Biblical scholar Richard Middleton, one of the plenary speakers at “From Sea to Sea to Sky,” (see his lecture entitled “Human Distinctiveness and the Origin of Evil” here) is the conference liaison for the Canadian-American Theological Association (CATA; http://cata-catr.com). He liked our conference so much that he was inspired to make the science-faith dialogue a theme for CATA’s next conference, with the CSCA as a co-sponsor (along with ASA, BioLogos, and Northeastern Seminary).  CATA was originally CETA (the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association)—beware of acronym overload syndrome! Formed in 1990, CETA has always been ecumenical, with a focus on deep engagement …

Is evolution impossible to reconcile with God’s work? A process based on competition, violence, and selfishness seems an odd way for the God of love to create the world. The objection I hear raised most commonly about evolutionary creation is whether God could really have subjected countless generations of innocent animals to the sort of suffering that the natural world as we find it entails. No good God could do that. And so, people look for theological alternatives. They look in particular to theories of fallenness. For the reformers, like John Calvin, it was human fallenness that was to blame. …

One does not have to be very familiar with the way in which science & Christianity are engaged on the internet in order to see how polarised the “creation/evolution debate” can get. More heat than light is typically generated as misunderstandings, misrepresentations, dismissals, and accusations are rampant. However, that’s not how it has to be, and space is being carved out in certain times and places for generous conversation. Last November, I wrote a brief introduction to biologist Darrel Falk’s “Prairie Tour” as he spoke in our Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary chapters. And now Trinity Western University, where many …

The following is based on my remarks at CSCA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 9 November 2018 held at Redeemer College, immediately after my appointment as CSCA’s new Executive Director was affirmed by the membership. I would like to thank my friends and colleagues on the Executive Council (EC), and the CSCA membership, for the trust and confidence you are placing in me to hold this office. And thank you to Don McNally, our outgoing Executive Director, who served in that capacity for the past 15 years. I am looking forward to this opportunity to serve and lead this …

Winnipeg, MB • Steinbach, MB • Saskatoon, SK • Edmonton, AB • Calgary, AB In November, the Canadian prairies will witness a lecture tour featuring Vancouver native Darrel Falk speaking on “Evolution, Creation, and the God Who is Love.” Darrel Falk is well known for his ability to hold a clear position while maintaining peaceful dialogue in the face of criticism and controversy. He thus superbly embodies the ethos of CSCA, which seeks to maintain an attitude of respect, civility, and grace, an approach which carefully listens to opposing voices, while robustly puts forward one’s own arguments and responses to …

“Science, Faith, & Human Flourishing” at TWU and the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation present a series of FREE PUBLIC LIVE-STREAMS hosted at Trinity Western University. These lectures will be live-streamed from Regent College in Vancouver. Note! With refreshments! Location: Northwest Auditorium, Trinity Western University, 7600 Glover Road, Langley, BC Six lectures live streamed at TWU from Regent: Professor McGrath, a leading authority in the field, will speak of his own perception of science and religious faith, reflecting on his progression from atheism to Christianity. The lecture will focus on two central ways of understanding the relation of science and religious faith: the …

As part of our 3-year Local Chapters Project, CSCA is producing a series of pamphlets on matters of science and faith. These “Faith and Science, Eh?” pamphlets are provided as a courtesy to help Canadians explore intersections of science and Christian faith in a variety of areas. These pamphlets may be downloaded, printed, and distributed free of charge. This blog post reproduces the full text of this pamphlet. Adapted from Chapter 2 of Christian J. Barrigar, Freedom All The Way Up: God and the Meaning of Life in a Scientific Age (Friesen, 2017). Randomness in Creation? Is there genuine randomness …

Unable to join us for the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation (and CSCA)? Watch the live stream this weekend here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/DCBnnuBfpyz Events scheduled for live-streaming: (all times are Eastern Daylight Time) Friday, July 27: 7:00 PM – Opening Session Friday, July 27: 7:30 PM – Douglas Lauffenburger, “Humanizing Therapeutics Discovery” Saturday, July 28: 8:45 AM – Nigel M. De S. Cameron, “A Human Century?” Saturday, July 28: 7:30 PM – Francis S. Collins “The Joyful Complementarity of Science and Faith” Sunday, July 29: 11:00 AM – Noreen Herzfeld, “Cybernetic Enhancement and the Problem of the Self” Sunday, July 29: 8:15 PM – State of the ASA …