Science on Christian Perspective

TwentyYears Ago in the Journal
Richard Bube
Stanford University
Stanford, CA

From: JASA 21 (September 1969): 91.

The first issue of the journal appeared on January 7, 1949. For the first year of its existence it was called the ASA Bulletin, and Marion D. Barnes was the Editor. Until 1952 the journal was mimeographed rather than printed. The ASA membership was 73; 30% of the members were teachers in Christian schools, 15% were physicians.

The two papers appearing in Vol. 1 No. 1 were "A Christian View of the Development of Science," by Marion D. Barnes, and "The Meaning of Mathematics," by II. Harold Hartzler. Both papers had been presented at the Third Annual Convention of the ASA, held at Calvin College, September 1-3, 1948 (attendance of 25).
Dr. Laurence Kulp was elected to the Execu tive Council. The ASA symposium, Modern Science and Christian Faith, edited by F. Alton Everest, was newly published.

Vol. 1 No. 2 contained "A Physicist's Glimpse of God," by Paul Bender, and "The Eye as an Optical Instrument," by Frank Allen, to be reprinted for many years as an ASA monograph.

Vol. 1 No. 3, the last number in Vol. 1, was published in June 1949. It contained, "The Science of Heredity and the Source of Species, by Russell Mixter, "The Scientifico-Logical Structure of the Theory of Evolution," by Bernard Ramm, and "Some Presuppositions in Evolutionary Thinking," by E. Y. Monsma. The last paper precipitated considerable discussion when presented at the Annual Convention, this discussion filling 10 pages of this issue of the journal. A major contribution to this discussion was provided by Dr. Kulp's defense of the physical and chemical evidence for an aged earth. It is the first instance recorded in the annals of the ASA of that basic geologic-paleontologic-evolutionary debate which was to continue in various forms for the next 20 years.