, the church does not respond to evolutionary biology; individual Christians do. And some of those individuals are responding more to Darwin the man than his scientific contributions. And even Darwin the man had many reactions to his own work and its … [Read more...] about Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 8
Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 7
How would I have thought about my fellow humans had I lived 50, 100, 150 years ago? That question has been nagging me for a while now. As a biologist, my current thoughts on topics like race are influenced by my understanding of the science. I am also aware that various scientists have come to a range of conclusions on those questions over the years. With hindsight, we can see how some of those conclusions were based on flawed studies, biased reasoning, or incomplete or nonexistent data. But would I have been able to … [Read more...] about Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 7
Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 6
The gap year is a popular option for college-bound students looking for a wider range of experiences. Of course, it's really only a gap if you expect education to involve continuous matriculation; for the student it's not a gap at all. Now, how about a gap century, or gap millennium, or longer? For William Buckland, the subject of this weeks' chapter from When Science and Christianity Meet, a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 helped to resolve questions about the chronology of creation posed by geological … [Read more...] about Science Book Club: When Science & Christianity Meet Ch 6