Author Archives
Philosopher Alvin Plantinga’s 2011 book, Where the Conflict Really Lies, makes a case for the reasonableness of religious belief. As the publisher summary says, “The theme of this short book is that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord.”
For pastors, this really is the moment for us to protect our flock from the thieves and wolves that would steal the very health of our congregation and our individual members. It’s our moment to take on the role as shepherds of our flocks.
Hope and optimism are often lumped together (as we have done here), but they are not precise synonyms. In church, most of our attention is on hope, a central aspect of the Gospel message. For scientists, the attention is reversed as optimism is an easier concept to define and study experimentally. So what are scientists discovering?
Race continues to be an issue for American culture and the church. This 3-minute video, developed for use in religous settings, introduces some of the relevant science and can complement the work we are doing in the church to increase understanding about race and racism.
In this 8-minute video, Catholic biologist Dan Kuebler makes a case for purpose in biology. He describes how chance and order work in the process of convergence which for him suggests a fundamental purpose in nature.