Tim Keller Many people today, both secular and Christian, want us to believe that science and religion cannot live together. Not only is this untrue, but we believe that a thoughtful dialogue between science and faith is essential for engaging the hearts and minds of individuals today. The BioLogos Foundation provides an important first step towards that end.
When it comes to explaining the interaction of our faith with science, it’s one thing to read other pastors’ thoughts, but it is another thing entirely to be prepared to address your own congregations (both corporately and individually) on these topics. It’s our prayer that these materials will equip you to meaningfully engage science and faith in your local congregations so that, ultimately, the body of Christ might be built up.
#The Bible
How should we interpret the Bible?
Clues to the original intended meaning can be found in the style of language, the genre of literature, the original audience, and the historical and cultural context.
How long are the days of Genesis 1?
The seven-day pattern in Genesis 1 is a literary device that serves the theological purposes of the author, rather than revealing information about the chronology of natural history.
How should we interpret the Genesis flood account?
The Flood story proclaims God’s grace and love for his people.
What Do You Mean by 'Literal'? with N.T. Wright and Pete Enns
N.T. Wright discusses principles for interpreting Biblical texts by giving examples from both the Old and New Testaments.
Creation, Evolution, and Christian Laypeople
Many secular and evangelical voices agree that if you are an orthodox Christian with a high view of the authority of the Bible, you cannot believe in evolution. But is this true? Depends what you mean by "evolution."
Why the Church Needs Multiple Theories of Original Sin
Loren Haarsma argues that the church should consider multiple theories of Original Sin because the theological stakes are high and the questions are challenging.
The Lost World of Genesis One
What was God’s intention for the beginning portions of the Bible? What is its cultural context? In this highly readable volume, John Walton formulates a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world.
What about the Bible?
Doesn’t evolutionary creation contradict a plain reading of the Bible? Well, that depends on whose plain reading you mean.
God's Good Chaos
A morally neutral chaos has a creative place within God’s dynamic world, with both the potential for good and bad for creatures.
#Ministry
Engaging Science in the Life of Your Congregation
Christians can easily get the feeling that science is always attacking the faith. What can churches do to study and engage science well?
4 Ways Pastors can Shepherd their Congregation through Discussions on Faith and Science
Pastors have both a responsibility and privilege to guide their “flocks” through the science and faith discussion. Pastor Mario Russo shares four simple ways to do so.
5 (More) Ways Pastors Can Shepherd People Through Discussions About Faith and Science
Pastors need to be more aware of what people in their church with various views on creation could be thinking and feeling. Here are five ways pastors can help shepherd their people in this area.
Rooted Faith in a Changing World: A Pastor's Perspective
The new questions are actually giving us the opportunity to rediscover what was always present in the tradition, even if we didn’t know it/
Five Amazing Creatures in God's Creation
The beauty of God's creation can be glimpsed in some of the wonderful creatures that inhabit it.
How I Finally Told My Church I’m an Evolutionary Creationist—and How I Should Have
A pastor shares how a social media post about evolution tore his church apart, and how he helped it heal.
Why should Christians consider evolutionary creation?
Considering evolutionary creation has important benefits for Christians both in our relationship with God and in our relationships with other people, believers and non-believers.
The Perils and Promise of Preaching the God of Two Books
A vast number of congregational leaders know that when they deal with evolution, they are also dealing with job security.
Science as an Instrument of Worship
Jennifer Wiseman uses an excerpt from the hymn “How Great Thou Art” to explain why the study of Creation can lead Christians into meaningful worship and overcome obstacles which impede true praise.
How I Changed My Mind About Evolution
From BioLogos and InterVarsity Press, here are the stories of 25 people who have come to embrace evolution and faith, including Francis Collins, Scot McKnight, John Ortberg, James K.A. Smith, Jennifer Wiseman, and N.T. Wright.
Creation: Of God, Through God, and To God
At a 2015 BioLogos gathering, Claude Alexander shared some of his reflections on the ways that the science conversation plays out in the African American church.
What I Wish My Pastor Knew About The Life of a Scientist
The honest, and humbling, truth is that there is likely more intellectual humility in the average physics laboratory than in the average theology classroom.
Science & Christianity: Past, Present, and Future
“This 5-session study provides Christians scriptural considerations and scholarly information on some of the most fundamental, modern scientific concepts (creation, evolution, conservation, and transhumanism) so that both science and faith will be seen as critical components of a flourishing life.”
#Sermons and Preaching
God Speaks Science: Preaching from God’s Other Book
Preaching science is all about bringing God’s revelation through creation into conversation with God’s revelation through the Bible in a co-illumining, mutually intelligible way.
I Have a Friend Who Believes Science Disproves Faith
Is Christianity anti-science? Can Christians be good scientists? Is science the only source of true knowledge? Pastor Dave Gustavsen of Jacksonville Chapel addresses these questions.
Maker of Heaven and Earth
Discussing our belief in God as creator reminds us that some parts of the Bible need not be historical in order to convey deep theological truths.
How to Preach about Gravitational Waves
One of the biggest hurdles to the science and faith conversation in congregations is the complexity of scientific research.
#What is BioLogos
What is BioLogos?
So what is BioLogos? Well it all began with a scientist and a book. Francis Collins, the physician and geneticist who led the Human Genome Project, wrote the book, The Language of God.
How is BioLogos different from Evolutionism, Intelligent Design, and Creationism?
We affirm that the Bible is the inspired and authoritative word of God. We also accept the science of evolution as the best description for how God brought about life on earth.
How Old is the Earth?
So how old is the earth? Some people think the Bible says it was created about 6,000 years ago. While the Bible does include a number of genealogies, many conservative Bible scholars believe that these lists are not intended to be a complete method of dating the age of the earth.
What about the Bible?
Doesn’t evolutionary creation contradict a plain reading of the Bible? Well, that depends on whose plain reading you mean.
#Science and The Bible
The Big Story: From Stardust to The New Creation
What if we told the story of the Bible from the perspective of what science has learned about God's world? Watch now!
The Intersection of Science and Scripture
The science–Scripture relationship can feel one–sided (favoring science), but there are many ways in which, for Christians, Scripture provides the lenses through which we look at the natural world.
When Appearances Are Deceiving
Rev. Scott Hoezee shares his story of wrestling with his faith and the age of the earth and the universe.
Where is God in Nature?
God is not immediately apparent in scientific data.
Tales of a Recovering Answer Addict: From Young-Earth Apologist to Evolutionary Creationist
The more Mario Russo studied and learned, the less he needed “answers” to every possible question.
Belief in God in a World Explained by Science
Too many people—both Christians and atheists—seem to think that the completeness of scientific theories removes any role for God.
#Scientific Evidence
What is evolution?
Properly understood, evolution is a scientific theory about the development of life and is consistent with Christian theology.
How did God create the ingredients for life?
So how did God bring about the diversity of life we see on earth today? First he needed a place where life could survive—a planet that is just the right distance from the sun, and full of the right kinds of elements.
Evolution: What We Know and What We Don't Know
In this video, Jeff Schloss discusses some things we should be mindful of when we discuss evolution. He begins with the observation that when we use the term “evolution,” it is not always exactly clear what we are actually discussing unless we denote the intended usage.
Where is the Genetic Evidence for Evolution?
The study of DNA has revolutionized our understanding of how creatures share common ancestors. (19:57)
How do we know the earth is old?
There are several reliable ways to accurately estimate the age of materials on Earth. Some methods measure radioactive atoms that decay at steady and predictable rates; others count layers that grow or are deposited in recognizable yearly patterns.
Evolution Basics
Written by former BioLogos Fellow of Biology Dennis Venema, this series of posts is intended as a basic introduction to the science of evolution for non-specialists.
#The State of the Dialogue
Are science and Christianity at war?
Some people see science and religion as enemies, at war for leadership in our modern culture. Others see science and religion as completely separate and unrelated facets of life.
What the New Pew Study Actually Reveals
The unaffiliated believe the conflict about science and religion to be mostly “out there,” while Evangelicals mostly believe the conflict is an in-house affair.
A Survey of Clergy and Their Views on Origins
In 2012, the Barna Group conducted telephone interviews with pastors from across the US from all Christian denominations, providing a fascinating analysis of clerical views on origins today.
#The Church Taking Action
Better Science for the Clergy? PBS Discusses Science in Seminaries
Pastors may be interested in science, but they often get little exposure to science in their training. Recently, the PBS program Religion & Ethics News Weekly featured a discussion of science training for religious leaders.
Moving Pastors Toward Science
This project, led by Craig Story and Justin Topp, is entitled "Pastors, Faith and Science" and has the goal of equipping pastors with tools to approach issues of science and faith with greater confidence.
Nazarenes Exploring Evolution
Their goal was to “deepen and broaden the discussion about evolution in the Church of the Nazarene.”
Faith and Science: A Dialogue
During 2011-2013, a Grand Rapids, MI church featured several special events which included talks such as “Do You Understand What You’re Reading? Interpreting Genesis 1-11” and “Evolution and One Christian Biologist.”
Scientists in Congregations Program
This program involved providing grants to 35 congregations in the U.S. and two internationally to begin to catalyze the dialogue of theology and science.
GC Science Website
A network of scientists at Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. They are dedicated to helping people integrate science and the Christian Faith and seek to do so through their website, church courses, and monthly book club discussions.
Ministry Theorum
This website of resources was developed by the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Seminary and the Science Division at Calvin College.