News Update
Since the beginning of the new year, my blog posts have become very infrequent. Some might conclude that I’m losing interest in the creation/evolution debate. Far from it! The reason for my slow blogging is actually my increased participation in the debate.
I’ve been working on a new video series about the natural sciences in Christian education: something that those of us with school-aged children are naturally interested in. I’m also continuing to work on my next book.
Speaking of books, BTF is heading into its second printing. This gives us (me and the publisher) the opportunity to make editorial revisions to the manuscript, allowing us to correct many of the typographical and formatting errors that found their way into the first printing.
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a thought that was inspired by this morning’s sermon. If I’m lucky, it might even make one of James McGrath’s ”quote of the day” blog entries.
Some Christians will vehemently reject good-faith attempts to integrate modern scientific theories like Common Descent with historic Christian orthodoxy. To those believers who have little interest in understanding Earth’s long and fascinating natural history, or whose calling does not require a faithful interpretation of nature’s data, I say ‘believe what ever your conscience permits.’ For I would no sooner heap uncensored science upon a weak-minded brother than I would insist one convinced in his heart of temperance join me at the local pub. But to those who posses the spiritual maturity to confront the strangeness of God’s creation, and are prepared to enjoy the fullness of nature’s gifts without fear of losing their faith or drowning in excess, I would gladly discuss Evolution and the Gospel over a pint… or two!
GJG
April 7th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Excited to hear about your efforts. Hope to see some of the fruit soon!
April 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Hi Gordon,
Glad to hear you are ok … was starting to wonder what had happened.
When you say: “I’ve been working on a new video series about the natural sciences in Christian education:”, are these videos you want to present to school age children in Christian Schools (or even in Christian homes I guess)?
April 8th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Good question, the series is actually directed toward educators. The whole thing grew out of a question: “how can we change our science curriculum so that our students are better prepared to study the at the college level” — to which my answer was: “you don’t need to change your curriculm, you need to change your entire paradigm for understanding and teaching the natural sciences.”
The video series will walk people through this so that they can make informed choices as to how they present science to Christian students.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I have been thinking about how ill-prepared our Christian schooled or home-schooled children are for studying science at the college level. Since most sciences, including biology, medicine, geology, paleontology, anthropology, psychology, etc. are based upon the evolutionary model, it is intellectual suicide for Christian educators to withhold the foundation of evolution. Even YEC folks who totally reject evolution are doing their children a great disservice by refusing to teach evolution, and ought to see the wisdom of evolution education. The very arguments used by Creationists and the I.D. movement (that divine creation models should be presented as a possibility alongside evolution in the public schools) make equal sense in reverse! I suppose you are using this reasoning in your video presentation. It may not be necessary to convince Christian educators of evolution … but they need to see that evolutionary science has become foundational to almost all other science disciplines.