Language of God

How should we respond to a problem that seems unsolvable? This is the question we ask in a series about the environmental crisis as we explore the fine line between hope and despair. After having delved into the hard reality of the environmental crisis for the previous two episodes, we spend this episode with our focus on hope. We explore what exactly hope is, how it relates to optimism, and how, when we find hope, we might also find repentance, forgiveness, joy, and love. 

This is the last of three episodes in the Creation Groans series.

Check out the list of related resources from this series here.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

How should we respond to a problem that seems unsolvable? This is the question we ask in a series about the environmental crisis as we explore the fine line between hope and despair. In this episode we allow ourselves to fully contemplate the woundedness of the planet and we reach into the Christian practice of lament as a way to find hope in the midst of the suffering we see around us. The episode ends with a guided lament liturgy. 

This is the second of three episodes in the Creation Groans series. 

Check out the list of related resources from this series here.

Liturgy music is by Brian Mulder. (Spotify)

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

How should we respond to a problem that seems unsolvable? This is the question we ask in a series about the environmental crisis as we explore the fine line between hope and despair. In this episode we explore some of the wounds to the planet that often go unseen and we realize that the path to hope begins with the acknowledgement that the wounds are deep and troubling. 

This is the first of three episodes in the Creation Groans series. 

Check out the list of related resources from this series here.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Ever since he was a kid, Jeff Hardin has been fascinated by the natural world. His long standing avenue for connecting with creation has been science, whether old nature documentary series like Wild Kingdom or exploring the early development of nematode worms in his lab in Wisconsin. Jeff's work as a scientist, exploring the intricate details of life’s origin, has only enriched his wonder toward the God who created it all, an awe which feeds back into his teaching and research. 

Find out more about Jeff’s lab’s research on the website.

Read Jeff’s article on cloning and genome editing.

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Traditional homeschooling and hybrid models have seen a huge uptick in the last couple of years, and, unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge driver of this migration. But the virus and various school and government responses to it are not the only factor causing parents to consider alternative education options. Contentious discussions of which histories and sciences are taught in the classroom continue to cause worry for parents all over the political spectrum. 

Our guest today is historian and educator Susan Wise Bauer. A respected and well known name in the homeschooling world, Susan has spent much of her career developing reliable resources and curricula for homeschoolers. She walks us through her own experiences with, emerging trends in, and the biggest issues facing the homeschooling world today. A Christian, Susan also reflects on the reciprocal relationship between devout theistic faith and careful science.

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Check out the BioLogos faith & science curriculum, Integrate, here.

Find out more about The Well Trained Mind on their website.

When faced with something completely new, how will our theology help us to respond? Willie James Jennings helps us to look back into history at a time when colonialist settlers came into contact with new land and new people and found in their theology a justification to bring order to the world they found. Our theology today is built upon the idea that the hollow places of the earth are filled with treasures for our taking, rather than the idea that the earth is a hallowed place that glorifies God in all its treasures. 

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Reading the news these days can make it seem like the world is coming to an end. And reading scientific journals, especially regarding climate, biodiversity loss and other environmental issues, can give a similar feeling. Jonathan Moo is a professor of New Testament and environmental studies and he helps break down how Christians might respond to the bleak picture that is sometimes painted of the world. He helps us to look specifically to the biblical account of end times to understand how to put this in perspective with our own times. We find not only darkness in a conversation about apocalypse but hope and the need for a more radical faithfulness. 

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There are a range of ways that people have thought about original sin, Adam and Eve, and the spread of sin throughout the world. Scientific knowledge, including the science of human evolution has contributed to that conversation but science has not identified a correct position. Loren Haarsma lays out several different approaches in his book When Did Sin Begin and talks with us in the episode about those approaches and the benefits and theological challenges of each approach.

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Francis Collins and Phil Vischer sit down to talk about science and faith and the new BioLogos Integrate curriculum.

Learn more about BioLogos Integrate.

Watch the promo video for Integrate.

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With his 1989 book The End of Nature, climate activist Bill McKibben launched the contemporary movement against climate change. In the several decades since its publication, he has continued informing the public about the status of our climate and advocating for necessary mitigation measures. McKibben is also a Christian who sees his activism as a natural result of his ardent faith. In this episode, he discusses how we got to our current situation, including why he thinks many Christians have historically avoided or actively opposed their Biblical mandate to be stewards of the Earth, as well as why the Christian Church may be the only institution with the power to effectively confront the dominant culture of apathy on this issue. These discussions inevitably confront political commitments, yet McKibben makes a strong case that our Christian responsibilities take precedence over political affiliations. 

Learn more about Third Act on their website

Check out Bill McKibben’s books here

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