About the BioLogos Forum
The BioLogos Forum is designed to foster a serious and comprehensive discussion of Christian faith and the sciences. We believe that charitable engagement of different perspectives within the Church helps sharpen our thinking and deepen our commitment to the truth that is hidden in Christ. So while many of the articles and videos under the distinctive Forum banner come from BioLogos staff and Senior Fellows, we feature a range of voices, including those that disagree with us and with each other. Unless otherwise noted, views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation. You can read more about what we believe here, and join the conversation in the comments section at the end of each post.
4 Part Series: Understanding Randomness
In this series, Kathryn Applegate addresses the concern that randomness implies the absence of God's activity and involvement in the natural world. She begins by clearing up some common misconceptions about the concept of "randomness", and later focuses on the mechanisms of the immune system to demonstrate that God works through random processes to preserve life. Far from being an indication of a "godless" universe, one might conclude that randomness is one of God’s favorite mechanisms for creating and sustaining life!
2 Part Series: Southern Baptist Voices: Kenneth Keathley
The first entry in the Southern Baptist Voices series presents a unique ongoing dialogue between Kenneth Keathely, a significant voice for the Southern Baptist churches, and several BioLogos scholars. Carried out in a respectful and humble manner, Keathely simply expresses six areas in which he does not agree with the BioLogos approach to Genesis 1-3. Darrel Falk, Kathryn Applegate and Deborah Haarsma then thoughtfully respond to each point in order to clarify the BioLogos’ view on each issue and, hopefully, remove any stumbling blocks.
3 Part Series: Bacterial Flagellum
In this three part series, Kathryn Applegate explores the structure and operation of the bacterial flagellum which is often described in depth by ID proponents. Although it is an extraordinary natural machine, ID supporters speak about it in misleading ways that suggest special intervention over evolution. However, she explains that self-assembly is an outcome of natural laws that direct life.
3 Part Series: Behe’s B Cell Bravado
This three part series by Kathryn Applegate argues strongly against Michael Behe’s claim that the immune system is irreducibly complex. She begins with a brief review of antibody generation in B-cells. Then, she addresses Behe’s invalid assumptions about this process. Looking at the function of bacterial transposons, she then provides a reasonable explanation for the gradual evolution of the system and calls Behe to engage the scientific literature.
Evolution and Christian Faith Grantees Announced
Congratulations to the 37 winners of the Evolution & Christian Faith (ECF) grants competition! ECF is a new BioLogos program designed to support projects and network-building among scholars, church leaders, and parachurch organizations.
Vision for Change: Evolution & Christian Faith Grants Program
We at BioLogos are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God and that God has created through a gradual, evolutionary process, but we don’t have all of the answers. Therefore, we've launched a program to address theological and philosophical questions commonly voiced by Christians.
Coming Soon to San Diego: Let Newton Be!
Isaac Newton is famous for his work on universal gravitation, optics, and calculus (much to many college students’ dismay!), but he actually wrote more about theology and alchemy than about science.
Dueling Scientists and the Tree of Life: Analyzing the ID Response
Last week I came across a blog post by Intelligent Design leader Bill Dembski, provocatively titled "Craig Venter denies common descent — Dawkins incredulous." Surprised by the headline, I clicked over to read the story.
Uncertainty is Uncomfortable
Scientists become fairly comfortable with a certain level of uncertainty within scientific data, notes Kathryn Applegate, but that is not the case for most people, especially where faith is concerned
The Valley of Vision
I resonate with this prayer because it reminds me that even though God speaks clearly to us through his word and through creation, we can never quite get our minds around his ways.
Sin in the Church
We often talk about what’s holding her back from giving the control of her life over to Christ. One of the biggest barriers is the blatant sinfulness of self-professing Christians, which can be alarming and hard to understand for unbelievers.
Thoughts on Unity and Integrity
As believers we don’t have uniformity in all opinions and convictions. But the unity we share is founded in a love that supersedes mere kindness—the costly love of the Son who gave up his life for his friends.
New Question on Chance and God’s Sovereignty
What happens when you ask a Reformed mathematician and a Wesleyan theologian to write a joint statement on the compatibility of chance and God’s sovereignty?
The Church Must Not Ignore the Evidence
In this video conversation, Kathryn Applegate discusses the implications for the church if we ignore scientific developments.
The Bog on the Mountaintop
In many ways, I think the Evangelical community’s approach to science is like a bog on a mountaintop. For the most part, Christian theology is solid and trustworthy, but there are weak spots in our understanding, and how many believers relate to evolutionary science is one of them.
Jennifer Wiseman on “Science as an Instrument of Worship”
In most evangelical churches today, God receives regular praise for his work in Creation. But how often are recent scientific discoveries used to stir us up to worship, and to what extent do they inform our theology and stewardship?
God’s Sovereignty and Nature’s Freedom
As Darrel Falk pointed out recently, "irreducibly complex" switches drive the proliferation of bacteria and viruses which kill millions of people each year. Christians must wrestle with a difficult question: is God responsible for designing these killing machines?