WTS conference on science and faith

A couple of years ago, I alerted our readers of what appeared to me to be a valuable conference.

I am now repeating that alert, because Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) is now hosting (alongside the Discovery Institute) their third annual Westminster Conference on Science and Faith. That seminary is firmly in the Reformed tradition, and is to be commended for not shying away from dealing with matters that in our circles are routinely studiously ignored or at best treated superficially and dismissively.

This gathering affords university & seminary students, pastors, and elders the significant opportunity of a pivotal road trip. Let me encourage church members in southern Ontario to not let them miss out; instead, give them the weekend off (no preaching when they return), put some gas and restaurant money into their hands, pay their hotel and registration fees, and send them off with your blessing and prayers.

Here are the opening lines of the conference announcement:

Does modern biology support or undercut human uniqueness? Are the discoveries of brain research compatible with personal responsibility? What does it really mean to be “created in the image of God?” And what are the social and ethical implications of our view of the human person?

Given the list of speakers and topics involved, it’s not likely that attendees will be pressured to accept evolution, in case you are concerned about that. We would be glad to hear of your experiences upon your return.

Regent College Pastors’ Conference: Science & Faith

In January, I mentioned a conference to be held on the east coast, and now there’s one in a similar vein on the west coast. At least one of Langley’s pastors is attending, and I would highly recommend this as a wonderful opportunity to have some sustained engagement on a number of issues regarding science & Christianity. The seven main sessions are listed below, and you can get all the details at the conference website. Of these speakers, I have only heard Alexander before, presenting at TWU three years ago on Dawkins. A good number of Canadian Reformed ministers have told me they’ve benefited significantly from events, speakers, and resources at Regent College in the past, and thus I expect this conference too will be well received and valued. Thus, if you read this, and live in the vicinity of Vancouver, recommend it to your pastor as well.

Below is a preview of the detailed information, taken from the website.

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Wonder and Devotion: Bringing Science and Faith Together for the Church

Why a conference about science and theology for pastors? One of our evangelical forefathers believed theology and science to be the “twin daughters of heaven.” In fact, during the 19th century twenty percent of the content of the Princeton Review theological journal was of a scientific nature! Only our capitulation to the influence of the Enlightenment which dichotomized faith and science makes this seem strange. You can relax though! This conference is expressly for non-scientist pastors as well as the geeks!

Sadly, the worldview of Modernity and the conflict around the science of origins has led many of us as pastors to stay away from engaging science in our public ministries, with the consequence that many young people flounder, lose their faith, or abandon careers in science. Even more importantly, we have robbed ourselves—and our people—of one of the “two books” by which God has revealed himself. We have dulled the sense of wonder and worship that emerges from the habits of discovering and delighting in science.

We hope through this conference to recover that sense of wonder by re-awakening the inquisitiveness and curiosity that ought to characterize us as persons made in the image of God the Creator—commissioned to continue his creative work. This will equip us to affirm the work of scientists as devotion, to invoke in our young people fearlessness about discovering all reality, and spur our people on in fulfilling what it means to be humans fully alive living out the first great mission given to all humans—the creation mandate. We won’t ignore the controversial matters, but above all we will be about developing a way of being that is the heart of the Gospel, which calls us to live in creation and participate joyfully in the new creation.

Main Speakers

• Ross Hastings: The Coinherence of Faith and Science: Matter that Matters (an exposition of John 1:1-18)


• Denis Alexander: How and Why are Science and Faith First Cousins?


• Alan Torrance: Unsaddling the Four Horsemen of Modern Atheism! Liberating Science from Naturalism


• Denis Alexander: Creation or Evolution—Do We Have to Choose?


• Alan Torrance: The Challenge of Neuroscience: Toward a Theological Perspective on Being a Person


• Iain Provan: “There Was Light” - Or Possibly Darkness: Reading Genesis 1-2


• Darrell Johnson

Conference: Reformed Theologians and the Discovery Institute

There are dozens of conferences annually throughout the world touching upon issues of science & Christianity, but I just received word of a conference which might be of special interest to our readers due to the fact that it is hosted at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and features a number of well-known Reformed theologians.

The conference (March 12-13) is planned to be of special relevance to ministers and seminary & university students. If I was in the Hamilton area, I would seriously consider organizing a 7-hour road trip, enjoying fellowship and conversation in each direction. It will a couple of days well spent, especially in these times when there is much lack of clarity (to put it charitably) surrounding the issues in our ecclesiastical circles.

The only hesitation I have in recommending this conference is that it is co-sponsored with the Discovery Institute which will make this conference heavily weighted towards intelligent design (ID). ID is certainly an important position among those who object to evolutionism, which (unlike the biological theory of evolution) claims nature is all there is and thus despises any ontological notion of a Creator. But it will be worth remembering that many corners of the ID movement accept selected aspects of the biological theory of evolution (as do some elements within young-earth creationism), and that besides ID there are a number of other ways in which Bible-believing Christians, including Reformed believers, conceive of the relationship between scientific theory and the Christian faith.

I have included below some material from the conference announcement. For full details, please see www.discovery.org/e/1271.

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Westminster Seminary will be hosting a Science and Faith Conference on March 12th and 13th, and would like to invite you to join us. This conference will be tackling some important questions: Are science and Faith compatible? What is the role of Christianity in the founding of modern science? How do we respond to the effect of Darwinism in our culture?

Speakers will include Dr. Vern Poythress, author of Redeeming Science; Dr. K. Scott Oliphint, author of Reasons for Faith; Dr. Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design; Dr. Jay Richards, co-author of The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed For Discovery; Dr. C. John Collins, author of Science and Faith: Friends or Foes?; Dr. John West, author of Darwin Day in America: How Our Politics and Culture Have Been Dehumanized in the Name of Science; Dr. Bruce Gordon, co-editor of The Nature of Nature; and Dr. Paul Nelson.

This conference will be of special interest to anyone in church leadership, seminary and college students, or those involved in both a scientific and a Christian community. The speakers will be available during breaks to go into more detail about some of the issues and topics they will discuss, and on Saturday there will be a formal question and answer period during lunch.