Jay L. Hollman has moved up the Council sequence to become ASA's first president of the new century. Jay is a medical doctor living in Baton Rouge, LA. Entering the Council is the energetic Kenell Touryan, who is on the leading edge of alternative energy research and development with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. Science historian Sara Miles becomes Council history, and our 1999 President, Joe Sheldon, moves into the ecological niche of "President Emeritus."

The ASA Council consists of five members who rotate through officer positions. Thanks, Sara, for your five years of service to ASAers, for your guidance and direction, and for your good ideas and organizational contributions.

We are among the few in history who have straddled millennia, and the four-digit year change offers a brief occasion to reflect upon science, Christianity, and ASA's role in relating them.

The dominant sci/Xny issue of last century was (and continues to be) the debate over biblical creation and Darwinian evolution. In the new millennium, three views have remained prominent: young-earth creationism (YEC), Intelligent Design (ID), and evolutionary creationism, which in its form farthest removed from the other two is often called theistic evolution. While YEC has been the most successful in influencing evangelical and fundamentalist churches, it has failed to convince most Christians in science. However, the movement has been instrumental in bringing out the issues of how the two "books" of God's revelation interrelate.

ID is blessed with some of the best younger minds among Christians in science, many of whom are ASA members. Unlike YECs in science, IDers have had, in their relatively short history, more success in driving a wedge into academia and opening a new round of discussion on the relative merits of Darwin's ideas.

Within the church, the intramural argument centers on how God creates. Did he initiate a universe capable of unfolding all the way to human life, or did he intervene historically in bringing about critical events? The theology of God's immanence and transcendence is a central feature in this discussion. Scientifically, the question is: What is the extent of the potentiality in matter-energy and space-time? The bounds of science and theology and their overlap is an accompanying aspect of the problem.

Many ASAers affirm biblical creation and accept the neo-Darwinian theory of life's development. Differing on this point with ID, they do not find life's structures irreducibly complex, but consider incremental development a feasible explanation. The central scientific question yet to be resolved--perhaps in the 21st century--is whether the biochemical building-blocks of life have such self- assembling potentialities.

Despite the use of Darwinism to advance an accidentalist view of reality by some science-materialist popularizers, evolutionary creationists distinguish between Darwinian theory as science and materialistically-limited world views. A key issue is: Is design in creation detectible?

In this controversy, no position has an overwhelming case, and creation- evolution continues to be a leading- edge avenue for pursuit of truth, both scientifically and theologically.

Creation-evolution is not the only sci/Xny area of interest. Another coming quickly to prominence involves global resources and the environment. With the rise in concern about human effects on the environment over the last few decades, the issue has reached a prominent position in interdisciplinary discussion. While questions of life's origin require extrapolation into the past as natural history, environmental issues require an interpretation and extrapolation of trends into the future, and a worldview-based assessment of what to make of them, and how to respond to them.

With advances in medical technology and genetics, medical and bio-ethical issues might well become the leading concern of the new millennium. The prospects of modifying human nature through bioengineering trigger a renewed significance for the theological doctrines of both humanity and creation. And with the prospect of modifying any life, as is being done in a limited way in domestic plant and animal genetics, bioethics and environmental issues overlap.

Additionally, the history and philosophy of science continue to sustain interest, and ASA has a good group of science historians and philosophers. With its broad definition of science, ASA includes the social sciences, in which there are as many (or more) sci/Xny topics as in the natural sciences. The growth of technology as a driving cultural factor raises many questions about its applicability. The new information and communications technology, epitomized by the Internet, is bringing about social changes as far-reaching as the printing press five hundred years ago, giving engineers and social scientists plenty to mull over. These two disciplines interact with politics, as the powers-that-be either fear or exploit science, technology, and human nature to effect coercive ends. Medical doctors, teachers, and lawyers are also involved in ASA activities, issues, and discussions.

ASA has settled largely into the role of an academic forum, where Christians in science are free to discuss and debate issues, and fellowship with other Christians in science and technology. In a February 1997 e-mail, Robert L. Miller reflected on the ASA:

ASA is the one organization, in the US anyway, that has the intellectual resources to be able to educate the Christian public about what good science really says about creation.

Yet, says Miller, "the closest the organization has ever come to reaching out to the science layman is the production of the booklet, Teaching Science in a Climate of Controversy." Despite ASA's attempt at a TV series a few years ago, other organizations have been more successful in the promotion and communications category. Several of them have been founded by ASA members.

Because of the broad range of opinions on controversial topics, there is always pressure for the ASA to take positions on issues (beyond the ASA membership Statement), and to do versus talk. The one resolution from ASA (to teach evolution as science, not ideology) is attributed to Science Education Commission members who wrote it and also produced the Teaching Science booklet.

With the advent of Commissions, the broad range of sci/Xny subjects is focused for more effective action. By narrowing declarations to those actually signing them, ASA Commissions can declare positions and pursue project goals. For instance, the Science Education Commission issued their first newsletter in Oct. 1999, called "Science Ed News." They have a mission beyond ASAers, and plan to support home schooling by helping parents decide on curriculum selection and sequencing. This effort would also be useful for Christian and state school educators. A Science Education Commission website is under development and ideas are invited. Send them to Bill Cobern at bill.cobern@wmich.edu or Craig Rusbult at craig@chem.wisc.edu.

ASA continues into the twenty-first century as a venue for those who recognize the openness of scientific and theological research and the human capability to know truth and value it. As Christians, ASAers also recognize human intellectual and moral limitations that impede progress in understanding. A humble attitude of openness to God and spiritual realities commends an openness toward the nature of God's creative works, which historically have often been more intriguing and wonderful than were supposed. The spirit of science arises from this openness while believing in the real existence of both truth and the universe.

As the new century will pose new challenges and opportunities for ASA, may God keep us from forgetting his precepts and enable us to pursue as-yet inconceivable aspects of the relationship between science and Christian faith.

Physicist Moorad Alexanian of the U. of NC at Wilmington responded to an American Physical Society proposal for a definition of science, posted at: www.aps.org/apsnews/current/109908.html

Moorad wrote in his letter:

The rules of scientific exchange that you list in the June issue of APS News are not applicable to those working in cosmology and on question of origins. Replication is not something that we can do with unique events. ... Experimental data can be gathered entirely by means of mechanical devices. However, the whole of reality may encompass more than the physical. For instance, man is a "detector" of the spiritual. Science is amoral. Its use determines whether "science extends and enriches our lives." The latter requires human moral/ethical decisions that lie outside of the purview of science.

Moorad noted that his letter was published despite the fact that he used the word spiritual.

Lawrence Starkey turned 80 last July. Several times he served as president of ASA local sections. Now retirement provides him the opportunity to complete publication of some papers, such as one on high-energy particle physics and symmetry that maps 64 quarks on a 4-D Platonic solid. Lawrence presented his paper at the XV Particles and Nuclei International Conference in Uppsala, Sweden last June. He argued against the Standard Model mapping baryons (3-quark particles) as wholes, and against "a doubly-charmed level of baryons." He predicts an entirely new suite of baryons "parallel to those made of u, d and s quarks but composed of b, t, and the seventh quark, b'." The Conference posting of the abstract is at: http://pubtsl.tsl.uu.se/upl/se07/
Starkey_Lawrence1_corr.pdf

Fred Hickernell was elected President of the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society. His two-year term of office begins Jan. 1, 2000.

ASA's Swiss member, Peter Ruest, may become busier in the future, as frequently happens to retirees. He writes: "I am retired from my work at the Swiss Federal Institute of Dairy Research. I have now my own private e-mail address: pruest@ dplanet.ch."

Several Affiliation of Christian Geologists (ACG) members attended the Short Course, "The Evolution- Creation Controversy II: Perspectives on Science, Religion, and Geological Education," sponsored by the Paleontological Society. This was convened by Patricia Kelley, ACG member Jonathan Bryan, and Thor Hansen. Jon read the introductory paper, and Dave Young read one on the Flood. Papers by Ronald Numbers ("Darwinism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design"), Peter Dodson ("Faith of a Paleontologist"), Eugenie Scott ("Problem Concepts in Evolution: Cause, Purpose, Design, and Chance"), and Conrad Hyers ("Common Mistakes in Comparing Biblical and Scientific Maps of Origins") were especially interesting to me.

Overall, one came away with the impression that most of the papers did not oppose Christianity in general, although young-earth creation- ism (YEC) was soundly criticized and even ridiculed by several presenters. Indeed, one of the YECs with whom I spoke afterward felt that Dave's paper was too harsh, but I thought it merely presented honest disagreement, while necessarily citing certain YECs, specifically. The most amazing thing about this session was that people asking questions following a paper would frequently state their religious affiliation.

The ACG meeting had no speaker this time. Following opening prayer and a review of the history of ACG, there was a discussion of what we might do to improve our outreach to both the geological and Christian communities. Late in the meeting, the point was made that GSA accepts any geologist as a member, including YECs, and does not have an official position on the age of the earth, etc. It was suggested that the ACG should not do so, either. This was discussed quite calmly, with no bloodshed nor, as far as I could tell, hard feelings, but no conclusion was reached. There were concerns about how to treat YEC brothers and sisters fairly, but at the same time there were, I thought, some unspoken concerns about what some of them do with the results of their research. (At a Hot Topics at Noon session on "Creation and Evolution in the Classroom"--or similar title--a respondent noted that he was impressed with a paper given that morning by a YEC on Grand Canyon nautiloids, but was concerned about how that research would be used.)

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) will award $15,000 grants to small groups (3-6) of Christian scholars for networking activities as they work on individual or collaborative research projects related to a common thematic focus. Applications are due March 31, 2000. For a program description and application instructions, write or e-mail: Dr. Harold Heie, Director, Center for Christian Studies, Gordon College, Wenham, MA 01984 (ccs@gordon. edu), or obtain this information directly from www.cccu.org/projects/.

Westmont C. is hosting a theological workshop to provide a forum for educators teaching in pluralistic settings that would help them to, in the words of Books and Culture (Sept./ Oct. 1996), "... develop theological perspectives that are equal to their academic sophistication." The rationale for this was simply: "A Sunday- school understanding of Christianity is not going to cut much ice among Ph.D.s in one's specialty. Christian scholars need some training in theology or high-level seminars on faith and their discipline."

The plan is to run the same seminar on the historical Jesus as last June. They offer to fund up to twenty participants, covering travel (up to $600) room and board, plus a $500 stipend. The dates are June 26-July 1, 2000. Contact: Russell W. Howell, Westmont C. Dept. of Mathematics, Santa Barbara, CA 93108; tel: (805) 565-6178; fax: (805) 565-6220; e-mail: howell@westmont.edu; web: http://homepage.westmont.edu/~howell

An article titled "Image and likeness" in the Dallas Morning News, Oct. 2, 1999 (http://www. dallasnews. com/religion/1002rel2robot.htm), raises the question: Can human-made creatures have souls? Anne Foerst is a German research scientist and theologian resident at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been pondering the wider implications of smart machines: "I think that computer science, and especially artificial intelligence, is the field for religious inquiry." She has a doctorate in theology and degrees in computer science and philosophy. Foerst was invited by Rodney Brooks, lab director, to be their theological adviser as his group works on a new generation of smart robots, such as COG, that learn by doing.

Bill Dembski's thesis in The Design Inference requires more math background than can be expected of most of us. So to convey his ideas to a wider audience, he wrote Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology (IVP, 1999). Part 1 applies some basic ideas of specified complexity to historical situations, the critique of miracles, and the demise of British natural theology.

In Part 2, design is offered as an alternative to naturalism. Dembski argues for the reintroduction of design into science (other than engineering), and introduces intelligent design as a theory of information. Products of design have complex, specified information. Here, Dembski goes easy on the reader, expecting only what could be learned from the first quarter of an introductory probability class. Part 3 takes on the ASA central theme of how science and theology relate.

Bioethics: A Christian Approach in a Pluralistic Age by Scott B. Rae and Paul M. Cox (Eerdmans, 1999) is the foundational volume in a new bio- ethics series, and broadly addresses the field, including a survey of the many approaches, Christian and otherwise. The theology of bioethics is presented, and then proposals for how to do bioethics. The authors are in biblical studies at Biola U.

God's Equation: Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Universe by math prof. Amir D. Aczel (Four Walls, Eight Windows, 1999), appeals to Einstein and his theories to explain the latest developments in cosmology. To Aczel, it is almost as though Einstein were God's mouthpiece, revealing truths about our larger environment. The book is unusual in that the author is a friend of Jay Pasachoff, the leading astronomer on solar eclipses (having observed more than 26 total ones). Pasachoff had come upon a collection of letters that Einstein wrote to German astronomer Erwin Freundlich over a twenty year period. These letters had been donated by a private collector to the Pierpont-Morgan Library in Man- hattan. Many had never been seen by scholars, nor translated. The letters reveal that Einstein "was not only extremely ambitious, he was ready to use people to achieve his goals and to drop them quickly once they were no longer useful to him." Aczel went to Jerusalem to access the letters written to Einstein by Freundlich.

Romancing the Universe: Theology, Science, and Cosmology by Jeffrey G. Sobosan (Eerdmans, 1999) drives toward a wedding of scientific inquiry and theology "into a single, coherent vision of the cosmos." Sobosan is a theology professor at the U. of Portland in Oregon.

Richard Morris, physicist and science writer, has a new book, The Universe, the Eleventh Dimension, and Everything: What We Know and How We Know It (Four Walls, Eight Windows, 1999). It covers cosmology and the search for a theory of matter. While not engaging theology much, it does present the nature of scientific pursuit, often in a historical setting.

The Shaping of Rationality: Toward Interdisciplinarity in Theology and Science by Princeton U. theologian J. Wentzel van Huyssteen (Eerd- mans, 1999) is largely epistemology. It explains how rationality is being challenged by postmodern culture, and then argues that the sciences cannot claim a superior form of rationality over theology. "Rationality as a skill is all about responsibility--the responsibility to pursue clarity, optimal understanding, and compassion."

Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity (Vol. 12, No. 4, Jul/Aug 1999; www.fsj.org) devoted the issue to "Intelligent Design: A new paradigm in science that could revolutionize the way we view creation, the cosmos, and ourselves." Articles by Walter Bradley, Robert DeHaan and John Wiester, Paul Nelson, Jonathan Wells, Stephen C. Meyer, Michael Behe, John G. West, Jr., Jay Richards, Nancy Pearcey, and Phillip Johnson appear in reverse order.

The Fourth Day: What the Bible and the Heavens are telling us about the Creation is by Howard J. Van Till (Eerdmans, 1986). Okay, so this is not a new book! Howard sent the Editor one of his remaining copies from his dwindling supply. How about a second edition, Eerdmans? Last decade, this book was one of the major books from an ASAer, with a JASA plug on the rear cover. This book was a sci/ Xny primer for Bill Phillips the week before he was announced to have won the Nobel Prize. Is it time for a reprint of a classic?

On Aug. 3-4, 2000, preceding ASA 2000 at Gordon C., Wenham, MA, the Christian Women in Science Conference will be held. The general theme is: "Called into the Sciences" and devotions, held throughout the conference, have the theme: "Our Constant and Common Call, to Follow Christ." Plenary sessions will be led by Christian women scientists who tell the stories of their specific calls, such as practicing scientist, science educator, Christian scientist (among non-believing scientists), single professional, supportive wife/nurturing mother, and spiritual leader. Also, a plenary session on "Defining Success in Life," includes discussion of things Christian women scientists are called not to be (e.g., super-woman, fragmented.)

Smaller sessions will cover more specific or practical issues, such as troublesome biblical passages, the sandwich years, getting back into the field, workforce issues, and research grants/agenda. Free time and social activities are scattered throughout the conference schedule.

Contact: The Hestenes Center for Christian Women in Leadership, Eastern College, 1300 Eagle Road St., Davids, PA 19087; tel: (610) 341- 1494; fax: (610) 341-4374; e-mail: ccwlead@eastern.edu; website: www. eastern.edu/ccwlead

I stated my position as Chairman of the Science Education Commission of the ASA, an organization of 2,500 evangelical Christians who are also scientists. Most members believe in some combination of creation and evolution, depending on the meaning of those ambiguous terms.

I pointed out that one of the key points of misunderstanding is the multiple meanings of that ambiguous e-word, "evolution." I used the analogy of the word "adult," and told the story of the Japanese lady who had come to America to study English. Wishing to obtain a video for her sister back home, she walked into an "adult" video store. Just as the word "adult" can mean mature and responsible or pornographic, the word "evolution" can mean simply change (the evolution of a great beer), or that you are the result of a mindless, accidental process. Most of the confusing rhetoric is due to the language shell games played with the ambiguous e-word.

Martin asked what the real situation was in Kansas and other states. I responded that the school board in Kansas was a lot smarter than the media was portraying them, because they realized that philosophical materialism and atheism were being taught under the guise of science in the biology classroom. They wanted to put a stop to this, and as a compromise solution they had deleted macroevolution from statewide testing and had given the academic freedom to local school districts to teach evolution as they saw fit.

Martin said that it sounded to him as if there were three positions on the issue: atheistic evolution, theistic evolution and creationism. I said, "No, just as in real estate, there are three important things to consider: location, location, and location. In this controversy, the three important things to consider are: mechanism, mechanism, and mechanism. Richard Dawkins, your Oxford professor, (whom some wags say occupies the chair of militant atheism) is very clear on what the correct issue is. The subtitle of his book, The Blind Watchmaker, is: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design. He is also very clear when he makes this next quote: 'Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose' (p. 1).

"The real issue is design vs. Darwinism. Complex organisms are obviously designed except they're not, according to Richard Dawkins and other Darwinists, such as Francisco Ayala, 1994 President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, because Darwin's mechanism of natural selection operating on random mutation is the real designer."

Martin seemed to really get this and asked: "Do you mean Darwin's real purpose was to get rid of God?" I said, "Yes, but we would call it Intelligent Design, and that's what the fuss is really all about."

What we would like to see in our schools is to teach the real controversy: design vs. Darwinism. Biology texts in our high schools are recommending Richard Dawkins' book. In other words, students are being given the information in science classes against design, therefore they ought to be given the information for design. We should get the real issue on the table, teach the controversy, and give our students real education instead of the indoctrination in atheistic and materialistic philosophy they are now getting in the guise of science. The real issue is not how old the earth is, but whether we are created by an intelligent designer for a purpose, or whether Darwin's purposeless accidental mechanism of natural selection is our true creator and we are just accidents with no purpose at all.

We also discussed the media feeding frenzy and I pointed out that the media has universally portrayed the Kansas School Board as "hicks." The Darwinists were attempting to censor them with bully tactics from the ACLU, and other groups. I pointed out that this was evidence that the Darwinian paradigm was in real trouble since they had to resort to these tactics of intimidation and ad hominem attack, rather than deal with the evidence on both sides of the issue. Martin asked me why it was so difficult to get our message out, and I responded that control of the media was in the hands of the Darwinists. To understand this, his listeners should read the chapter on "Microphone Man" in Dr. Phillip E. Johnson's book, Test- ing Darwinism (the title of Defeating Darwinism in Britain).

At one point in the interview I was also asked the difference between microevolution and macroevolution. I said that microevolution was most commonly illustrated in the textbooks by the peppered moth example in Britain, but that this was really just microvariation. Macroevolution was how we got those moths, birds, trees and scientific observers in the first place--the origins of major innovations rather than minor variations. Microevolution took place at or above the species level, per Ernst Mayr, America's leading evolutionist. One of the Darwinist tricks is to use evidence of the mechanism for micro- evolution as evidence that natural selection can also create major innovations, such as new body plans.

Joseph Carson has initiated the Affiliation of Christian Engineers, to mainly address professional engineering issues. ASA members will get a free membership in ACE. Additionally ACE intends to donate 5 to 10% of its gross revenue to ASA.

ACE is not ASA's new affiliation, Christian Engineers in Science and Technology (CEST) but will focus on professional engineering ethics issues in government and industry. For more information, see the website: www.christianengineer.net

Marlene (l) and Ed (r) Olson, in Spokane, Washington in 1997.

As told by his wife, Marlene, Edwin Andrew Olson "peacefully left us and went Home on October 18 [1999]." Ed was diagnosed with a tumor the third week of September, which an open biopsy revealed to be cancer of the liver and lungs. "Ed was too stoic," Marlene wrote, "and the pain didn't drive him to seek hospitalization until the final days of September. When all the tests were in, the doctor characterized the cancer as 'angry'." Too far gone for hospital care, Ed's last four days were spent in a hospital bed in the living room of the Olson home in Spokane, WA.

Ed was born 74 years ago in Gary, Indiana, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, majored in chemical engineering at the U. of Pitt., and then worked for DuPont. In 1950, through the influence of two DuPont colleagues, he became a Christian. He left engineering in 1953 to attend seminary and teach chemistry and physics at Northwestern C. in Minneapolis, MN. He married Marlene, a student there, in 1954. They moved to New York in 1954, where Ed entered the doctoral program at Columbia U., in geochemistry, with a specialization in radiocarbon dating. He received his doctorate in 1963. Ed joined the Whitworth C. faculty in 1960, and established the Dept. of Geology. Ed was a member of Trinity Baptist Church for nearly forty years.

Stephen C. Meyer of Whitworth C. included in his tribute to Ed:

Somehow he saw potential in me that others didn't and that interest transformed me. He told me he liked reading my tests because my essays were clearly written. Now I write about science as a central part of my profession. During a term that Ed was faculty president, he asked me to teach his structural geology lab. Now I teach as a professor at Whitworth C. The summer after my sophomore year, Ed wrote me a letter encouraging me as a Christian and as a budding scientist. I remember reading the letter sitting on a tractor in the middle of a Montana alfalfa field, stunned that a professor would take the time in the middle of his summer to write me. Ed was never too full of himself to see potential in others. That's why I say he was humble. He was other directed. And his interest in others inspired them. And it changed lives.

... By the way, Ed's most famous pun was at the Whitworth graduation ceremony May 18, 1980. Mount St. Helens had just blown its top and Ed pronounced all of us graduates "magma cum loudly."

Ed was a Council member (1984- 1988) and was interested in the science and politics of the environment. His recent 99-page work on the subject has yet to be published.

Richard B. Parker of Portland, OR recently died of cancer. Rick was an active ASAer and Director of the Institute of Science and Christian Faith, located at Western Evangelical Seminary in Portland. Rick received Ph.D.s from Oregon State U. in 1954 and U. of WI-Madison in 1954-55. As a microbiologist, Rick was associated with the U. of Oregon dental school, and was founder of a Portland biotech firm that was later acquired by Pioneer (the Iowa seed company) as its microbial products division. The Editor's brother, Lewis Feucht, and Nate Olson worked closely with Rick during the earlier days of the company. Rick later started a yogurt company, again using his superb skills in microbiology.

Lerner B. Hinshaw of Roseville, CA died Feb. 14, 1999. Lerner was a biologist.