Language of God

Before we can understand the interactions of science, religion, philosophy we must first know what each is. In their new book, Biology, Religion and Philosophy: An Introduction, our guests Dennis Venema—an evolutionary biologist—and Michael Peterson—a philosopher—work to define these disciplines before diving into the ways in which they inform each other, support each other, and ultimately help us to understand the world we live in and to better know God, the creator and sustainer of all things. 

You can buy Michael and Dennis's new book here.

Read Evolution Basics articles by Dennis Venema on our website.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Throughout his journey as a Christian and a psychologist, Justin Barrett has often lamented the widespread separation between his faith and his work. As a result, much of his recent work is aimed at bringing the two together so that each can enrich the other. He is now founder and president of Blueprint 1543, a new organization aimed at integrating faith with the human sciences. Justin joins Jim to discuss Blueprint 1543 and what it means to be human in light of the truths of Christian faith and evolutionary psychology.

Check out Justin’s new book, Thriving With Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing, here.

Find out more about Justin’s new organization, Blueprint 1543, on their website.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Elaine Howard Ecklund is a sociologist who has devoted her career to understanding the attitudes and perceptions that scientists and religious people have toward each other. What she has found does not always match what would be expected. We talk about some of what she has learned over her years of research on this topic and talk about her new book, Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values The Move Us Beyond Fear. 

This episode originally aired September 24, 2020.

Check out Elaine Howard Ecklund's website.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Fossils open a window deep into the history of the earth. Through that window we learn about how whales evolved from four-legged creatures to the aquatic animals we know today, we learn about our own species and where we came from, and we learn more about God who made it all. Language of God producer Colin Hoogerwerf journeys into the world of fossils alongside paleontologist Ryan Bebej to explore some of these stories. Guest geologist and paleontologist Ralph Stearley introduces us to some of the early Christians who helped figure out what fossils really are, and biological anthropologist Cara Wall-Scheffer joins to talk about what fossils can teach us about what it means to be human.

This episode originally aired September 12, 2019.

Find Ryan Bebej’s personal story here.

See photos from our visit to Calvin’s fossil collection at our website. 

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.

Humans have long been captivated by life outside of our planet. While mainstream speculation about aliens is usually confined to the fictitious worlds of Hollywood films, respected scientists have also made sophisticated arguments for their existence. To sort through these claims, as well as recent news of unidentified aerial phenomena, we turned to an expert in the field. 

Our guest today, Stephen Freeland, has been exposed to a wide range of academic science—he went from studying zoology to computer science to genetics before settling into a career as an astrobiologist. He talks with Jim about what astrobiology is, the rich benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to the subject, and his take on the possibility of life, intelligent or otherwise, beyond our planet.

Read more about recent speculations and an upcoming government report here.

Find Avi Loeb and Amir Siraj’s now famous claims about an interstellar object here.

Check out the article on phosphine in Venus published in Nature.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

In this conversation with acclaimed Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Bill Newsome, we hear about his journey to becoming a neuroscientist, how hundreds of millions of neurons enable the fantastic emergence of a unified visual world, and how free will might operate in relation to the seemingly infinite causal chains which bring us all to this moment. Along the way, Dr. Newsome shares his own experiences with science and faith and why biological explanations should not be seen as weapons beating back the claims of Christianity. 

Read Bill’s article, “Life of science, life of faith”, here

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

The roaring current of stubborn partisan standoffs challenges us to cement ourselves in our views; dialogue erodes as we ditch the public conversation to wrap ourselves in the self-affirming comfort of our isolated belief nooks. Among the most well-acquainted with this phenomenon is On Being host Krista Tippett, who worked as a journalist and diplomat in Cold War Berlin. But she sees something else as well: a hunger for honest conversation. In this episode, Jim talks with Krista about how her work attempts to feed that desire—and where science and faith live in that discussion.

Explore the Better Conversations Guide.

This episode originally aired on August 29, 2019

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Proponents of intelligent design and evolutionary creation have some different ideas about the relationship of science and faith, and relations between BioLogos and the Discovery Institute have not always been easy. But there is some common ground. We explore some of that common ground in this episode while also discussing the philosophical differences between the positions. Stephen Meyer is a leading advocate for intelligent design and is the Director for the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute, and his new book, Return of the God Hypothesis, frames this conversation.

This was meant to be a conversation and not a debate and so the intention was not to stop every time a claim was made that we disagree with. Instead, we made a companion piece to this episode where we point to many resources that do respond to these claims and help to further explain some of the philosophical concepts covered in this conversation.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Earth Day has not always been a holiday widely celebrated by the Christian Church. It might have something to do with the fact that many Christians have been told that they can’t be both a Christian and an environmentalist. Sandra Richter was told the same thing, but as she studied to become a professor of Old Testament, she found a rich biblical basis for caring for the earth, and she found that in doing so we are also caring for the widow, the orphan and the oppressed. Drawing from her recent book, Stewards of Eden, she helps to break down the biblical call for stewardship and leaves us with a message of hope and encouragement.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Polling data tells us Christians are the most hesitant group in the United States about receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Yet research on the vaccines show that they are incredibly safe and effective. It’s clear that if we want to get past this pandemic, our Christian community needs a radical reorientation based on sound evidence and an abundance of grace. Offering perspectives rooted in Biblical faith, Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. David Anderson join in conversation about how Christians can bring about the end of the pandemic. Dr. Collins brings a depth of scientific knowledge alongside Dr Anderson’s pastoral wisdom to talk about the vaccine and the hesitancy many people harbor about the vaccines. In doing so, these renowned spiritual leaders lay the groundwork for Christians to build bridges toward healing and change. 

This conversation was originally aired as a livestream video event on April 11, 2021.

Original music in this episode is by Carp.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.