Scientists Tell Their Stories: George Murphy

December 2, 2012 Tags: Pastoral Voices

Today's video features George Murphy. Please note the views expressed here are those of the author, not necessarily of The BioLogos Foundation. You can read more about what BioLogos believes here.

Note: BioLogos is not alone in seeking a deeper and more fruitful engagement between the church and the best contemporary science, and we celebrate the work of other schools, ministries and organizations that share this commitment. Asbury Seminary is such a partner and recently held the last of three annual Q3 Conferences funded by the John Templeton Foundation's Science for Ministry Initiative. This final conference was dedicated to exploring how evangelical faith and science can work together--helping the church "integrate insights from the world of science with our calling to bear witness to God's New Creation for the sake of the world."

Today we highlight a video from Q3's Scientists Tell Their Stories series, in which scientists share personal accounts of their commitments and work in relation to faith and science. Q3 Director Michael Pasquarello III has described the aim of these testimonies as helping the Church "see more clearly how much we share in common with not only these, but with many other scientists." Today's video features George Murphy, retired Evangelical Lutheran pastor, and physicist.

George Murphy notes that while the science and theology dialogue has grown considerably in the past 30 years, much of it remains at an academic level. While it provides an important foundation, that alone is not going to do the job that the church needs it to do—to come out in Christian education in parishes, in preaching, in pastoral care, in the social action of the church.

During his seminary education, Dr. Murphy also gained a deeper understanding of Luther’s theology of the cross, and he realized that it’s really the best way to approach the science and theology dialogue. The theology of the cross helps us deal not only with an issue like evolution, and but more generally with the whole question of how God acts in the world and how we know God.

Most science and theology dialogue is restricted to discussion of creation and origins. But at the core of the Gospel of is not simply the doctrine of creation—it’s salvation, it’s the work of Christ in saving humanity and in saving the whole creation.

First posted April 29, 2012

Commentary written by the BioLogos editorial team.

George Murphy has been active for many years in helping churches see the relevance of science for faith and to deal with religious issues raised by science and technology. With a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Johns Hopkins, he taught college science courses for twelve years. Now retired from regular parish ministry, he continues to write and speak on issues of science and theology and is an adjunct faculty member at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus. His most recent books are Pulpit Science Fiction and The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross.

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First of all I agree that the conflict has been too much centered on Creation, when the center of Christianity is found in Salavation. On the other hand it is clear to me that John 1 brings Creation through the Word and Salvation through the Word together to give a clear basis for the understanding of the 2 Books view of the Bible and Creation that It would make much sense to closely look at this passage and it theological, philosophical, and scientific meaning.

Scientists Tell Their Stories: George Murphy

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