evolution christian faith a conference - biologos.org & culture education ... don’t...

Evolution and

Christian FaithConferenceA

The Eberhard Center

June 30-July 2, 2015

Grand Valley State University

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Table of Contents

Schedule At-A-Glance

Letter from the President

Key Points of Information

Detailed Schedule

Oral Sessions At-A-Glance

Plenary Speaker Bios

Presenter Abstracts

Church & Culture

Education

Evolution & Design

Evolution & Human Psychology

Human Origins

Divine Action

Posters

Eberhard Center Map

Grand Rapids Attractions

Notes

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Schedule At-A-Glance

Tuesday June 30, 2015

Wednesday July 1, 2015

Thursday July 2, 2015

He is before all

things, and in him all things hold

together.

Colossians 1:17

Page 03

Letter from the President

June 30, 2015

Dear Friends,

Welcome! We are delighted you have joined us in Grand Rapids for the BioLogos Evolution & Christian Faith Conference. The BioLogos staff has been praying and preparing for many months in hopes that that our time together will produce fruitful dialogue, fresh perspectives on difficult science/faith questions, and new friendships and collaborations.

BioLogos invites the church and the world to see the harmony between science and biblical faith as we present an evolutionary understanding of God’s creation. To help fulfill this mission, BioLogos awarded grants to over three dozen individuals and teams of scholars, teachers, and church leaders, all working on questions at the intersection of evolution and Christian faith. This conference is the culmination of the Evolution and Christian Faith grant program, wher many of our grant recipients will be sharing their work.

We are pleased to offer a world-class lineup of plenary speakers whose expertise spans a wide range of disciplines: theology, history, biology, paleontology, biblical studies, and ministry. In addition, there are five concurrent program tracks to choose from during the oral sessions. Don’t worry—since you can’t be in five places at once, we’re recording most of the lectures so you can hear them later on the BioLogos website. The poster session has something for everyone, as well.

Shared times of worship and fellowship over meals are central to all BioLogos gatherings. We hope you will also enjoy exploring downtown Grand Rapids during our free time in the afternoons.

If you enjoy this conference, we hope you’ll consider getting involved with BioLogos. “Like” our Facebook page and sign up for our email newsletter. Consider inviting a BioLogos speaker to your school or church, leading a Book Club group, or preaching a sermon about the harmony between science and faith. If you do, we’d love to hear about it—write to us at [email protected]. We count each person here as an important part of the BioLogos community.

Blessings,

Deborah B. Haarsma President, BioLogos

Key Points of Information

WiFi Code: Username: biologos Password: dbnaf

Feel free to live tweet the conference! Use the twitter hashtag #ECF2015. The person generating the most constructive tweets wins a prize.

Restrooms are located at the south end of the second floor of the Eberhard Center.

In case of an emergency, please find Mary Bennett at the registration table or contact the receptionist at the Conference Services Department. They will know how to contact security and/or medical personnel as needed.

Eberhard Center complimentary parking is located in the Fulton Street Parking Lot, which has a street address of 312 Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI 49504.

The plenary sessions are being recorded and/or live streamed, so please avoid moving around during a session. Also, BioLogos staff will be taking photos throughout the conference. We assume you give permission to use your image in future publications unless you email us at [email protected] to opt out.

Conference Sponsors The BioLogos Evolution & Christian Faith Program, of which this conference is the culminating event, was made possible by the generous support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. Partial funding for the Evolution & Christian Faith Program was secured with the help of the Issachar Fund. We are also indebted to the Rainbow Foundation for their support of Christian education in West Michigan.

Posters can be hung on the numbered poster display boards in the West Gallery any time on Tuesday. Posters will be moved to Room 101 on Wednesday prior to the 3:00 p.m. Poster Session. Pins are available at the registration table.

Please fill out the evaluation form provided in your conference folder and return it to us. If you misplace your evaluation form, we will have additional copies at the registration table. We REALLY appreciate your candid feedback.

Please drop off name tags on your way out so that we can reuse them at a future event.

Printers for small print jobs are available in Room 101. If you need to make copies, please see Mary Bennett.

Contact number for Mary Bennett, BioLogos Event Coordinator: 1-302-349-6424

Exhibitors The following book sellers and organizations have exhibit booths located in the East Lobby through the duration of the conference.

• Baker Books• Eerdmans • InterVarsity Press• American Scientific Affiliation• The Colossian Forum• Emerging Scholars Network•The Faraday Institute• Novare Science & Math

Detailed Schedule

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

7:30 a.m.

12:15 p.m.

9:15 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

9:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

Check-in Begins

Lunch

President’s Welcome - Deborah Haarsma

Oral Session 1

Church & Culture Room 201

1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Ruth M. Bancewicz“Wonders of the Living World: A New Take on Evolutionary Biology for the Church”

Diane Sweeney“Short Films as Discussion Starters in Churches: Helping Teens to See Evolution as God’s Creative Process”

Randy Isaac “The Increase of Information and Complexity in Evolution-ary Creation”

Loren Haarsma“When did Sin Begin?”

Stuart Scadron-Wattles“Imago Dei and the Imagination”

Tim Eby“Integration of Evolutionary Concepts and Biblical World-view at the Secondary Level”

Walter L. Bradley “The Mystery of Life’s Origin: Reassessing Current Theories (Again)”

Dennis Venema “The Genetics of Adam and Eve: What Modern Genomics Reveals (and Doesn’t Reveal) about Human Origins ”

Andrew Walsh“A Parabolic Approach to Evolution”

Joshua D. Reichard “No ‘Slippery Slope’? An Empirical Case Study on the Effect of Secular Science Textbooks on Student Religi-osity in a Christian Private School”

Ben McFarland“A World From Dust: How the Periodic Table Shaped Life”

Michael J. Stell “The Incarnation as Intended Reality: A Reconceptualization of the Work of God in Light of Human Activity and Evolutionary Possibilities”

Evolution & Design Room 202

Education Room 414

Human Origins Room 203

Worship - Led by Brian Moss and Brian Oakes

Refreshment Break

Plenary Lecture - “Adam and the Scientists” Scot McKnight | New Testament Scholar, Northern Seminary

Plenary Lecture - “Dinosaurs Under the Microscope: New Ways to Look at Old Bones” Mary Schweitzer | Paleontologist, North Carolina State University

Second Floor, Eberhard Center

East Lobby Room 215

Room 215

Room 215

Room 215

East Lobby

Room 215

At the heart of theological education, whether in a church or a Christian school and among some Christians teaching in public schools, is sensitivity to the context of scientific claims. All scientific and historical claims speak out of and into a specific context, and this applies both to the grand theories in science (like biological evolution) and to theological claims about Adam, Eve, sin, and salvation. Paul talked about Adam in a way that made eminent sense to his Jewish and Roman contemporaries, and the Book of Genesis made sense in the Ancient Near Eastern world. Teaching students sensitivity to context is vital to their own spiritual formation, for being taught something contrary to context jeopardizes both scientific and theological claims. In this presentation I will focus on how the literary, archetypal, and historical Adam were understood in the Jewish world.

Conventional wisdom states that death, degradation, and entombment in a sedimentary burial environment combine to completely degrade all organics in fossil material after a few hundred thousand years. We have used new technology, borrowed from the molecular biology community, to show that in some cases this may not be accurate. This presentation shows evidence for still-soft tissues and original molecules in the skeletal remains of some dinosaur material, and discusses broad implications for paleontology and other scientific disciplines.

3:30 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

Oral Session 2


3:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m.

Jonathan P. Hill“Findings from the National Study of Religion & Human Origins”

Raymond J. Lewis“Teaching the Science of Origins in the Context of a Robust Doctrine of Creation”

Walter A. Rogero II“Making Room to Talk: Creating a Liminal Space for the Discussion of Evolution in a Local Congregation”

Joanna Klein“Strategies for Engaging Students on Origins at a Christian University”

Bob Stains Jr. & John Sarrouf“Creating a Safe Space for Pastors to Talk about Science and Faith”

Education Room 414

Divine Action Room 421

Refreshment Break East Lobby

Dominic Halsmer“Science, Engineering, and the Wisdom of God: Systems Approach to Nature Uncovers Vital Affordances Suggesting Superior Ingenuity”

David C. Campbell“Long Branches and Wrong Branches: Complications in DNA Evolution”

Sy Garte “New Ideas in Evolutionary Biology: Implications for the BioLogos Per-spective on Science and Christianity”

Evolution & Design Room 202

David Wilcox“Are Humans Truly Unique?”

Tim O’Connor“Evolution and the Image of God”

Matthew William Brake“Irenaeus, Theistic Evolution, & the Eschaton: The Elimination of Relational Chaos”


Given all the debate concerning the relationship between the biblical account of Adam and Eve and the constant flow of new information concerning genetics and the fossil record, it is important for us to take a careful look at the biblical text to evaluate what its claims actually are. Such claims are going to emerge in a close reading of the biblical text as an ancient document, which will be the focus of this paper.

John Cooper“Evolutionary Creation: Natu-ral and/or Supernatural?”

John T. Mullen“Divine Hiddenness and Con-straints on Creation”

No TalkDivine Action Room 421

5:00 p.m.

6:30 p.m.

8:45 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Free Time

Dinner

Worship

Plenary Lecture - “Investigating What the Bible Claims Concerning Adam and Eve” John Walton | Old Testament Scholar, Wheaton College

Room 215

Room 215

Room 215

Werner Riess and Christian Hoeger What do German Pupils Think about Evolution and Creation? Insights into the Attitudes Toward Evolutionary Theory and Subjective Theories about Human Evolution”

Josh Reeves“Reconciling Chance andDivine Providence: Three Theological Options”

Jim Bradley“Are Randomness and Faith Compatible?”

Richard F. Carlson & Jason N. Hine “Creation’s Complementarity - A Wonderful Yet Groaning Universe”

Detailed Schedule

12:15 p.m.

10:30 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

Lunch

Refreshment Break

Plenary Lecture -“From Stardust to the New Jerusalem: Gospel-Centered Preaching in an Evolving Universe” Leonard J. Vander Zee | Pastor and Editor, Faith Alive Christian Resources

East Lobby Room 215

East Lobby

Room 215

Standing on the front lines, how do pastors preach and teach the biblical gospel in a way that helps skeptical congregants take a fresh look at their long-held beliefs about creation and human origins? Preaching centered on practical moral and therapeutic application alone does not provide a sufficiently strong foundation for congregations to navigate the depths necessary for such biblical understanding. An answer may lie in a much-needed homiletical application of the theological interpretation of Scripture that recovers the early church’s consistent emphasis on the Bible’s narrative arc, centering and interpreting the whole story in the light of Jesus Christ.

1:30 p.m. Oral Session 3


1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Benoit Hébert and Marc Fiquet “The Origins Debate in French Speaking Countries”

Ryan M. Bebej “The Tale of the Whale: An Ideal Case Study for Introducing the Evidence for Evolution”

John D. Mays “The Learner-Inquirer Approach to Addressing Evolution in Christian Schools”

Tiago Garros “Evolution and Christian Faith in South America: Following American Footsteps?”

Ravi S. Jain & Robbie Andreasen “Lowering the Stakes on the Origins Discussion: Inverting the Biology Curriculum”

Education Room 414

Craig A. Boyd “Selfish Genes, Russian Dolls, and Christian Ethics”

Joel Duff “Christian Responses to the Spiritual and Physical Status of Neanderthals”

Tyler S. Greenway & Justin L. Barrett “Mind the Gap: Evolutionary Psychological Perspectives on Thriving”

Gregg Davidson“Genetics, the Nephilim, and the Historicity of Adam”

Michael J. DeMoor“Evolution, Morality, and Politics”

S. Joshua Swamidass “Adam as our Common Ancestor, but not our Sole Progenitor”

Evolution & Human Psychology Room 202


Greg Cootsona“Problems Facing the Science-Faith Dialogue with Emerging Adults”

I shall present a moderate Reformed doctrine of original sin. This does not include a doctrine of original guilt (i.e. that I am guilty of someone else’s sin). Also, it is a doctrine consistent with more than one story about human origins (i.e. it does not presume monogenism, the notion that we are descended from an aboriginal human pair). Moreover, this doctrine has greater ecumenical promise than some other Protestant accounts of original sin. I shall argue that these are strengths rather than weaknesses of the view.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

9:00 a.m. Worship Room 215

9:15 a.m. Plenary Lecture - “A Moderate Reformed Doctrine of Original Sin” Oliver Crisp | Professor of Systematic Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary

Room 215

5:00 p.m. Plenary Lecture -“Evolution, Creation, and the Grandeur of Life” Jeffrey Schloss | BioLogos Senior Scholar and Biologist, Westmont College

Room 215

Cygnus 27

In the last paragraph of The Origin, …, Darwin famously exclaims, “There is a grandeur….” having been initially breathed by the Creator into forms subsequently elaborated by natural laws into “the most exalted object which we are capable of considering.” Some contemporary, polarized depictions of evolution deny human exceptionalism and progressive directionality in evolutionary history on the one hand or, on the other, the adequacy of evidence for shared ancestry and the biodiversifying endowment of natural processes. This talk will describe (a) fascinating, recent observations pointing to the progressive evolution of “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful,” and (b) emerging evidence for the common descent but extraordinarily uncommon nature of human beings.

3:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Divine Action Room 421

1. Nicanor Austriaco, OP “Disputed Questions in Evolutionary Creation:

Thomistic Responses for the Catholic Faithful and Other Curious Minds”

2. Seung-Hwan Kim “Promoting the Harmony between Evolution and Christian Faith in the Church”

3. Justin Topp “Helping Pastors with Science and Faith”

4. Michael Cromartie “Faith Angle Forum Program for Journalists”

5. Chris Stump “Equipping the Church for Dialogue: BioLogos Hosts New Web Resource Centers”

6. Terry M. Gray “Seeing Evolutionary Creation as a Viable Evangelical Perspective: Seventy Years of ASA Resources”

7. René Fransen “From Babel to Understanding: Towards a Fruitful Debate on Evolutionary Creation”

8. Fernando Caballero “The Centre for Science and Faith: A Spanish Initiative”

9. Gary N. Fugle “Should God Be Mentioned in Public Science Classrooms?”

10. Brenda Kronemeijer-Heyink “Can a Creationist Summit at a Secular University Bring any Good?”

11. David A. Vosburg “Exploring Creation: A Faith & Science Guide for Groups”

12. Brian Eisenback and Ken Turner “Science/Faith Curriculum for Homeschool and Christian School Students”

13. Stephen O. Moshier “A College-Level Textbook: Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins

(with Biblical and Theological Perspectives)”

14. Ralph Stearley “Equipping the Next Generation of Christian Evolutionary Biologists and Paleobiologists”

15. M. Elizabeth Barnes “Pedagogies of Professors Teaching Evolution at Secular versus Christian Colleges”

16. Michael Gulker “Re-imagining the Intersection of Evolution and the Fall”

Poster Session with Refreshments

Free Time

Travel to Cygnus 27

Gala Dinner

Room 101

Jim Stump “Thinking about Divine Action: An Attempt to Dissolve the Problem”

Thomas Jay Oord“Models of God’s Providence”

Christopher Lilley “Classical Theism and Divine Action: Challenges from an Evolving Cosmos”

Detailed Schedule

Thursday, July 2, 2015

East Lobby

East Lobby Room 215

9:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

12:15 p.m.

11:00 a.m.

Worship

Refreshment Break

Lunch

Plenary Lecture - “The Bible and Biology - How Did We Get Here?” Ted Davis | Historian of Science, Messiah College

Plenary Lecture - “Randomness and Other Metaphors in the Theory of Evolution” Ard Louis | Biophysicist, Oxford University

Room 215

Room 215

Room 215

Why has evolution been so controversial among Christians? Does the acceptance of evolution entail the denial of orthodox Christianity? In an illustrated talk featuring numerous cartoon images, Dr. Davis presents some of the reasons why many American Christians have objected to evolution. Then he briefly outlines the main ideas and attitudes associated with two types of antievolutionism that are influential today; scientific creationism and intelligent design. The lecture concludes with some examples of contemporary Christian thinkers who accept biological evolution while upholding the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, touchstones of Christian orthodoxy since the fourth century.

Popular descriptions of evolution can employ many value-laden metaphors ,such as, survival of the fittest, selfish genes, or random mutations. While these can have precise scientific meanings, they are often misappropriated in popular natural theological arguments used both by metaphysical naturalists and religiously motivated anti-evolutionists. In this talk I will re-consider some of these metaphors. Could random mutations be the most efficient way to search through high dimensional spaces? And could the outcomes of these searches be much less random than commonly supposed? Could the success of evolutionary search perhaps be explained by concepts from information theory? Should the bottom-up selfish genes metaphor be replaced or ameliorated by emergent top-down descriptions? And should we worry not only about the survival of the fittest, but also the arrival of the fittest?

Oral Sessions At-A-Glance

Talk 1

Talk 1

Talk 1

Talk 1

Talk 1

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Talk 2

Talk 2

Talk 2

Talk 2

Talk 2

Roo

m 2

01R

oom

414

Roo

m 2

02R

oom

203

Roo

m 4

21

Talk 3

Talk 3

Talk 3

Talk 3

Talk 3

Church & Culture

Education

Evolution & Design

Human Origins

Divine Action

Daniel Harrell

Roseanne Sension

Ard Louis

John Walton

Ted Davis

Ruth M. Bancewicz

Diane Sweeney

Randy Isaac

Loren Haarsma

Jim Stump

Greg Cootsona

Ryan M. Bebej

Craig A. Boyd

Joel Duff

Josh Reeves

Jonathan P. Hill

Raymond J. Lewis

Dominic Halsmer

David Wilcox

John Cooper

Stuart Scadron-Wattles

Tim Eby

Walter L. Bradley

Dennis Venema

Thomas Jay Oord

Benoit Hébert & Marc Fiquet

John D. Mays

Tyler S. Greenway & Justin L. Barrett

Gregg Davidson

Jim Bradley

Walter A. Rogero ll

Joanna Klein

David C. Campbell

Tim O’Connor

John T. Mullen

Andrew Walsh

Joshua D. Reichard

Ben McFarland

Michael J. Stell

Christopher Lilley

Tiago Garros

Ravi S. Jain & Robbie Andreasen

Michael J. DeMoor

S. Joshua Swamidass

Richard F. Carlson & Jason N. Hine

Bob Stains Jr. & John Sarrouf

Werner Riess & Christian Hoeger

Sy Garte

Matthew William Brake

No Talk

Daniel Harrell

Roseanne Sension

Ard Louis

Loren Haarsma

Thomas Jay Oord

Daniel Harrell

Roseanne Sension

Tim O’Connor

Loren Haarsma

Thomas Jay Oord

Church & Culture

Education

Evolution & Design

Human Origins

Divine Action

Church & Culture

Education

Evolution & Human Psychology

Human Origins

Divine Action

Oral Session 1 Tues 1:30-3:00 p.m. Oral Session 2 Tues 3:30-5:00 p.m. Oral Session 3 Wed 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Plenary Speaker Bios

Oliver Crisp | Systematic Theologian, Fuller Theological Seminary

Scot McKnight | New Testament Scholar, Northern Seminary

Ted Davis | Historian of Science, Messiah College

Ard Louis | Biophysicist, Oxford University

Oliver Crisp is Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. Originally from England, he has taught at St. Andrews, Bristol, and Regent College, Vancouver, B.C., and has held postdoctoral fellowships in Notre Dame and Princeton. He is the author or editor of a number of books, the most recent of being Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology (Fortress, 2014). He is currently writing a monograph on original sin.

Scot McKnight, a New Testament scholar who has written widely on the historical Jesus and Christian spirituality, is the Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, in Lombard Illinois. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornerstone University, a masters from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate from the University of Nottingham. He has written fifty books, including the, popular The Jesus Creed, which won an award from Christianity Today in 2004, and his latest book, The King Jesus Gospel. You can read more from McKnight at his blog, Jesus Creed.

Edward B. (“Ted”) Davis is Professor of the History of Science at Messiah College, where he teaches and writes about historical and contemporary aspects of Christianity and science. Best known as co-editor of The Works of Robert Boyle, 14 vols. (Pickering & Chatto, 1999-2000), he has also published dozens of articles about the history of Christianity and science, including a study of modern Jonah stories that was featured on two BBC radio programs and a story about controversies at the time of the Scopes trial for American Scientist. His current project, supported by the National Science Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation, examines the religious activities and beliefs of prominent American scientists from the period between the two world wars. Ted writes for the BioLogos Forum, leading an on-line conversation on the history of Science and the Bible in the United States.

Ard A. Louis is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Oxford, where he leads an interdisci-plinary research group studying problems on the border between chemistry, physics and biology, and is also director of graduate studies in theoretical physics. From 2002 to 2010 he was a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. He is also an Associate of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. In 2013 he was elected member of the ISSR: International Society for Science and Religion. Prior to his post at Oxford he taught Theoretical Chemistry at Cambridge University, where he was also Director of Studies in Natural Sciences at Hughes Hall. Ard was born in the Netherlands and was raised in Gabon. He received his first degree from the University of Utrecht and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Cornell University. He enjoys molecular gastronomy.

Jeffrey Schloss | BioLogos Senior Scholar and Biologist, Westmont College

Mary Schweitzer | Paleontologist, North Carolina State University

Leonard J. Vander Zee | Pastor and Editor, Faith Alive Christian Resources

John Walton | Old Testament Scholar, Weaton College

Jeff Schloss is Senior Scholar at BioLogos and the T. B. Walker Chair of Natural & Behavioral Sciences at Westmont College, where he directs the Center for Faith, Ethics, and Life Sciences. He has held faculty appointments at Wheaton College and University of Michigan, and fellowships at Notre Dame, St. Anne’s College Oxford, Emory, and CTI Princeton. Jeff’s work involves the scientific understanding and theological entailments of evolution and human nature, and he writes and speaks widely in scholarly and lay venues. Among his many academic publications is, The Believing Primate: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Reflections on the Origin of Religion (with philosopher Michael Murray). He provides writing, speaking, and scholarly research on topics that are central to the mission of BioLogos, and represents BioLogos in dialogues with other Christian organizations.

Mary H. Schweitzer is a tenured professor of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. Her teaching and research interests include molecular paleontology, molecular diagenesis and taphonomy, and evolution of physiological and reproductive strategies in dinosaurs and their bird descendants. Dr. Schweitzer is known for leading the groups which discovered still-soft tissues in cortical bone, first from Tyrannosaurus rex, then from other fossil specimens, including other dinosaurs. She was also part of the research group that was first to recover protein sequences from two different dinosaurs, and to use immunology as part of a study to show that the soft tissues (blood vessels, cells and extracellular matrix) most likely were produced by the once living dinosaur. She has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as, Science, Sci-entific Reports, Nature Communications, Analytical Chemistry, Bone, Proceedings of the Royal Society, the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and the Journal of Molecular Evolution. She is a frequent speaker on paleobiology and microbiology at a wide variety of scholarly and public venues.

Rev. Leonard J. Vander Zee has been an ordained pastor in the Christian Reformed Church(CRC) for over forty years, serving churches in Iowa, New York, Indiana, and Michigan. He also served for six years as Editor in Chief of Faith Alive, the publishing agency of the CRC. Since his retirement he has served as Interim Pastor of Preaching and Worship of the Neland Ave. CRC, in Grand Rapids Mich. Rev. Vander Zee is the author of, Christ, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper (IVP), winner of the Christianity Today theology book award for 2005, as well as other books and articles on worship, theology, and the practice of ministry. He is the father of four grown children and grandfather of 12, and lives with his wife, Jeanne Logan, a “very semi-re-tired life” in Grand Rapids.

John Walton is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, in Illinois, and an editor and writer of Old Testament comparative studies and commentaries. Throughout his research Walton has focused his attention on comparing the culture and literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East. He has published dozens of books, articles, and translations, both as writer and editor, including his ground-breaking books, The Lost World of Genesis One and The Lost World of Adam and Eve.

Presenter Abstracts — Church and Culture

Ruth M. Bancewicz | The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion “Wonders of the Living World: A New Take on Evolutionary Biology for the Church”

The myth that evolution is a random, violent process means conversations about the Bible and science are mired in controversy from the start. But biological evolution is ordered, organized, and constrained, involving cooperation, as well as great beauty, and is consistent with the existence of a loving, purposeful creator. Ruth will demonstrate how Christians can be encouraged to explore and enjoy the fascination of science, worshiping the creator and encouraging scientists in their work.

Stuart Scadron-Wattles | Image“Imago Dei and the Imagination”

How might artists enable us to embrace a faithful understanding of creation, especially given the complexity of controversial and contradicting statements from scientists, theologians, and preachers? For the past three years, Image has been working with artists of faith whose specialty and interest is in the sciences, and is introducing a key result: a special issue of its award-winning quarterly journal, with accompanying study guides for use in church and the classroom.

Andrew Walsh “A Parabolic Approach to Evolution”

Science primarily appears in the Bible as the object of metaphors, helping us know God through what we can see and touch. Yet we currently present science as a set of propositions to affirm. The natural history propositions of evolutionary biology can be challenging. Its concepts, however, resonate with the themes of scripture; they can enrich our language for talking about God. Perhaps that common ground provides a better avenue for introducing the topic.

Jonathan P. Hill | Calvin College“Findings from the National Study of Religion & Human Origins”

What does the U.S. public actually believe about evolution and human origins? What social factors help predict these beliefs? This session will present an overview of the main findings from the first nationally representative, detailed survey of religion and human origins. We will explore the full spectrum of positions that the public holds, why they believe it is important or unimportant to hold these beliefs, and the influence of family, friends, education, and religious congregations on these beliefs.

Walter A. Rogero II | Capital Life Church“Making Room to Talk: Creating a Liminal Space for the Discussion of Evolution in a Local Congregation”

It can be difficult to discuss evolution within a local congregation, and possibly even fatal to a leader’s acceptance by that congregation. The discussion of evolution in a local congregation, then, may be aided by the establishment of a liminal space for exploration. This presentation will discuss how to create such a space, along with its suggested objectives, methodologies, and formats.

Oral Session 1 Tuesday 1:30 p.m.





Room 201


Oral Session 3 Wednesday 2:00 p.m.



Bob Stains Jr. and John Sarrouf | Public Conversation Project“Creating a Safe Space for Pastors to Talk about Science and Faith”

Our project is to provide a safe forum for dialogue between pastors and scientists who are also believers. We critically examined perspectives offered by science and faith in an intensive short course held at Gordon College. Throughout the week, Bob Stains, Jr. and John Sarrouf, of the Public Conversations Project established, and modeled rules for dialogue. Feedback indicated that the pastors developed greater confidence in their ability to handle conflicts between science and faith.

Greg Cootsona | California State University, Chico“Problems Facing the Science-Faith Dialogue with Emerging Adults”

70% of 18- to 23-year-olds agree that “teachings of science and religion conflict,” which problematizes the science-faith dialogue with emerging adults. Having taught religion and science in congregations for 20 years and now in a university, I’m also researching emerging adults’ attitudes on related topics, all of which helps me assess these statistics. Here I summarize my interviews with emerging adults, note specific problems, and offer some tentative solutions, particularly around evolution and creation. Benoit Hébert and Marc Fiquet | Association Science et Foi Chrétienne“The Origins Debate in French Speaking Countries”

In all developed French-speaking countries (250 million people), Evangelicals mostly see evolution as a weapon against Christian faith. Consequently, we have gathered an international, multi-denominational, multi-disciplinary team to create a synergy of communication means between different media: web, videos, conferences, and books. We would like to share with you about this situation, the work already done and its impact, as well as the projects we have for the future.

Tiago Garros | EST - Brazil“Evolution and Christian Faith in South America: Following American Footsteps?”

While many efforts of reconciliation of Evolution and Christian Faith have arisen in recent years, especially in North America and Europe, there was also a revival of fundamentalist movements pressuring public opinion and politics. Is this two-way scenario also seen elsewhere, such as in South America? This communication will analyze the current developments of the Evolution and Christian faith debate in South America, with emphasis in its largest country: Brazil.

Presenter Abstracts — Education

Diane Sweeney | Sacred Heart Preparatory“Short Films as Discussion Starters in Churches: Helping Teens to See Evolution as God’s Creative Process”

Author of Life, a video-based program for youth, encourages students to think about the relationship between their faith and the process of evolution. Created by Chaplain Joshua Hayashi and biologist Diane Sweeney, the seven short films are produced in Hawaii, which serves as both a beautiful backdrop and a showcase for the evolutionary process. Diane will share two of the films and discuss the challenges and successes of this project.

Tim Eby | Santiam Christian Schools“Integration of Evolutionary Concepts and Biblical Worldview at the Secondary Level”

I have long struggled with teaching concepts relating to evolution to my junior and senior high students given a worldview which I came to discover was inconsistent. A science teacher at a Christian school can present Darwinian Evolution and Old Earth concepts of geology to their students and maintain a solid Biblical world view at the same time. Allow me to share with you my story and how I presently share with my students God’s handiwork.

Joshua D. Reichard | Valley Christian Schools“No ‘Slippery Slope’? An Empirical Case Study on the Effect of Secular Science Textbooks on Student Religiosity in a Christian Private School”

Situated in the context of legal battles over science textbooks in both public and private schools, this empirical case study examines student religiosity scores over a three-year period following a school-wide curricular change from Christian-published to secular science textbooks in a K-12 Christian private school. The study found no statistically significant change in student religiosity scores for two subscales (p=.799, p=.232; organizational and non-organizational religiosity respectively); however, for the third subscale, intrinsic religiosity, a statistically significant increase in student religiosity was reported (p<=.001). The study suggests that the curricular change had no discernable negative affect on student religiosity scores. Moreover, the study suggests that Christian private schools may utilize secular science textbooks and remain faithful to their religious missions, especially when coupled with teacher training in faith-learning integration.

Raymond J. Lewis | Wheaton College“Teaching the Science of Origins in the Context of a Robust Doctrine of Creation”

Teaching the science regarding the origins of the universe, earth, life, diversity of life, and humankind to non-science college students helps students learn about both scientific theories of origins and the nature of science. Doing so in the context of understanding the biblical claims regarding creation and developing a robust doctrine of creation helps students transform their understanding of origins from both books of God’s revelation.





Room 414






Joanna Klein | University of Northwestern - St. Paul“Strategies for Engaging Students on Origins at a Christian University”

In my genetics courses I use the book, “The Language of God, by Francis S. Collins, to engage, challenge, and educate students in the topic of science and faith integration. In this presentation I will describe my experience using this book and the supplemental resources and activities I also implement. Based on my observations, I will propose a study to test teaching methods and materials for educating on origins and put out a call for collaborators.

Werner Riess and Christian Hoeger | University of Education Freiburg“What do German Pupils Think about Evolution and Creation? Insights into the Attitudes Toward Evolutionary Theory and Subjective Theories about Human Evolution”

In this presentation we first want to present results of different empirical studies about the attitudes of German students toward evolutionary theory. We try to show the impact of different factors, like knowledge about evolution, attitudes toward science, and religiousness on the acceptance of evolution. Secondly, we will present results of studies investigating the students´preconcepts about the creation of man and human evolution. Three types of students could be identified when considering the origin of human beings.

Ryan M. Bebej | Calvin College“The Tale of the Whale: An Ideal Case Study for Introducing the Evidence for Evolution”

An exploration of the evolutionary history of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) is an ideal case study for presenting the evidence for evolution in a way that is both concise and compelling. Evidence for cetaceans’ terrestrial ancestry comes from a wide variety of fields (e.g., paleontology, comparative anatomy, developmental biology, genetics, biogeography) and demonstrates the breadth and depth of the evidence for their evolution from terrestrial ancestors.

John D. Mays | Novare Science & Math LLC“The Learner-Inquirer Approach to Addressing Evolution in Christian Schools”

Addressing evolution in Evangelical Christian schools by asserting a definitive view—either for or against the theory—does not work, and inevitably leads to confusion and strife. Instead of assertion, Christian schools are encouraged to recognize that all of us—students and teachers alike—are still sorting through the scientific, theological, and soteriological implications of evolutionary theory. Thus, the best approach for now is to focus on teaching students to think, study, learn, and inquire on their own without settling for a simplistic or dogmatic point of view.

Ravi S. Jain and Robbie Andreasen | The Geneva School“Lowering the Stakes on the Origins Discussion: Inverting the Biology Curriculum”

Over the past fifty years, quite independently of the origins debate, intellectuals and theologians have been challenging colleges and schools to reconsider their approach to natural science education. This talk will explore how reviving the natural history tradition to accompany the natural science tradition and inverting the biology curriculum (putting macro before micro) transforms the current educational approach to the natural world while also, surprisingly, lowering the stakes on the question of origins.

Presenter Abstracts — Evolution & Design Room 202

Randy Isaac | American Scientific Affiliation“The Increase of Information and Complexity in Evolutionary Creation”

This talk describes the different ways in which information can increase in biological processes and how complex information is generated. The new information can accumulate to form new species, as can be detected in genomic sequences. DNA information is a historical record of ancestry, as well as a template for future offspring.

Walter L Bradley | Baylor University“The Mystery of Life’s Origin: Reassessing Current Theories (Again)”

In this presentation I will explore how origin-of-life research findings of the last 60+ years have helped to clarify the nature of the mystery of life’s origin, while, in some ways, increasing the magnitude of the mystery itself. Nobel Laureate George Whitesides recently said, “I don’t understand how you go from a system that’s random chemicals to something that becomes, in a sense, a Darwinian set of (chemical) reactions that are getting more complicated spontaneously.” I will also explore what would be the theistic (or atheistic) implications if such an unlikely chemical pathway was discovered in the future.

Ben McFarland | Seattle Pacific University“A World From Dust: How the Periodic Table Shaped Life”

A World From Dust is a book for non-scientists to be published late this year by Oxford University Press. It describes the billion-year chemical sequence of evolution. This story was shaped by logical chemical rules that constrained the flow of life like banks constrain a river. The periodic table encodes a road map that life followed as the Earth evolved. This book tells how that map can be read.

Dominic Halsmer | Oral Roberts University“Science, Engineering, and the Wisdom of God: Systems Approach to Nature Uncovers Vital Affor-dances Suggesting Superior Ingenuity”

A diversity of systems in nature combine and conspire to provide a multitude of interdependent affordances culminating in complex life. Affordances, which originated in psychology and are now being used effectively in both design engineering and reverse engineering, are simply relationships that provide capabilities. These vital nested affordances are suggestive of a remarkable ingenuity that pervades the entire realm of nature, and encourages appreciative wonder, repentance from self-reli-ance, and trust in the Maker’s redemptive plan.

David C. Campbell | Gardner-Webb University“Long Branches and Wrong Branches: Complications in DNA Evolution”

Although DNA sequence data provide key evidence about the course of evolution, sometimes they yield unexpected or contradictory results. Using examples from my research on snails and clams, I discuss some reasons for these anomalies and how we can arrive at a better understanding of evolution by understanding these complications.






Presenter Abstracts — Evolution & Human Psychology Room 202

Craig A. Boyd | Saint Louis University“Selfish Genes, Russian Dolls, and Christian Ethics”

Frans de Waal rejects the “Veneer Theory” of Dawkins and others who see morality as an artificial addendum to a basically selfish world of competition. Rather, de Waal sees human nature as “good-natured” because there must be some basic drive that produces co-operation, and this serves as a necessary corrective to the “selfish gene” theory. I argue that Christian ethicists can use de Waal’s insights for their own development of a theory of compassion.

Tyler S. Greenway and Justin L. Barrett | Fuller Theological Seminary“Mind the Gap: Evolutionary Psychological Perspectives on Thriving”

Evolutionary psychology can contribute to conversations on human thriving by noting both the strengths that are largely characteristic of the human species and, also, the unique gap humans have created between their natural properties and their ecological niche. While the natural properties of most species are well equipped for their environment, humans have changed their niche to a greater degree, resulting in a gap that may inhibit thriving. Ministry applications will also be addressed.

Michael J. DeMoor | The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta“Evolution, Morality, and Politics”

Evolutionary thought has become central not only to the natural sciences, but also to favored approaches to society, morality and politics. This paper will discuss the significance of this development for people of faith by considering the influential work of Jonathan Haidt, who articulates in evolutionary terms a model for understanding why reasonable people disagree about religion, morality and politics. Haidt’s work provides both significant opportunities and obstacles for dialogue with Christian social thought.




Sy Garte | NPI“New Ideas in Evolutionary Biology: Implications for the BioLogos Perspective on Science and Christianity”

The standard evolutionary paradigm (neo-Darwinism) describes the slow accumulation of random mutations followed by natural selection. The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is an emerging theory that includes additional mechanisms of variation (stress-directed mutations, whole genome duplication, horizontal gene transfer, retrotransposition), and involves evolutionary development, convergence, gene regulation and epigenetics. The implications of the EES for concepts of directional evolution and teleology, as well as Christian Evolutionary Creationism will be discussed.


Presenter Abstracts — Human Origins

Loren Haarsma | Calvin College“When did Sin Begin?”

Scholars have proposed competing scenarios for interpreting Genesis 2-3, including Adam and Eve: (1) as recent (~10,000 years ago) representatives of humanity; (2) as ancient (~200,000 years) representative-ancestors; and (3) as symbolic of many acts of disobedience by many individuals. I will discuss some theological pros and cons facing each of those scenarios, as well as the common theological core which they share affirming God’s goodness, sin as rebellion, and atonement through Christ.

Dennis Venema | Trinity Western University“The Genetics of Adam and Eve: What Modern Genomics Reveals (and Doesn’t Reveal) about Human Origins ”

Do humans share common ancestors with other species? Were Adam and Eve a historic couple who were the sole ancestors of all humans? While modern comparative genomics has revealed a wealth of information about our origins, it also fails to address key theological questions of concern to evangelical Christians. This lecture will explore the current state of the evidence within human genomics, and offer suggestions on how science can inform evangelical theological reflection on these topics.

Michael J. Stell | Catholic University of America“The Incarnation as Intended Reality: A Reconceptualization of the Work of God in Light of Human Activity and Evolutionary Possibilities”

This paper is an examination of the questions which arise when considering human genesis in an evolutionary context and the workings of God in human salvation. Specifically, these two loci will be considered from the perspective of the Incarnation as an original created intent by God, and not as a result or reaction to the sinful choices of Adam and Eve. John W. Nevin’s theology of the Incarnation will be the context for this reconceptualization.

David Wilcox | Eastern University“Are Humans Truly Unique?”

Does the Imago dei mean humans are unique? Although only humans do art, religion, or philosophy, we share many qualities with other species. My thesis is that we do transcend other species - in a unique pattern of coordinated social, neural, and genetic complexity. Due to massive neural reentry to the cerebral cortex, we have a plastic, recursive, abstracting, and linguistic brain, qualities which can illuminate our understanding of the image of God in humanity.










Tim O’Connor | Indiana University, Bloomington“Evolution and the Image of God”

Many Christians suspect that an evolutionary account of human origins must be at odds with Christian theology of human persons as bearing the image of God. I will argue that this is mistaken: Christian theology is inconsistent with a reductionist view of persons, but evolution does not entail reductionism. Our psychology and spirituality instead are emergent from our evolved biological nature, in a manner consonant with Christian anthropology.

Matthew William Brake | George Mason University“Irenaeus, Theistic Evolution, & the Eschaton: The Elimination of Relational Chaos”

I will offer Irenaeus’ Christus Victor view of the atonement as the solution to both human division and evolutionary violence. I will accomplish this by defining Satanic bondage as “chaos” in conversation with the Chaoskampf motif in the biblical canon and relate this chaos to death, human division, and the evolutionary process. Irenaeus’ Christus Victor view accommodates evolutionary theory well and helps us to understand both the annihilation of death itself and the promise that God will be “all in all.”

Joel Duff | Solid Rock Lectures/University of Akron“Christian Responses to the Spiritual and Physical Status of Neanderthals”

The physical and spiritual status of Neanderthals has been hotly debated since the first bones were described in 1856. I review the physical and biblical data for which all Christians must account as they wrestle with these questions and examine how Christians across the spectrum have responded to these data. Those responses reveal deep divisions in how Christians interpret both the physical and biblical evidence. I explore how these differences relate to the larger debate over origins.

Gregg Davidson | University of Mississippi and Solid Rock Lectures“Genetics, the Nephilim, and the Historicity of Adam”

A unique model is proposed, along with a discussion of its strengths and weaknesses, for how a first human pair (Adam and Eve) could have existed without contradicting the findings of modern popula-tion genetics. The argument is not made in defense of any particular interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis (concordist or noncondordist), other than the existence of an actual first human couple and initial act of disobedience.

S. Joshua Swamidass | Washington University, Saint Louis“Adam as our Common Ancestor, but not our Sole Progenitor”

The theological proposals about the nature of Adam frequently suggest a man who is (with Eve) either the (1) sole progenitor of humanity; (2) a representative of all humanity, or perhaps; (3) a rhetorical prototype that symbolized all mankind. To this list should be added the idea that a single historical couple were common ancestors of us all, but not our sole progenitors. This possibility follows naturally from specific biblical texts, resolves key difficulties with the “sole-progenitor” theory, is concordant with the scientific account, and may be more acceptable to many Christians.

Room 203

Presenter Abstracts — Divine Action

Josh Reeves | Samford University“Reconciling Chance and Divine Providence: Three Theological Options”

For many Christians, the most-troubling aspect of evolution is not the idea of common descent or its conflict with a literal reading of Genesis, but because the mechanism of natural selection implies that creation is governed by chance. Assuming that chance is a real feature of the world, my paper will evaluate three different models for reconciling chance and divine providence.

Jim Bradley | Calvin College“Are Randomness and Faith Compatible?”

For Charles Darwin, random variations in offspring were an obstacle to religious faith. But randomness need not challenge religious belief; it can be an effective means of sustaining life. Randomness in evolution does raise theological problems; however, but the problems are not with evolution per se – a creationist would face the same problems. Rather the problems reside in classical problems of theodicy, and these have plausible responses.

Richard F. Carlson and Jason N. Hine | University of Redlands (retired) and Esri“Creation’s Complementarity - A Wonderful Yet Groaning Universe”

Creation contains contrasting characteristics that together provide a more complete and enigmatic understanding of creation’s nature as both thriving and groaning, full of both chance and necessity. We discuss the finely-tuned aspects of our universe, including the emergence of life and the necessary existence of natural evil. John Cooper | Calvin Theological Seminary“Evolutionary Creation: Natural and/or Supernatural?”

This presentation offers biblical, theological, and philosophical reasons for holding that God’s creation of the universe and humans involved both supernatural action and providential guidance of natural ingredients and developmental processes. Scripture teaches “special” creation of humans including a “spiritual” ingredient. Physical energy and cosmic evolution alone seem insufficient to explain the origin of life and especially the human soul which images God. Thus, merely natural theistic evolution seems insufficient. But several versions of supernatural-natural evolutionary creation are adequate.





Room 421


Oral Session3 Wednesday 1:30 p.m.



John T. Mullen | Bethany College, Kansas“Divine Hiddenness and Constraints on Creation”

The fact that God has chosen to remain hidden to a significant extent can, and should, be usefully employed by Christians to respond to the frequently-heard claim that evolutionary biology strongly supports atheism. If God must remain hidden, then one should expect Him to create gradually. Topics that must be addressed include the extent of the hiddenness that is required, biological versions of the philosophical “problem of evil,” and plausible reasons God may have for remaining so hidden.

Jim Stump | BioLogos“Thinking about Divine Action: An Attempt to Dissolve the Problem”

The problem of divine action considers how God interacts with the world. I’m not talking about miraculous interventions like the resurrection of Jesus, but the providence with which God governs and directs the normal course of things for which there are increasingly complete scientific explanations. For example, how do we understand God’s role in creating human beings through an evolutionary process? This is a difficult question, but I’ll suggest we exacerbate it when we confuse scientific explanations with personal explanations.

Thomas Jay Oord | Northwest Nazarene University“Models of God’s Providence”

Christian theologians offer various theories of divine action to account for God’s work in the world. Such theories are often called “theologies of providence.” In this presentation, Thomas Jay Oord explores what he thinks are the seven main models of providence in the Christian tradition. Oord argues that all seven models of providence are essentially compatible with the general theory of evolution, but some models seem more plausible to him in light of evolution, evil, randomness, and the quest for explanatory consistency. Oord lays out the basic positions of each model and explores advantages and disadvantages of each.

Christopher Lilley | Marquette University“Classical Theism and Divine Action: Challenges from an Evolving Cosmos”

The reality of an evolving cosmos is often taken to be at odds with classical theism, where God timelessly orders the whole of creation with exhaustive foreknowledge. However, I argue that much of the reaction against classical theism depends on inaccurate caricatures of what is actually entailed by the classical view, as well as an insufficient appreciation of the distinction between primary and secondary causation as it relates to God’s causal role in the world.

Presenter Abstracts —Posters

Nicanor Austriaco, OP | Providence College“Disputed Questions in Evolutionary Creation: Thomistic Responses for the Catholic Faithful and Other Curious Minds”

As a team of Dominican friars and scholars, we are convinced that the Thomistic intellectual tradition grounded in the theological synthesis of our Dominican brother, St. Thomas Aquinas, O.P., can still provide insightful and compelling responses to those struggling with the theological implications of evolutionary theory. As such, we have inaugurated a website and generated downloadable parish bulletin inserts with a series of responses to disputed questions that deal with common concerns of believers and skeptics.

Seung-Hwan Kim | Grace Truth Community Church“Promoting the Harmony between Evolution and Christian Faith in the Church”

Through surveys and organized forums in Korean community we found that they have a problem to hold their faith, along with evolution. However, they don’t reject completely evolution and want to find the better way to solve their problem. Positively, they agree that science and faith should make a harmony through evolutionary creation. Therefore, we should continue our efforts to promote the harmony between evolution and Christian faith in the church.

Justin Topp | Gordon College“Helping Pastors with Science and Faith”

Our project is to provide a safe forum for dialogue between pastors and scientists who are also believers. We critically examined perspectives examined science and faith perspectives in an intensive short course held at Gordon College. Our poster will discuss the feedback we received from the pastors, and describe plans for extending the work into materials for the further materials that further promote scientific literacy promotion of scientific literacy among Christians who are not scientists.

Michael Cromartie | Ethics and Public Policy Center“Faith Angle Forum Program for Journalists”

Some of the most critical issues in our national dialogue rest at the cross section of religion and public life. In an era defined by sound bites and megabytes on social media, never has a moment for deep reflection on these issues been more important. Everywhere we turn, the issue of “the faith angle” keeps coming up. Many members of the mainstream media recognize this as well. They realize that a deficit in knowledge about their citizens’ religious convictions can hamper their coverage. The Faith Angle Forum aspires to correct this imbalance and lack of perspective in the Fourth Estate. For more than fifteen years, the Faith Angle Forum has brought together a select group of nationally respected journalists and distinguished scholars for in-depth discussions of these crucial issues Americans are facing today. One of the topics we cover each year is the proper understanding of the relationship between Christianity and science.

Poster 1

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Room 101

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Chris Stump | BioLogos“Equipping the Church for Dialogue: BioLogos Hosts New Web Resource Centers”

The BioLogos website houses a wealth of articles, videos, and books, and receives thousands of visits each day from students, pastors, homeschooling parents, professors, lay people, and more. To further equip these important audiences, BioLogos has recently launched resource centers on our website to help visitors easily find relevant materials geared toward their unique contexts. Stop by and explore these four resources centers focused on: K12 education, small groups, pastors, and campus ministry.

Terry M. Gray | American Scientific Affiliation“Seeing Evolutionary Creation as a Viable Evangelical Perspective: Seventy Years of ASA Resources”

We have created a collection of Internet-based resources (http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources) that includes print resources from Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (formerly, JASA) and AV resources from ASA annual meetings. These have been organized into areas of interest: “Getting Started,” “Adam and Eve”, “Age of the Earth”, “Divine Action”, etc. Because of its neutral stance and long history, ASA can provide helpful resources to evangelicals struggling with faith/science issues.

René Fransen | ForumC“From Babel to Understanding: Towards a Fruitful Debate on Evolutionary Creation”

Discussing an evolutionary understanding of God’s creation in a Christian context can be an uphill struggle. This presentation will focus on the communications side of our three-year project through which ForumC has stimulated a fruitful debate on science and religion in The Netherlands, focusing especially on evolutionary creation. The key ingredients are trust and new information.

Fernando Caballero | Centro de Ciencia y Fe. Fundación Federico Fliedner (Madrid, Spain)“The Centre for Science and Faith: A Spanish Initiative”

Consolidation and expansion of outreaching and equipping activities, while others started: Annual Fliedner Lectures; translating books by Denis Alexander, Simon Conway Morris, and Ernest Lucas; developing www.cienciayfe.es and Facebook page; translating “BioLogos” and “ASA” papers; science and faith for schools; public dissemination: talks, articles, blogs, radio; network of collaborators (Spain/LatinAmerica); and collaboration with key Latin American leadership for our science and faith conference (Mexico, October 2015). Next challenge: post-BioLogos grant consolidation!

Gary N. Fugle | Butte College, Emeritus“Should God Be Mentioned in Public Science Classrooms?”

Evolutionary creation provides for renewed harmony between science and Christian communities by allowing two uniting communications. First, science exclusively investigates natural processes without invoking God as an explanation. Second, metaphysical worldviews, whether religious or atheistic, are intellectually reasoned beliefs that are not proven or disproven by science. Public science education would benefit if these clarifications were sensitively conveyed to students, rather than treating science and religion as only separate spheres of knowledge.

Presenter Abstracts —Posters

Brenda Kronemeijer-Heyink | Campus Edge Fellowship“Can a Creationist Summit at a Secular University Bring any Good?”

Last fall, a creationist summit event was held at Michigan State University, a large research university. The creationist group seemed to have questionable methods regarding publicity and science; yet they also strongly desired to reach students with the Gospel. As a graduate group that advocates that Christianity and evolution are not incompatible, Campus Edge Fellowship felt compelled to speak out. Surprising conversations about faith and science followed.

David A. Vosburg | Harvey Mudd College“Exploring Creation: A Faith & Science Guide for Groups”

Many Christians feel that their faith is in conflict with the findings of modern science, particularly regarding creation and evolution. This presentation will describe a series of communal discovery Bible studies and science-faith discussion questions designed to encourage open, positive conversations. Rather than pushing a specific perspective, the aim is to aid discipleship and evangelism through honest and gentle dialogue: unity in Christ, not in consensus.

Brian Eisenback and Ken Turner | Milligan College (Eisenback) and Bryan College (Turner)“Science/Faith Curriculum for Homeschool and Christian School Students”

The project is supplementary curriculum about science/faith for Christian students using popular homeschool textbooks. The curriculum, (1) addresses how evangelical Old Testament scholars approach Genesis; (2) provides a narrative of what mainstream science teaches (and why) about the history of the universe/life; and (3) critiques the major evangelical views on creation. The poster displays an overview of the curriculum, with a few illustrations of how we handle certain topics in contrast to the popular Christian textbooks.

Stephen O. Moshier | Wheaton College“A College-Level Textbook: Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins (with Biblical and Theological Perspectives)”

Theories of Origins, a general education science course taught at Wheaton College, presents mainstream scientific theories of origin (cosmology, origin of life, history of Earth, biological evolution) with perspectives on the relationships between scientific and biblical accounts, Christian theology, and the history and philosophy of science. Our textbook should enhance student learning, facilitate development of similar courses in other Christian colleges and high schools, and provide a resource for personal study.

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Room 101

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Ralph Stearley | Calvin College“Equipping the Next Generation of Christian Evolutionary Biologists and Paleobiologists”

For young Christians in the paleobiological or evolutionary sciences, the perceived sense that science and faith must be somehow “at war” yields a profound sense of isolation, and often results in the relegation of one’s faith to the restricted area of the private life. We brought 17 Christian graduate students or young professionals together over two summers for lectures on topics such as geology, paleobiology, behavioral evolution, and church and pastoral aspects of a scientific vocation. New friendships were established, and the seeds of future partnerships were planted.

M. Elizabeth Barnes | Arizona State University“Pedagogies of Professors Teaching Evolution at Secular versus Christian Colleges”

Our study identified if and how college biology instructors are engaging students’ religious concerns about evolution. Interviews were conducted with 42 biology instructors at secular and Christian colleges. Analyses revealed that in contrast to professors working at Christian colleges, most instructors at the secular colleges who were teaching evolution were not engaging in religious students’ concerns about evolution, and they did not think helping students to accept evolution was part of their goals when teaching.

Michael Gulker | The Colossian Forum“Re-imagining the Intersection of Evolution and the Fall”

By gathering a multidisciplinary team of scholars to pursue a communal, research program on evolution, the Fall, and original sin, we attempted to address this question: If humanity emerged from non-human primates—as genetic, biological, and archaeological evidence seems to suggest—then what are the impli-cations for Christian theology’s traditional account of origins, including both the origin of humanity and the origin of sin? In our poster session, we will display the fruit of our team’s research and report on the papers given at our March 2015 conference on this topic.

Eberhard Center Map

Most conference events will take place on the second floor (pictured at right). The Education and Divine Action presentations will be held in classrooms on the fourth floor in Rooms 414 and 421.

Posters will be on display in the West Gallery throughout the conference but the Poster Session will take place on the first floor in Room 101.

Grand Rapids Attractions

435 Ionia Ave SW The Market is a mixed-use facility that brings together production, distribution, marketing, and education about local produce. The indoor facility features a 24-vendor market hall, where dozens of farmers and artisans line the outdoor farmer’s market shed. The Market features a green roof, live walls, geotherm wells, rain gardens, and plenty of other innovative sustainable features. Head east on Fulton St W toward Monroe Ave NW, then turn right onto Ionia Ave SW and walk 0.6 miles to the destination on the right.

101 Monroe Ctr The 125,000-square-feet (11,600 m) building, which features 20,000 square feet (1,900 m) of gallery and exhibition space, has been certified LEED Gold. Go out of the west doors of the Eberhard Center and head down Front St, turn right on Pearl, cross Monroe, and the museum is right before you.

272 Pearl St This museum offers world-class exhibits on history, nature, cultural heritage and, more. Ride a 1928 carousel, catch a show in the planetarium, or eat in the cafe overlooking the Grand River. Go out of the west doors of the Eberhard Center and head down Front St.

303 Pearl St The permanent exhibits are the core of the Museum’s program. They allow visitors to participate in history, not just view it, while reviewing the highlights of the lives of President and Mrs. Ford. In addition to the permanent exhibits, a succession of temporary exhibits draw upon the rich holdings of the entire Presidential libraries system, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, and others. Go out of the west doors of the Eberhard Center and head down Front St.

1000-East Beltline Ave NE 158 acre botanical garden, and outdoor sculpture park with over 200 works in the permanent collection, both indoors and outdoors. Including the Splendors of Shiga: Treasures from Japan exhibit displaying 60 Japanese works of art from the 8th century to present day. Take I-196E/Gerald R. Ford Fwy towards Lansing. Take exit 38 for M-44/M-37 towards E Belt Line Ave. Follow E Belt Line Ave NE to the destinaton on the right.

Downtown Market

The Grand Rapids Art Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

For more options and information please visit http://www.experiencegr.com

1 mile walkFree admission

0.6 mile walk

0.4 mile walk

0.3 mile walk

$8 admission

$8 admission

$7 admission

$12 admission10 mile drive

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