RE: [asa] The ASA and the Soft Sciences (ASA focus for the future)

David said:
"I wonder, though, if the assumption that the West will eventually deal with this most effectively is correct. Maybe some of our brothers and sisters from parts of the world that aren't so influenced by rationalism will some day offer some solutions that we will need to integrate."

I was also shocked by this statement. I think the hope is in rationalism. The hope for Christianity is in organizations like the ASA, who strive to integrate science and religion. It is the two-book approach (God's Word and God's works). Most of evangelical Christianity, seems to me, is rejecting book 2, and to deal with book 2 requires rationality. Are YEC's and OEC's using rationality when they deny biological evolution for humans? Are YEC's dealing with rationalism when they create a new kind of science called "creation science?" If these Christians from other parts of the world are YEC and OEC, then I don't see how they are going to be offering any superior solutions, as if we are going down the wrong path with accepting modern science.

You don't see the modern crisis in the faith because you are not advocating biological evolution for humans. Once you do that, you will see the Christian denunciation in your church, and then you'll see why highschoolers and college educated people are leaving the faith because the church at large rejects biological evolution.

I never said God was not in control of His church. As others have pointed out, many vibrant Church movements and peoples have disappeared- witness Africa and Turkey. God tells us what to do, but we must do it. Moses was rejected the promised land because of his disobeying and unbelief. We need to open our eyes and start focusing on evangelism to the adults and educated, rather than as most seem to focus on the children (then lose them in the faith as they grow into adults).

...Bernie

________________________________
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of David Opderbeck
Sent: Saturday, January 03, 2009 6:52 AM
To: Preston Garrison
Cc: asa
Subject: Re: [asa] The ASA and the Soft Sciences (ASA focus for the future)

Preston, I think you're partly right and partly wrong. Obviously, integrating evolutionary science is an issue for all educated Christians, and the ASA properly has a role here. I wonder, though, if the assumption that the West will eventually deal with this most effectively is correct. Maybe some of our brothers and sisters from parts of the world that aren't so influenced by rationalism will some day offer some solutions that we will need to integrate.

When we talk about "crisis," I always feel that we're ignoring history as well as theology. The Church has always faced major challenges. Responses always come, but they often take centuries of struggle. God is in control of His Church, against which the gates of Hell will not prevail. This doesn't absolve us of responsibility, of course, but I think it allows us to exercise our responsibilities with some humility and perspective.

David W. Opderbeck
Associate Professor of Law
Seton Hall University Law School
Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology

This is true right now, but the whole world is becoming more highly educated, particularly in places like China and India that are well into the development of a modern economy that can afford more education. That means that the intellectual problems that American evangelicals are facing today about evolution, the relationship of descriptive and theoretical economics to prescriptive economics (Biblical teaching, historical Catholic teaching and other moral voices on economics), environmental issues etc. are quickly going to be facing evangelicals all over the world.

As on many other things, they will look to the U.S. because we are both highly educated and have a large evangelical population. It looks like to me that the ASA has a large role to play, because we have a number of people (some of them participate on this list) who have their lives centered on Christ and who are very well informed in multiple areas including the history of Christianity, theology and more than one area of science.

There do seem to be areas of science (areas that are only "soft" [meaning not as mature as say physics or chemistry] because their subject matter IS so complex) where the ASA is weak. I suggested that our leaders should look at alliances with evangelical groups in these other areas because some of these big issues obviously involve more than one science. A joint meeting that included sessions on environmental issues with evangelical climate scientists and economists would be fascinating and very useful, after you got past the initial shouting that usually goes on between people speaking different languages. I think simple minded biochemists like me would probably go away thankful that we deal with things as simple and experimentally tractable as mere enzymes and cells, but the long term results for the church would be good. We should pay some attention to our Catholic brothers and sisters, too. They have been doing this kind of thing for a very long time.

Preston G.

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Received on Sat Jan 3 12:51:21 2009