Language of God

Alister McGrath is one of the iconic voices in the dialogue between science and faith. After receiving his doctorate in biological sciences from Oxford University he decided to pursue theology with the same gusto that he approaches all of his intellectual work. Today, he brings his wisdom on these topics that is backed up by multiple doctoral degrees, many books on the subject, and several decades thinking, teaching, and writing about science and faith. 

Jim Stump talks to him about two of his recent books: A Theory of Everything (that Matters) and Narrative Apologetics. The conversation ranges from talking about Einstein’s religious beliefs and how they open a door for exploring the relationship between science and theology to the importance of storytelling for Christian Apologetics. 

Thanks to Tyndale Publishing for helping to set up our interview with Alister McGrath. 

Find out more about his book A Theory of Everything (that Matters)

Find out more about his book Narrative Apologetics

Jim recommends this book: Enriching our Vision of Reality: Theology and the Natural Sciences in Dialogue. 

Join a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.

In this episode we tell two stories of finding harmony in faith and science. The stories come from Garrett and Amanda, two young people who were deeply connected to young-earth creation—that is, until they started to see some cracks developing in their reasoning which sent them on a journey to discover how to reframe their scientific view of the world while holding closely to their Christian faith. Both found their way through the next phase of their spiritual journey in different ways but their stories help us all to appreciate the humility that is required to change one’s beliefs, and the wisdom that comes from realizing that we can’t know the answers to all of life’s questions.

Thanks to Rick, Ruth, Frederick, Jody, Brian, John and Barbara and to everyone else who shared their stories of harmony with us at our conference in Baltimore.

If you like this episode you might want to read the book How I Changed My Mind About Evolution.

Join a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.

This is Part 2 of our dialogue with Reasons to Believe

For many years BioLogos and Reasons to Believe have been having a dialogue about faith and science. The two organizations agree about the scientific conclusions on the ancient age of the Earth, but disagree on the science of evolution. But we have built a fruitful relationship together. In the second half of our live dialogue, Hugh Ross and Deb Haarsma talk about how a background in astrophysics led them to their current work as leaders of Christian organizations. They also talk about how their faith might hold up to new scientific discoveries.

Hugh Ross is the President and Founder of Reasons to Believe. Deb Haarsma is the President of BioLogos.

To learn more about the views of BioLogos and Reasons to Believe you can find an in depth conversation in the book Old Earth or Evolutionary Creation: Discussing Origins with Reasons to Believe and BioLogos

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos forum.

This is Part 1 of our dialogue with Reasons to Believe. 

For many years BioLogos and Reasons to Believe have been having a dialogue about faith and science. The two organizations agree about the scientific conclusions on the ancient age of the Earth, but disagree on the science of evolution. But we have built a fruitful relationship together. In the first half of our live dialogue, Fuz Rana and Darrel Falk talk about how this relationship developed and then discuss how they have come to such different conclusions when working with the same data.

Fuz Rana is the Vice President of Research and Apologetics at Reasons to Believe. Darrel Falk is the previous president of BioLogos and is Emeritus Professor of Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University.

To learn more about the views of BioLogos and Reasons to Believe you can find an in depth conversation in the book Old Earth or Evolutionary Creation: Discussing Origins with Reasons to Believe and BioLogos

This article is referenced in the episode: Understanding Randomness by Kathryn Applegate

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos forum

Mike McHargue, aka Science Mike, is the cofounder of The Liturgists podcast and host of the podcast Ask Science Mike. In this episode he shares the story of his own faith journey, which involves leaving the church and eventually finding his way back after a mystical experience. Since then, he has made an effort through his podcast and writing to help others going through faith transitions. 

In this episode, Jim and Mike discuss the trends of faith transitions in the United States and how science can be both fallible and trustworthy at the same time. Near the end of the episode Mike shares a powerful personal story of how he has found a personal God in a world of scientific explanations.

Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

Theology is a tool we use to better understand God. But how does it work? How do we know when a theological claim is true? Jim asks these questions to professional theologian Oliver Crisp. Oliver’s search for theological truths has led him think and write about topics like Adam and Eve, sin, and the fall and he talks to us about how other disciplines, including science, have informed this theological work. 

Oliver Crisp is professor of analytic theology at University of St Andrews in Scotland.He was born and raised in West London, England, and educated at Wimbledon School of Art; the University of Aberdeen (BD, MTh); and King’s College, London (PhD). He is the author of nine books as well as over 80 articles and essays. His most recent publications are Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology (Fortress, 2014), and Jonathan Edwards Among the Theologians (Eerdmans, 2015).

This interview was made possible as part of the TheoPsych Project, hosted by Fuller Seminary’s office of Science, Theology, and Religion.

Join a discussion about this episode at the BioLogos Forum. 

Jim Stump is joined by BioLogos president Deb Haarsma to talk about one of the perennial science and faith topics—Adam & Eve. They lay out some of the different perspectives on Adam & Eve and also some of the problems that come along with each perspective, bringing in science where it’s appropriate but also finding that science won’t lead us to definitive answers on many of the questions that arise. 

Because this is a complex topic with many different perspectives, we asked several experts to join us in this episode and to respond to some of the different viewpoints on Adam and Eve. You’ll hear William Lane Craig, Ken Keathley, Anjeanette Roberts, Andrew Torrance and Dennis Venema who each provide their own take on some of these different Adam and Eve perspectives.

We have lots of resources on this topic at our website. Just search “Adam and Eve” in the search bar. Or here’s a couple places you could start:

The Common Question, “Were Adam and Eve Historical Figures?”

Or check out the series by Dennis Venema called “Adam and Eve and Human Population Genetics”

Custom music in this episode by Tony Correlli.

Finally, join in a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum

Jim Stump and Templeton Award winning physicist, Marcelo Gleiser dive into the ocean of the unknown, discussing the nature of science and how we know what we know. Since he was a child, Gleiser has been fascinated by the biggest questions about life and existence. Those questions led him to physics and cosmology and he has spent a significant part of his career communicating science to the general public. While Gleiser considers himself a religious agnostic, he has consistently pushed back against the extreme scientism views that leave no place for religion. Jim and Marcelo find some disagreement about their understandings of faith, but find that a conversation across disagreement can be fruitful and productive.

Marcelo Gleiser a professor of natural philosophy physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College. He is a frequent contributor to the 13.8 blog at Orbiter Magazine and his most recent book is The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected: A Natural Philosopher's Quest for Trout and the Meaning of Everything. Gleiser was named the Templeton Prize winner for 2019, which is awarded annually to a person who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life’s spiritual dimension.

Find Marcelo Gleiser’s writing at Orbiter Magazine’s 13.8 Blog

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.

The question of faith and science has often been posed in only one direction—how does faith affect science? As Christians, this question is more comfortable because it plants our religious beliefs in the center, keeping them untouched. But what about when the question is flipped—when science affects faith? Rick Lindroth joins producer Colin Hoogerwerf to describe how this latter question has played an important role in his life. They also discuss the dangerous reality of insect collapse and the lonely grief of the ecologist.

Read more about the insect collapse here.

Find a conversation about this episode at the BioLogos Forum.

In this bonus episode, Language of God Producer Colin Hoogerwerf brings a short reflection on finding hope in the outdoors. 

Find more articles and resources about caring for creation at biologos.org or join a discussion about this episode at the BioLogos Forum, A good place to start is Why Should Christians Care for Creation?