NEWS LETTER
of the

AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATION -CANADIAN SCIENTIFIC & CHRISTIAN AFFILIATION

Volume 26 Number 1  February/March 1984

OLSON TO COUNCIL: MUNRO PRESIDENT

Edwin A. Olson, geochemist at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, has been elected by the ASA membership to a five-year term on the Executive Council. He replaces Del Monte food chemist Chi-Hang Lee of California, whose term expired in 1983. RemainIng Council members are middle-East historian Edwin Yamauchi (ASA president in 1983), biologist Donald Munro of Houghton College in New York, sociologist Russell Heddendorf of Covenant College in Tennessee, and chemist Ann Hunt of Eli Lilly and Company in Indiana.

At a November meeting in Ipswich the Council elected its officers, who will serve as officers of our Affiliation for the coming year:

President: Donald Munro
Vice-president: Russell Heddendorf
Secretary-treasurer: Ann Hunt

Ann was actually elected "secretary" -the "treasurer" part having been dropped in 1981 -but one of the first items of Council business was to restore the original title. That was done to be sure ASA fully complies with legal requirements for a nonprofit corporation. It was also a fitting symbolic gesture-since 1984 is the first year in a long time that a new Council hasn't been faced with a big deficit.

Not to be forgotten is another important person in the of votes. This year that was Jerry Albert of California, medical research biochemist, active participant in the San Diego local section, and chair of the newly established ASA Commission on Bioethics. Our thanks go to both Jerry and Ed Olson for their continuing service to ASA.

Journal, Newsletter, Directory    35,500
Public relations                              6,100

Office expense, including audit    14,700

Salaries and fringe benefits                 69,500 
Commission operating expenses             3,800
Field representatives                                2,600 
TV Series: prospectus preparation           3,800
Annual Meeting, Council travel, misc.      11,400
1984 Annual Budget Acproved               $147,400.

From Council minutes we've gleaned notes on several budget items that seem new this year. For example, the budget item for commissions is intended primarily for travel expenses to the Annual Meeting, to be sure that someone from each commission is there to convene a commission session and make an annual report. Six commissions are expected to be functioning by the end of 1984, with more possibly on the way.

Field representatives have always been an important aspect of Christian Medical Society operations. Bob Herrmann is exploring with several ASA members in strategic settings the possibility of working part-time as field representatives for ASA. For example, physicist-philosopher Bill Monsma, who already does some traveling in Minnesota and adjoining states for the Maclaurin Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, could make additional contacts with present and prospective ASA members in return for having some of his expenses shared by ASA.

The item for preparing a TV prospectus keeps alive Bob's concept of a "Cosmos"-type series designed to let the heavens declare the glory of God. Bob had a Christian Eductlon film in California draft a proposal, which was considered by the Council at length. Before going ahead with a fund-raising prospectus, however, Council members decided to seek additional evaluations from authorities on media. Harvard astronomer and historian of science Owen Gingerich has agreed to help produce such a series and narrate it, if details can be worked out and if the total outlay of some $1.5 million (gulp!) could be raised. To take the next step would commit ASA to raise the first $50,000 of that sum. (No wonder the Council hesitated, even though we'd all like to see the Creator of the universe honored-as an antidote to Carl Sagan's exuberantly cosmic scientism.-Ed.)

In George Orwell's prophetic novel 1984, the totalitarian state was shown as providing a definition of reality for its citizens. Russ Heddenclorf thinks the problem of "discerning reality" has important implications for both science and Christianity. He wants our 1984 Annual Meeting to address some of those implications.

Plenary sessions on " 1984 and Beyond" are envisioned in such areas as ''Mind Control." "Biological Control." ."Tectinological Control.---and "The Ethics of Freedom." Having that many plenary sessions (in addition to three keynote addresses) will require most contributed papers on other topics to be presented at "poster sessions." ASA members who attend American Chemical Society and other large scientific meetings have been recommending poster sessions for our Annual Meetings. Instead of reading their papers. presenters summarize the main points on a large poster, with illustrations instead of slides, and generally make copies of the paper or a detailed abstract (with bibliography) available for advance distribution. During the poster sessions the presenters stand by their posters to answer questions and interact with those interested in the topic.

Russ says he is personally unfamiliar with scientific poster sessions, so he seeks a veteran of ACS or other such meetings to help organize our first ASA poster sessions. He could also use help from anyone able to organize one of the plenary sessions and solicit papers for it. To get things rolling, Russ has set a deadline of March 15 for submitting abstracts of papers (including poster papers), which should be no more than one doublespaced typed page in length. By the same date he would like a statement of intent from those willing to lead a special- interest discussion at the Annual Meeting.

Mail your abstract or statement of intent to: Dr. Russell H. Heddendorf, 1501 Aladdin Road, Lookout Mountain, TN 37850, by 15 MARCH 1984. And mark 3-6 AUGUST 1984 on your calendars.

We once looked forward to the '80s as "the decade we get organized." Actually we didn't intend to rush into it, but we can see it coming. Ruth Herr, ASA's new managing editor, and Science Press, our new printer, are conspiring to get the Newsletter out on time. Science Press sets up a production schedule for each issue, so our cogs have to mesh with their drive-wheel, you might say. They want the manuscript in their plant by the 28th, two months ahead of the date of issue-or else. Or else what? To avoid finding out, we're moving our Berkeley deadline forward to the 20th, when the U.S. Mule will wend its way to Ipswich. Thus December 20 is our deadline for this Feb/Mar issue, February 20 will be our deadline for the Apr/May issue, and so on.

(it would be nice to get the printed Newsletter in the mail before grinding out copy for the next issue. Some wag suggested renaming this periodical The Tortoise Report-but that's the name of a newsletter put out by free-market advocate Robert Ringer, author of such bestsellers as Winning Through Intimidation, Looking Out for Number One, and Restoring the American Dream. We hear he's just published How You Can Find Happiness During the Collapse of Western Civilization. -Ed.)

Meanwhile, for you automated efficiency buffs, ASA's Joan Lipsey explains the state of the art in Ipswich: "We're now able to bill, receipt, print labels, update subscriber- member files, and tabulate different criteria of member information (with up to 15 sort options) via modem with the Gordon College PDP 11 / 70 computer. ASA's word processor holds several different files and can print individual letters to those names using the software we own. To hook into the Gordon computer we bought hardware (a communications board and modem) compatible with their system. In other words, we converted our word processor into a terminal accessed to Gordon College. Is that clear?"

(Sure. Joni. We speak a little Computer, even know what GIGO means: "Garbage in-garbage out." What worries Ruth Herr, though, is GEGU: "Geriatric editor goofs up."-Ed.)

Several years ago the ASA Executive Council considered "executive secretary" and "executive director" as possible titles for Bob Herrmann before deciding on the latter. In Canada, Doug Morrison has had the title of executive director since he and wife Barbara began handling business matters for CSCA and keeping the financial books.

Now CSCA has an executive secretary to boot. Leonard R. Thomas, who recently retired as vice-president of Carr-McLean Ltd., a Canadian library supply company, is handling all CSCA correspondence except for payment of dues and receipt of donations. Doug Morrison's full-time job as chair of the Poultry Science Department at Guelph kept him from answering most CSCA mail, which was routed to the ASA office in Ipswich. To have responses to CSCA promotional efforts go to the U.S. for reply was especially awkward. Len Thomas is an answer to the prayers of the CSCA Council for someone in Ontario able to coordinate a Canadian response to letters and inquiries.

So, Canadian dues and donations should still be addressed to: CSCA, P.O. Box 386, Fergus, Ontario N 1 M 3E2. All other CSCA correspondence should go to: Executive Secretary, CSCA, 1348 Wendigo Trail, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 2W2.

According to CSCA Council chair Robert E. VanderVennen, both Doug Morrison and Len Thomas have volun-

teered their services. Most of the CSCA budget goes for services received from ASA, including JASA and this Newsletter. To keep the costs of their twice-a-year Council meetings down, with representatives from distant provinces now on board, CSCA plans to experiment with telephone conference calls this year.

The prize is named for Dannie Heineman, who was born in North Carolina in 1872, studied engineering in Germany, and helped build a number of European power stations and electrical distribution systems. Then for 50 years he was head of Societ6 Financi6re de Transports et d'Enterprises Industrielles (SOFINA), a company that engineered and managed power plants and distribution networks all over the world. At age 83 he retired from Sofina and with his wife established the Heineman Foundation for Research, Educational, Charitable and Scientific Purposes, Inc. In 1959 that foundation put up the money for the mathematical physics prize, which consists of $5,000 and a certificate citing contributions made by the recipient.

The 1984 citation of Robert Griffiths reads: "For his contribution to statistical mechanics and thermodynamics; in particular, for his work on correlation inequalities, the theory of tricritical points, and phase equilibria." Bob's award address in San Antonio is entitled "Inequalities in Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics."

Bob was born (in India!) in 1937 and received an A.B. from Princeton, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford, After a two year at U. C. in San
Diego he joined the faculty of Carnegie-Mellon, where he has been since 1964. He has won a number of other honors including a 1973 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 1981 A. Cressy Morrison Award of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Any ASA member who gains a distinction like the Heineman Prize (previous winners include Nobelists Aage Bohr and Murray Gell-Mann, Caltech prexy Marvin Goldberger) rates a little space to tell us what's on his mind. Bob describes himself as an elder in a Presbyterian church who has tried for years to start a serious educational program, believing that "being a disciple of Jesus should, if anything, be a more serious commitment to learning than that which university students give to their studies." Recognizing that to some people such a model sounds abstract, he insists that his goal is "to learn how Christianity is applied in our everyday lives." Called to an everyday life of "serving the Lord in my capacity as a university professor," Bob thinks neither the churches nor evangelical student groups of his acquaintance have provided much help to live for the glory of God in a secular occupation. Bob has learned what he knows about that through making mistakes and through contact with a few role models like Dick Bube and the writings of people like Donald MacKay. 

With non-Christian colleagues and university students, Bob's position is that they should "apply the same basic methodology in searching for religious truth as they use in their scientific work: look for evidence, sift it to find out what's solid, and be prepared to change their minds when the evidence, carefully examined, indicates that they are wrong." He thinks he may have picked up that kind of approach from old hands in ASA.

Because so few Christians seem able to cope with such an apologetic, however, Bob has a conviction about what our top priority should be: "I think ASA should contribute to a positive attitude toward science within the Christian community, to replace the negative and sometimes irresponsible approach one finds so often among evangelicals."

Daniel F. Wonderly, author of God's Time Records in Ancient Sediments (Flint, MI: Crystal Press, 1977), notes that none of the "commissions" being set up within ASA to study critical issues (see Aug / Sep 1983 Newsletter) "has any necessary relation to the current crisis in creation doctrine." We may be neglecting an important responsibility, Dan thinks, and offers some challenging comments:

"it appears that ASA is still content to stand aloof and watch multitudes of evangelicals be led into an obscurantist, anti-science explanation of origins by those who falsely claim to be specialists in earth science and Bible interpretation. With few exceptions, we have maintained this practice of aloofness for over 15 years, doing very little to help inquiring Christians in this need.

"Most ASA members seem to have maintained, ever since Morris & Whitcomb's Genesis Flood came crashing into the Christian book market, that young-earth creationism will soon die of its own inertia. After all, any hypothesis which is as faulty and contradictory of clear scientific evidence as 'Flood geology' isn't supposed to be able to survive among intelligent people.

"So, while we have been watching, a very large percentage of evangelical Christianity has adopted this unsupportable position-in many cases only because they had no one to present alternative creation positions to them. For example, anyone going to a Christian bookstore in the U.S. to find up-to-date material on the doctrine of creation usually finds primarily young-earth, 'Flood geology' materials on the shelves. People innocently assume that those books are the best on the subject of origins because they are written by persons who specialize in writing creationist materials.

"What a tragedy that is, in the light of the fact that the young-earth and 'Flood geology' hypotheses have only an exceedingly small amount of scientific evidence to support them. Further, the Bible supports that view only when the bounds of hermeneutics are stretched well beyond what most evangelical scholars agree is permissible. The really great backlog of evidence is in favor of an old earth and of the fossils having been formed in a natural manner. This is true even though the  scientific-creation ism' leaders have elected to so totally ignore that great mass of data that almost 100 percent of their followers actually believe that the evidence for long periods of earth history does not exist. Yet moderate creationists have written very little for helping-people And out what the actual facts are.

'Are we still going to be content to make no specific efforts to help the many evangelical Christians who are actually inquiring and open to hear about the evidence and about alternative positions on creation? I believe there are many such inquiring Christians."

Dan has led interest groups at many Annual Meetings to try to stir up some action along these lines. Should ASA set up a commission on "Evidence for Origins" or some such thing? To respond to Dan's challenge, write to Daniel F. Wonderly, Rt. 2, Box 9, Oakland, MD 21550.

We recognized Jerry Bergman as an ASA member (recently elected a Fellow) with one Ph.D. in educational research and psychology and almost another one in sociology. His activities have been reported in this Newsletter from time to time. We recommended his openminded booklet, Teaching About the Creation lEvolution Controversy, published by the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation (1979). We also noted that Jerry had left Bowling Green for Spring Arbor College in Michigan, thinking he had made an upward move in his career.

Before we could get around to checking out the Acts & Facts report, we came across the first issue of Christians in Education (Fall 1983), official organ of NACE, the National Association of Christian Educators (P.O. Box 3200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; three issues per year, $20). Sure enough, the lead article, "Religious Discrimination-In America?" by Jerry Bergman, was accompanied by a statement that the author had been fired "because he is a Christian and holds the views of a creationist." It added that "several years of endless appeals have literally ruined his personal and academic life."

Eventually we received a note from Jerry with a reprint from another publication new to us: Contrast (2911 E. 42nd St., Minneapolis, MN 55406; six issues per year, $5. Stated editorial policy: "To present the Creation-Evolution controversy to the public. Our goal is that the reader look at both sides of the issue and make up his own mind . . ."). The Sept, Oct 1983 issue of Contrast had an article by Luther D. Sunderland entitled "Some Current Practices Suggest ... First Amendment Free Exercise Guarantees Are a Joke." Three of its four pages dealt with Jerry Bergman's dismissal, considered by the author to be the "most thoroughly documented instance" of violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments against prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

Now Christianity Today (25 Nov 1983) has done a story on Jerry's dismissal and his legal battle for redress. (By the time you're reading this the Bergman case may have made Time magazine!-Ed.) Meanwhile we've had a long telephone conversation with Jerry and have received some documentation from him. Affidavits from over a dozen professional colleagues at Bowling Green assert that Jerry more than met the university's standards for tenure. Several Bowling Green faculty members have also admitted that he was denied tenure and then dismissed primarily because of his religious beliefs.

One ASA member who has gone to bat for Jerry is David 0. Moberg, professor of sociology at Marquette University, who wrote to the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to urge them to investigate the situation. Dave suggested that ACLU might regain some stature in the eyes of ultraconservatives by working with the Creation Science Legal Defense Fund on behalf of justice iwa case touching both due process and religious discrimination.

A representative of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) said privately that Jerry had a good case but wasn't much help otherwise. Several AAUP members have openly supported his case, however. At first the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would not support the case but recently EEOC has issued a "right to sue" letter and the case is still under review. The National Education Association (NEA) has been helpful from the start, even paying most of Jerry's legal expenses. (The issue of Christians in Education in which Jerry's article appeared makes it clear that the National Association of Christian Educators has absolutely nothing good to say about NEA. According to NACE, that "monster union" has become "an outspoken left-wing political party espousing pure socialism to replace democracy in America." That's one of many ironies in this story.-Ed.)

The history of Jerry's situation is too complex to repeat here, but there seems to be plenty of evidence that the university violated its own rules to get rid of an excellent teacher and prolific scholar-with no substantive charges brought against him. One apparent irony is that in his teaching and professional writing about education Jerry never endorsed "creationism " -even though that's how his case is now being described in print. Jerry told us (and court transcripts support this) that in his second year at Bowling Green (1973-74), some members of his department (of Educational Foundations and Inquiry) observed him and his wife declining drinks at a faculty party, then cornered him about his attitudes toward alcohol, abortion, and other moral issues. He says that one of them remarked then, "Oh, oh. We've hired a fundamentalist who'll cause trouble."

Or course Jerry has also written articles expressing his Christian viewpoint in an explicit way, as many of us have. One of his detractors described the Journal of ASA, in which Jerry had published, as the product of "a bunch of religious fanatics" (though some of Jerry's friends consider JASA "too liberal"). No one has presented evidence that Jerry advocated "creationism" in the classroom or in professional writing. (Hence the "creationist" aspects of his case seem decidedly secondary to us.-Ed.)

We keep talking about "the Bergman case" but Jerry Bergman is a person, not a case, a brother in Christ who has been deeply wounded by these events. Our understanding is that he was first dismissed in 1975, then the dismissal was overturned; he was denied tenure and then fired again in 1979. At any rate his life has been in turmoil for many years by now. Sadly, his marriage crumbled under the strain. Further, since he was the last person hired in his department (Psychology) at Spring Arbor College, their sudden drop in enrollment meant that he was the first to be let go.

Jerry has managed to find some pick-up teaching since then but has to work as hard as he did before for only a fourth the income. Even so he's found time to write a couple of books due off the press early in 1984. One is on religious freedom in America, the other on the Bible student movement (from Garland Press of New York, a scholarly press catering to libraries). 

Tax-deductible contributions designated for Jerry Bergman's legal expenses can be sent to the Creation Science Legal Defense Fund (P.O. Box 78312, Shreveport, LA 71107). We're sure Jerry would also appreciate words of encouragement or any other support we can give him. His home address is 1306 North Orleans, Bowling Green, OH 43402.

1. We heard of a young woman from the U.S. doing graduate work in a technical field in north China who is frequently asked questions about her Christian faith. Although assigned to a separate dormitory with other foreign students, she is able to lend books to Chinese students from time to time. One student said, "I heard that in America there are scientists who believe in Christianity. How can that be?" Learning that she was home on a visit but planning to return to China, we sent her some copies of JASA. She was delighted to have the journals to take back with her, but asked us to be prudent, not mentioning her name or the name of the university she attends. We pray that communication will remain open and that God will find ways to speak through our Journal. Our friend's Mandarin is now good enough for about 20 minutes of conversation, she says, but there are many other obstacles. Christians living in China need our prayers. Reading too much before you go can make you paranoid about almost everything, she says. Although Fox Butterfield's China: Alive in a Bitter Sea (Times Books, 1982; now in Bantam paperback, $9.95) was somewhat discouraging, she found it very informative and quite accurate.

2. On a dark and gloomy Halloween night we put on our dark and gloomy Edward Teller costume and crashed the American Nuclear Society's 1983 Winter Meeting at the San Francisco Hilton. Actually we were headed for the Hilton's Walnut Suite for a meeting of the Christian Nuclear Fellowship, which we heard about through Vic Uotinen's CNF Newsletter. The CNF steering committee had also distributed very attractive printed announcements, folded like a formal invitation, at the registration area. Vic led a brief devotional from Scripture, then asked all in attendance to introduce themselves and share any recent experiences in following Christ. At the end he called on their nonradioactive visitor (our disguise didn't fool anybody) to talk about the American Scientific Affiliation and distribute brochures and other literature. At least one other ASA member was there, Ed Fast of the Chemical Processing Plant operated by Exxon Nuclear at the Idaho Nuclear Engineering Lab at Idaho Falls. Word had just been received of the congressional vote to terminate the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project. As those present prayed for each other, several also prayed aloud for the "nuclear families" directly affected by that policy decision.

3. In November the editor was invited to a discussion meeting that may lead to formation of a Bay Area Committee of Correspondence on Evolution. There was no chance to say anything publicly about ASA at that first meeting but we'll probably get a chance later on. Some in attendance were scientists at U.C. Berkeley and other nearby institutions. Others were parents or public school teachers concerned about the claims and methods of s3me 'scientific creationists" in their local school systems. In particular, parents from the town of Livermore said that a series of incidents has polarized their whole town-and divided  churches over" creation ism." One, of the scientists we spoke to privately had encountered several ASA members in past skirmishes elsewhere3ne on each side of the controversy. One Christian parent seemed eager to learn of ASA's balanced position, so we expect more to come of this contact.

4. As this is written we're getting ready to represent ASA at Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship's second triennial urban conference. ASA will be one of 80 to 100 organizations setting up information booths at "San Francisco '83" held December 26-30 in the city's new Moscone Center. The purpose is to give students "a vision for the Lordship of Christ in their profession" and to show them how Christians are already serving Christ in the cities of the world. IVCF is hoping for an attendance of 1,500. We're hoping to contact many students thinking of careers in science or technology. Besides Newsletter editor Walter Hearn (in charge of our booth), other ASA members will be leading career workshops: Theological Students' Fellowship director Mark Branson, Del Monte chemist Chi-Hang Lee, and InterVarsity Press editor Jim Sire.

POSITIONS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE

Whitworth College in Washington has called us about several openings. The one in chemistry (organic and biochemistry) had a closing date of February I but it's always possible that they didn't find the person they were looking for. You could check it out by calling personnel director Robert H. Armstrong at (509) 466-1000. In nutrition, an assistant professor with at least an M.S. in foods & nutrition or dietetics, with membership in the American Dietetic Association, is sought for a tenure-track position. That one closes on March 1. In physics, a Ph.D., preferably with experience in digital electronics and computer hardware, is sought for a tenure-track position to teach a full range of undergraduate physics courses and selected math and computer science courses. That one also closes on March 1. In mathematics or computer science, a non tenure-track position is open for an instructor with at least an M.S. for a growing department. That one is open until March 26. Commitment to the Christian orientation and educational mission of the college (Presbyterian U.S.A.) is necessary for all positions. Send vite and references to: Nutrition, Physics, or Mathematics /Computer Science Search Committee (as appropriate), Personnel Office, Auditorium z215. Whitworth College, Spokane, WA 99251 . (Received Sept-Dec 1983.)

Link Care Center in California needs someone in psychiatry who is first of all a dedicated, evangelically oriented Christian; who is truly sold on missions; who believes in and works in a team approach, preferably with overseas experience; and who is licensable in California. Tasks include consultation and therapy; training and preparation of missionary candidates for cross-cultural service; working with returned missionaries with emotional problems; possibly some overseas seminar work. Contact: Dr. Stanley E Lindquist, President, Link Care Center, 1734 West Shaw Ave., Fresno, CA 93711. Tel. (209) 439-5920. (Received Oct 1983).

Calvin College in Michigan had faculty positions open in mathematics, computer science, and statistics, but their closing dates were February 1. Just in case, though, you could check with Dr. Carl J. Sinke, chair of Mathematics and Computer Science, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. Tel. (616) 957-3652. (Received Nov 1983).

Wheaton College in Illinois is also o3king for a Ph.D. in computer science, will also consider a Ph.D. in math or an M.S. with significant experience in computer science. The department has 6 faculty and 100 majors in sophomore, junior, and senior classes. Request Faculty Application Form from: Dr. Robert Brabenec, Department of Mathematics, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 60187. (Received Nov 1983.)

LOCAL SECTION ACTIVITIES

CHICAGO AREA

A meeting scheduled for January 13, jointly sponsored by Trinity Christian College, was to be held at the Chicago Metropolitan Center operated by the college. Speaker was Dr. David B. Fletcher of the Wheaton College Philosophy Department, on "Methods in Bioethics." Fletcher received his Ph.D. at the U. of Illinois in Urbana for research on the ethics of using human subjects in medicine.

The notice sent out by Marilyne Sally Flora also announced the second meeting of the year, to be held March 29-30 at Wheaton in conjunction with the Wheaton College Science Symposium. The symposium theme this year is "The Age of the Earth."

The December 10 meeting drew a good crowd to hear Professor MacKay discuss "What Do Brains Have That Computers Lack?" The speaker seemed in top form after a bout with chemotherapy aimed at arresting a cancer. Showing a slide of a dozen or more EEG electrodes attached to his skull, Donald noted that at one stage of the chemotherapy his hair had conveniently fallen out so that he was able to do that particular experiment. He spelled out once again his principle of "logical indeterminacy" and the importance of "agency" to our human free will. He also discussed theological implications of a "computer model" of the human brain in the areas of moral responsibility, the meaning of the soul, and the possibility of eternal life. Lively discussion followed the talk, along with refreshments.

PERSONALS

James 0. Buswell, dean of graduate studies at William Carey International University in Pasadena, California, spent two weeks last summer in South Korea. Jim was teaching (with an interpreter at his elbow) at the 11th annual Summer Institute of World Mission at the EastWest Center for Missions Outreach and Development, near Seoul.

Norman L. Geisler is president of Quest Ministries of Dallas, Texas, which has a radio program called "Quest for Truth," heard on a growing number of Christian stations. Besides his radio talks, Norm traveled across the eastern part of the country speaking on creationism this fall. He also participated in a creation/ evolution debate at the University of Texas sponsored by the local humanist society, after which the audience voted 2 to 1 in favor of creationism.

George L. Murphy finished his M.Div. work at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, last spring and then went back to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, to teach astronomy and astrophysics. He was ordained at Wartburg on 20 November 1983, after accepting a call to serve as pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Tallmadge, Ohio. George began his work in Ohio around the first of the year. Meanwhile, his paper on "Protational Monopoles, NonRiemannian Geometry, and Quasars" appeared early in 1983 in the International Journal of Theoretical Physics.

William W. Paul has returned to the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Central College in Pella, Iowa, after a year in Wales as an exchange professor. While in Great Britain in July he was able to visit the centenary exhibition in honor of the Catholic paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, at the chapter house adjoining Westminster Abby, London.

Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen is on leave from her post as associate professor of psychology at York University in Toronto to write a book on personhood. Mary's paper for the Christian Association for Psychological Studies entitled "The Female Reconstructs Psychology" was published in the Sept/ Oct 1983 issue of Radix magazine. In it Mary analyzed the work of Carol Tavris, Carol Gilligan, and Nancy Chodorow, commenting from her Christian perspective and emphasizing the importance of "coparenting" and "nurturant fathering."

Kurt Wood and wife Debby have a new address: Rue 10 Numero 1, Hay Fl Yasmine, Fes Ville Nouvelle Morocco. Serving with the North Africa Mission, Kurt and Debby have plunged into a "survival Arabic" course five mornings a week but were still suffering some culture shock when we heard from them. To help them through this difficult period, Kurt has announced their 2nd annual Postcard Competition, with categories like those of last year: most bizarre, most tacky, most beautiful, most mundane, etc. Send your postcards in the North African style, i.e., sealed in an envelope to avoid any problems with the mails. (It is always best to avoid any use of terms  related to missions and any discussion of middle-Eastern politics or anything whatever that might be offensive to Muslims, in case government authorities open your letter. Use discretion. -Ed.) Kurt reminds us that U.C. Berkeley physics grad student Keith Clemenger was a winner in last year's Postcard Competition.

Francella Woods teaches biology at Hong Kong Baptist College, serving under the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society. In 1982 she spent six months at Jinan University in Canton, China. She says that the head of biology there, Dr. Liu Xue-Guo, would like to establish some kind of personnel exchange with U.S. institutions. He heads his own Institute of Reproductive Immunology and has been working on contraceptive agents from fish. He was in the U.S. himself until June with the encouragement of Jinan University to promote such an exchange. Appointments have to be approved not only by the university but also by the Education Department in Beijing, which can take four months. Francella was treated very well at Jinan. She discovered a government-sponsored church and a number of Christian students. She would be glad to supply more details to anyone interested in going there. Her address is 19 Kent Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Davis Young, professor of geology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, seems to have produced a widely read book in his Christianity and the Age of the Earth (Zondervan, 1982). A lot of conservative Christians must be reading it, because Henry Morris of the Institute for Creation Research has taken the trouble to write a small booklet refuting it, entitled Science, Scripture, and the Young Earth (evidently available from ICR, 2100 Greenfield Dr., El Cajon, CA92021.. According to ICR's Acts & Facts, the booklet contains "documented discussions of such items as isochrons, coral reefs, evaporites, varved formations, and other alleged proofs of an ancient earth, showing that all are fully compatible with the clear Biblical teaching of recent creation." But Davis Young's book has also come to the attention of the general scientific public. In a review of six books grouped together as "Responses to Creationism" by Richard K. Bambach of the Dept. of Geological Sciences at Virginia Polytech, Christianity and the Age of the Earth was right in there in "a bonanza of good, vigorous scholarship" (Science, 20 May 1983, pp. 851-3). The reviewer recognized Davis's book as "a religious work" by a competent geologist "concerned that conservative creationists are defeating themselves and their credibility with their continued advocacy of a young earth.