Christian Perspectives on Origins, Part One: Scientific Creationism

A lecture at Messiah College sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences, with support from an anonymous donor.

This lecture is free and open to the public.

All lectures in this series are held in Hostetter Chapel, adjacent to the Murray Library in the heart of the campus. Students receive chapel credit.

Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 pm

Paul A. Nelson, philosopher of biology, author of several papers in leading philosophy journals and co-author of the section on "Young Earth Creationism" in Three Views on Creation and Evolution (Zondervan, 1999)

Paul A. Nelson received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in Philosophy (1998). He is currently a Fellow of the Center for Science and Culture of the Discovery Institute (Seattle, WA). He has published articles in such journals as Biology & Philosophy, Zygon, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, and Touchstone, and chapters in the anthologies Mere Creation (Intervarsity Press), Signs of Intelligence (Brazos Press), Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics (MIT Press), and Darwinism, Design, and Public Education (Michigan State University Press). His forthcoming monograph, On Common Descent, critically evaluates the theory of common descent, and is being edited for the series Evolutionary Monographs, published by the University of Chicago Press. His research interests include the relationship between development biology and our knowledge of the history of life, the theory of intelligent design, and the bearing of theology on science (and vice versa). He is married to Suzanne Nelson, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University, and has two daughters. Paul enjoys reading, listening to classical and rock music, going to movies, coaching his daughter's ice hockey team, and walking his dog Beau, a golden retriever.

For more information on Dr. Nelson, go here: http://www.arn.org/nelson/pnhome.htm

Dr. Nelson will speak on, Young Earth Creationism is Obviously Wrong–Right?

The view of origins popularly known as "young earth creationism" (YEC) is widely condemned

as unscientific–or "obviously wrong"–and harmful to Christianity. Many of the charges levelled at YEC have merit and should be taken seriously. Other objections, however, are groundless. In my talk, I review both the strengths and weakness of YEC, and offer some	advice about how advocates of YEC can interact fruitfully with the scientific community and especially with other Christians who disagree with them.

For additional information about this series of lectures, go to http://www.messiah.edu/godandscience/lectures.shtml

or, contact Dr. Ted Davis, Professor of the History of Science:

tdavis@messiah.edu, or 717-766-2511, ext. 6840