BALTIMORE — BioLogos will present Beyond Conflict: Science, Faith, and the Big Questions at the Hyatt Regency, 300 Light St. Baltimore, MD, 21202 on March 27-29, 2019. The conference will feature BioLogos founder Francis Collins, astronomer Jennifer Wiseman, church historian Justo González, Oxford science-religion scholar Bethany Sollereder, BioLogos President Deb Haarsma, and more! Worship throughout the conference will be led by musician, author, and pastor Aaron Niequist. Sessions can also be streamed live (or later) at https://www.dvs.com/biologos2019/.

Our culture seems fixated on the supposed conflict between science and Christianity. But what if there’s more to the story, a richer vision of harmony to be shared with the world around us? BioLogos is proud to bring Beyond Conflict: Science, Faith, and the Big Questions to Baltimore to also celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding.

The conference will include engaging presentations and in-depth workshops on topics like evolution and human origins, the possibility of life on other planets, caring for the environment, why a good God allows suffering, and ethics and embryos. It will also include a night at the National Aquarium and a special 10th-anniversary banquet.

In 2006, Francis Collins (director of the National Institutes of Health and leader of the Human Genome Project) published the New York Times best-seller, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. The overwhelming response to his timely message that science and faith are not only compatible but mutually enriching revealed a great cultural need for productive dialogue around these topics and led to the founding of BioLogos, an organization that has offered people of faith a community to explore the harmony between modern science and biblical faith. In 2009, when BioLogos launched its website and held the first of several annual events for faith leaders to gather with believing scientists for dialogue, no one could have predicted how vital and effective the organization’s work would be.

Over the past 10 years, BioLogos has created rich online resources, including answers to common questions, videos, articles, infographics, essays and curricula from hundreds of authors. It has also developed key programs including the “Evolution and Christian Faith” grants program which funded 37 projects across North America and Europe (2013-2015). The BioLogos Voices speakers bureau features over 20 top scientists, scholars, and communicators in the BioLogos community, who speak at over 75 events per year and have been featured in outlets such as NPR, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and more.

Beyond Conflict: Science, Faith, and the Big Questions will take place on the picturesque Inner Harbor of Baltimore, a walkable area including the National Aquarium and other attractions. You’ll hear about the latest scientific discoveries, ponder rich theological insights, and have opportunities to engage with national leaders who are equipped to speak to the most pressing questions about science for a largely religious American public. You are also invited to join ecologist Rick Lindroth and fellow attendees for an exclusive after-hours exploration of the world-renowned National Aquarium. The conference will close with a special 10th Anniversary Banquet, where Francis Collins and renowned theologian Richard Mouw will reflect on BioLogos’ history and mission and look ahead to the pressing science-faith issues of the next ten years.

In a time of national division on a variety of issues, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to reflect and perhaps report on BioLogos’ successful vision for the integration of science and faith that has been nurtured over the past decade.

We hope to see you March 27-29 in Baltimore!

Learn more at http://biologos.org and http://conference.biologos.org

Featured Speakers

Francis Collins is a physician and geneticist known for spearheading the Human Genome Project and for his landmark discoveries of disease genes. Collins founded BioLogos in November 2007 and served as its president until August 16, 2009, when he resigned to become director of the National Institutes of Health.

Justo L. González, retired professor of historical theology and author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, attended United Seminary in Cuba and was the youngest person to be awarded a Ph.D. in historical theology at Yale University. Over the past thirty years, he has focused on developing programs for the theological education of Hispanics, and he has received four honorary doctorates.

Deborah Haarsma is president of BioLogos. Gifted in interpreting complex scientific topics for lay audiences, Deb often speaks to churches, colleges, and schools about the relationships between science and Christian faith. Previously, she served as professor and chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Calvin College, with several publications on extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. Haarsma earned a Ph.D. in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Rick Lindroth (Ph.D., University of Illinois-Urbana) is a professor of ecology and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on evolutionary ecology and global change ecology in forest ecosystems. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and is a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He has served in numerous roles at his church, including many years on the governing board.

Richard J. Mouw is professor of Faith and Public Life at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he also served as president from 1993 to 2013. Before coming to Fuller in 1985, he served for 17 years as professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. A graduate of Houghton College, Richard received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Chicago. He is the author of 19 books and has served on many editorial boards, including currently Books and Culture. In 2007, Princeton Theological Seminary awarded him the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life.

Aaron Niequist is a liturgist, writer, and pastor in the Chicago area and has led worship at Mars Hill Church (Grand Rapids, MI) and Willow Creek Church (Barrington, IL), he created “A New Liturgy”  – a collection of modern liturgical worship recordings. Shortly after, he started a discipleship-focused, formational, ecumenical, practice-based community at Willow Creek called The Practice. He is the author of “The Eternal Current: How a Practice-Based Faith Can Save Us from Drowning.”

Bethany Sollereder is a research coordinator at the University of Oxford. She specializes in theology concerning evolution and the problem of suffering. Bethany received her Ph.D. in theology from the University of Exeter and an MCS in interdisciplinary studies from Regent College, Vancouver. When not reading theology books, Bethany enjoys hiking the English countryside, horseback riding, and reading Victorian literature.

Jennifer J. Wiseman is an astrophysicist, author, and speaker. She studies the formation of stars and planets in our galaxy using radio, infrared, and optical telescopes. After earning her Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1995, she continued her research as a Jansky Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and as a Hubble Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Wiseman also has an interest in national science policy and has served as an American Physical Society Congressional Science Fellow on Capitol Hill.

###

Contact

Explorations Media, LLC
Christine A. DiPasquale
[email protected]
(732) 948-7327