As a Christian biologist (and now Christian biologist blogger), one of my goals is to help Christians understand biology. And right now, that means I need to focus on helping Christians see the worthlessness of most of the ideas in the Intelligent Design movement, and especially to help Christians see how embracing ID is both theologically and intellectually unwise.
Well, John Farrell is a an ally, and he's a great read. Check out his blog, at Farrellmedia, which he describes as "reports and commentary on the news, science, and creative ends of the media." Among other things, Farrell seems to be particularly interested in (and annoyed by) the enthusiasm of conservative publications like The American Spectator and National Review for the ideas of ID. (I don't follow those publications closely at all anymore, but I have noticed with alarm the fondness for ID that is displayed at Books and Culture.) I've added one of his books, The Day Without Yesterday, to my must-read list. (Just what I need. I haven't even finished The Sonnets.) Last month, a post on John's blog spawned a long discussion at Touchstone. Enlightening, in various ways.
I've also added The Fire and the Rose to my blog list. It's the blog of one D.W. Congdon, a seminary student at Princeton. There you'll find some interesting discussion of theology, science, and, most notably for me, concepts of the soul and the Imago Dei. One of my favorite posts: "Can we still speak of the soul?" My best friend is mentioned in that article.
Finally, I recommend Gordon Glover's blog, based on his book Beyond the Firmament. I haven't read the book (Steve Martin reviews and recommends it over at Evangelical Dialogue on Evolution), but Gordon's comments here and his work on the blog make it clear that he and I have a very similar approach to science and faith.
Now before I get back to work on my slowly-gestating article on evolution of new proteins, I thought I should explain why my articles don't come out every three hours: I'm actually a working scientist -- currently on sabbatical in the lab of a friend and collaborator -- and, well, doing experiments is just as fun as writing about them.
Take that, PZ.
6 comments:
Hey Stephen, no apologies required re: post frequency. In the ever crowded blogsphere, it is quality that counts not quantity. On the former, your blog is an A+.
Thanks for the kind words, Steve! I've already added D.W. and Gordon's blogs to my subscription list.
:)
Stephen,
I found your blog a few weeks ago and it's a refreshing, thoughtful reprieve from all of the ID material available, not to mention the anti-religious scientific commentary that is spewed everywhere in response. Science-theology types have few blogs to their credit, which is rather surprising.
Might I mention, since I'm here, my own books in Theology & Science: Ernan McMullin and Critical Realism in Science-Theology Dialogue (pub. with Ashgate, it's my PhD diss. with some revisions - it treats the methodology of scientist theologians Polkinghorne, Barbour and Peacocke and evaluates them in light of philosopher of science McMullin's realism) as well as Catholicism and Science, coming out in a few months )pub. by Greenwood).
Paul Allen
Paul, it's a very small world. Ernan McMullin factors importantly in my book on Georges Lemaitre. They took a seminar or course together in 1951--and McMullin had a very vivid recollection (which I quoted) of how upset the usually jovial priest-physicist was by Pope Pius XII's blunt connection between the Big Bang and Genesis.
I'm going to look for your book.
Paul,
Thanks for the encouragement! I too am surprised by the dearth of science-faith blogs, and I wonder if some of the excellent commentators on the ASA listserv ought to be politely pressured into joining us.
Our superb library has your book, and I'm eager to get to it. I'm especially interested in analysis of Polkinghorne; I heard him talk here at Calvin a few years ago, and loved this little nugget: "The God of the Gaps is dead, and we should not mourn his passing." Amen.
Steve,
I think Watertree Press sent a few review copies of "Beyond the Firmament" to Loren and Deborah. See if you can steal one from them.
-Gordon
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