American Evangelicals Making Peace With Evolutionary Science

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with great pleasure the Board of Directors of The BioLogos Foundation announces the appointment of Deborah Haarsma to become our next President, and of Jeffrey Schloss to the role of Senior Scholar.  Professor Haarsma assumes leadership from our outgoing President Darrel Falk to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude.

The Mission of BioLogos

BioLogos is a community of evangelical Christians committed to exploring and celebrating the compatibility of evolutionary creation and biblical faith, guided by the truth that "all things hold together in Christ." [Colossians 1:17] We value gracious dialogue with those who hold other views, and our ever-expanding conversation includes academic and other professionals in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, business and medicine, but also theology, biblical studies, philosophy, history, literature, education and the arts. We count pastors, entrepreneurs, poets, teachers and students among our numbers, and welcome men and women from all walks of life to join in this project of cultural and spiritual reconciliation.  We invite you to join this dialogue at www.biologos.org.

Deborah Haarsma, Ph.D.

Dr. Deborah Haarsma is Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In recent years she has become well known to the BioLogos community as a regular contributor and consultant to our blog and Questions section, as well as an active member of the Board of Advisors.  Dr. Haarsma's deep commitment to her faith and enthusiasm for science has made her a popular public speaker in churches as well as private Christian schools and universities.

A graduate of Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Haarsma earned her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   An experienced research scientist, her work on galaxy clusters and gravitational lenses has been published in The Astrophysical Journal and The Astronomical Journal.

Her first book, Origins: Christian Perspectives on Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design was coauthored with husband, Dr. Loren Haarsma, a biophysicist.  Origins respectfully explores the range of views held by Christians on creation, evolution, and human origins and is used in many Christian schools and colleges to navigate these complex issues.  Haarsma's latest book, Delight in Creation: Scientists Share Their Work with the Church, co-edited with Rev. Scott Hoezee, invites Christians to explore the discoveries of science through essays by Christian biologists, astronomers, mathematicians, and other scientists.

Jeffrey Schloss Ph.D.

Dr. Jeffrey Schloss is Distinguished Professor and T.B. Walker Chair of Biology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California where he directs the Center for Faith, Ethics and Life Sciences.   He is well known to the BioLogos community through his writings on evolution and faith for our blog, as well as his informative presentations at numerous BioLogos events.

Dr. Schloss is well respected in the academic community for his prolific work on evolutionary theory, ethics, and the Christian faith.  He is a frequently invited speaker at scholarly conferences, has co-edited several academic volumes, and publishes in venues such as Religion, Brain & Behavior, Behavioral & Brain Sciences, Journal of Theology & Science.  His many awards and honors include Oxford University's Plumer Fellowship, the Crosson Fellowship in Philosophy of Religion at Notre Dame, and the Witherspoon Fellowship in Theology and Natural Sciences at Princeton's Center of Theological Inquiry. 

A graduate of Wheaton College, Dr. Schloss did graduate work at the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, completing his Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Schloss will hold a joint appointment with BioLogos and Westmont College

The Evolution of BioLogos

It's been a little more than four years since this project was launched by Dr. Francis Collins and a group of energetic graduate students. At the time, Dr. Collins' book, The Language of God had resulted in a deluge of emails and letters from Christian students across the globe, inspired by Dr. Collins' ability to combine his award-winning science with his deeply-experienced Christian faith.  Those thought provoking questions combined with Dr. Collins' desire to offer meaningful answers, provided the inspiration for our website.

Since that time, BioLogos has experienced tremendous growth in the numbers of fully committed followers of Christ who resonate with our efforts and have joined the conversation.  Our website now includes over 12 hundred blog entries and receives nearly 2 thousand "hits" a day.  Nearly a million people have visited our website since it's launch and many of them have returned, for a total of over 2 million visits.

Our annual pastors conference continues to attract some of the most noted authors and leaders of our time.  Our summer workshop for Christian teachers is considered a professional high point in the lives of many participants, and we recently awarded 37 grants to scholars and church leaders to advance the dialogue between evolution and Christian faith. We are humbled and grateful as we've seen God's hand at work in all of these blessings.

Throughout this growth, we remain committed to exploring and celebrating the compatibility of evolutionary creation and biblical faith. 

Media Contact:  Loretta Cooper (703) 554-3224, [email protected]

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SOURCE The BioLogos Foundation