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Featured speaker Deborah Haarsma

Canadian Mennonite University 2020 Scientist in Residence

03February
Date and Time:February 03, 2020 11:30 AM — to February 05, 2020 8:30 PM undefined
Organizer:Canadian Mennonite University
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03February

BioLogos President and Voices speaker Deborah Haarsma is Canadian Mennonite University’s 2020 Scientist in Residence.

Chapel: “The Universe Declares the Glory of God”
Monday, February 3 at 11:30 AM:
CMU Chapel, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Description: “Dr. Haarsma shares her scientific and spiritual journey. When viewed through the lens of biblical faith, the universe reveals God’s beauty, faithfulness, and creativity.”

Forum: “What Would Life Beyond Earth Mean for Christians?”
Wednesday, February 5 at 11:30 AM
CMU Chapel, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Description: “Astronomers have now discovered thousands of planets in orbit around other stars. We may soon be able to detect whether those planets contain living things. But will that life be intelligent? Will we be able to communicate with it? What would such discoveries mean for Christian theology?”

Public Lecture: “God and the Multiverse”
Wednesday, February 5 at 7:00 PM
Marpeck Commons, 2299 Grant Ave.
Description: “The last century has transformed our understanding of the cosmos. We now know that the universe began 13.8 billion years ago in a Big Bang and that it continues to expand at an ever-increasing rate. We marvel at the evidence of physical laws fine-tuned for life. New research hints that our universe may be part of a much bigger multiverse of imagination-staggering immensity. Dr. Haarsma will lead a fascinating tour of the cosmos and discuss the implications of recent discoveries for our understanding of scripture, of God, and of ourselves.”


Featured speaker

Deb Haarsma

Deborah Haarsma

Dr. Deborah Haarsma served as President of BioLogos from 2013 to 2024.   Under Haarsma’s leadership, BioLogos grew in both numbers and influence, from private events and a small website to extensive programs and widespread impact (see Our History). During her tenure, BioLogos built an extensive network of experts, writers, and speakers, and developed national conferences, a high-school curriculum, and a podcast.  BioLogos became the leading resource on the viewpoint of evolutionary creation and went on to help Christians wrestle with many complex science topics, always working at the intersection of Christ-centered faith and rigorous science and in a spirit of gracious dialogue.  Haarsma is a frequent speaker on modern science and Christian faith at churches, universities, and conferences. In addition to extensive writing and speaking for BioLogos, she has appeared on several podcasts, including Undeceptions (on Outer Space and on The Multiverse) and the Jesus Storybook Bible podcast. Her writing has been featured at Big Think and Sojourners, as well as in several books, including Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Design, the collection Calvinism for a Secular Age, and the collection Christ and the Created Order.   She wrote the book Origins with her husband and fellow physicist, Loren Haarsma, presenting the agreements and disagreements among Christians regarding the history of life and the universe.   Previously, Haarsma served as professor and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Calvin University. In her research, she used telescopes around the world and in orbit to pursue extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology, with publications on young galaxies, large galaxies, galaxy clusters, the curvature of space, and the expansion of the universe.  Haarsma completed her doctoral work in astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (profile by MIT’s Octet Collaborative) and her undergraduate work in physics and music at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota (profile for 2022 Alumna of the Year award). She and Loren enjoy science fiction and classical music, and live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.