For the past 50 years, the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation has facilitated discussions about science and Christian faith in Canada. As part of our 50th-anniversary celebrations, we asked 50 CSCA members to comment on their personal connections to science, scripture, and Canadian scenery. We will share these contributions throughout 2023 in hope that you will find them engaging and encouraging. CSCA member of the week: Rebecca Dielschneider, Associate Professor of Health Sciences at Providence University College 1. Why did you choose your scientific discipline? I’ve been fascinated by the immune system for a long time. From the moment that a …
In Memoriam: Charles Chaffey (1941-2021)
We recently received word from his family that Charles Chaffey had passed away in October 2021.
GENDER: From Christian Perspectives
Questions of gender identity and gender dysphoria have become prominent in our culture. Our churches are not exempt from this development, as Christians can also struggle with gender identity. What do we know about the biology of gender? What are Christian perspectives on gender and the trans experience? What are the important and unresolved questions? On the ASA and CSCA web sites Tony Jelsma, PhD, has written an essay that informs us about what we know and do not know about gender. He is chair and professor of biology at Dordt University and has taught courses in human anatomy, physiology, …
Put on the PPG
The following is a devotional given at the prayer/praise meeting on 20 July 2020, the first day of the ASA Summer Something Series. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of …
PANDEMIC: From Christian Perspectives
Pandemics are part of human life. We live and die through the Spanish Flu, Ebola, and SARS, only to face Covid-19. What have we learned about how to deal with these assaults, and ourselves in the midst of them? What do we need yet to figure out? What insights might Christian perspectives bring to the table? On the ASA and CSCA web sites Luke Janssen, PhD, has written an essay that informs us about what we encounter in these outbreaks, how such pandemics have shaped our societies before, and some of the unique challenges of Covid-19. He is well prepared to lead …
Pandemics and Christian Faith
I was coincidentally reading a novel set during the bubonic plague, when the novel coronavirus outbreak began in China. A reminder that pandemics are not novel. Yet they raise the inevitable “big questions of life.” As Christians, we turn to the Bible for answers and find that stories of illness are common, as is teaching on suffering. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33; and check out Paul’s teaching on suffering: Rom 5:3, 8:18, 12:12). There is always hope amidst the trouble, but no guarantees of instant relief. Neither is there clear teaching regarding the …
The Nuclear Options: Christian Perspectives on Fission, Fusion, and Our Energy Future
Do we have any energy source that is available 24 hours every day, releases no CO2 into the atmosphere, and does not kill birds? Yes. Nuclear fission. Then why do Sweden and France rely on it, but Germany is trying to phase it out to zero? Can we justify burying nuclear waste for thousands of years? Are there security risks? Will fusion ever be less than a few decades away? What insights might Christian perspectives bring to the table? Robert Kaita has written an essay that informs us about what is currently available in fission and fusion, and raises a …
Fine Tuning at the CSCA 2019 AGM
The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation was held on November 8, 2019, in Hamilton, Ontario. The venue was a new one – MacNeill Baptist Church, in the Westdale area of the city, and within walking distance of McMaster University. This is the new meeting site for the Hamilton Chapter of the CSCA, and we are thankful for their hosting of the venue. Activities included a public lecture, the annual dinner, and the meeting itself. Our time together was opened with a recognition of the ancestral homelands upon which our meeting was taking place. Two pastoral …
Raising Food for Thought
We all depend on agriculture to provide our food. Further, agriculture is a major player in the quality of our water to drink and air to breath, the only two things we need even more immediately than food. What can the sciences and Christian faith tell us about how we should best raise and consume food? How should we proceed with GMOs, catching or farming fish, eating down or up the food chain, organic or factory farming, vegetarian, locavore, or omnivore…? Steven G. Hall (PhD Cornell University) raises a gamut of such questions. He is well prepared to lead us …
October Conference with CATA
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 …