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October 15, 2008
Contents
News & Events
- Ian G. Barbour Chair Campaign Update
- CTNS Director, Bob Russell Speaking October 21 in North Carolina
- Co-Hosted AAR Reception Invitation
- AAR Session: "Public Education, Knowledge, and Visions for Non-toxic Religion"
- Public Forum on November 5 with LeRon Shults and Robert Russell
- Book Launch February 6, 2009 with Karl Giberson
- Save the Dates for the 2009 J. K. Russell Research Fellowship
- New Books: CTNS-VO "Capstone" and Sacred Cells?
- STARS Program Update
- Ted Peters Named Marty E. Martin Professor for 2009
Theology and Science Journal News
CTNS Member News
Network News
News and Events
The Ian G. Barbour Chair Campaign Fund Grows
The Campaign for the Ian G. Barbour Chair in Theology and Science continues to grow by small "leaps and bounds." Understanding the value of higher education, a number of scientists or professors who were previously involved with CTNS through the large multi-year granted programs, Science and the Spiritual Quest (SSQ) and the Science and Religion Course Program, have reconnected with CTNS in support of this most important professorship. The list of supporters is updated on the Campaign 
website at the end of every quarter. www.ctns.org/chair (On-line contributions are welcomed here).
For those of you new to the science and religion dialogue, or to CTNS, we invite you to explore how 
this exciting new Chair came about and the impact it will have on future generations' charge to work on bridging science and theology. Every gift counts and we "count on you" to help complete this campaign in the next 12 months.
Photo of Ian G. Barbour courtesy of Carleton College.
Robert John Russell is the featured speaker at the October 21, 2008 John Calvin McNair Lecture on 
Science and Theology at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Dr. Russell is speaking on “Five Issues on the Frontier of Science and Theology."
This event, which is free and open to the public, begins with a dinner at 6 p.m. in the Carol Grotnes Belk Main Room and will be followed by the lecture at 7 p.m. Reservations are required and may be made by contacting Tim Van Hooser at
910-277-5258 or vanhoosert@sapc.edu. Limited seating is available.
The McNair lecture was established by the 1857 will of John Calvin McNair who desired that "the object of which lecture(s) shall be to show the mutual bearing of Science and Theology upon each other…"
Co-Hosted AAR Reception Invitation
Those attending the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion in Chicago are invited to a co-hosted science and religion reception on Saturday, November 1 from 7:00 to 9:30 pm in the Palmer House Hilton, Clark 7. Representatives from each center will give brief presentations beginning at 8:00 pm. For many years, three science and religion organizations -- CTNS, the Institute for Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) and the Zygon Center for Religion and Science (ZCRS)--have co-hosted a reception or hospitality event at AAR. Check the onsite Annual Meeting Program Book for any last minute room changes.
Science, Technology and Religion Group Event at AAR
On Saturday, November 1 from 4 pm to 6:30 pm (just before the co-hosted science and religion reception noted above) the Science, Technology and Religion Group is presenting a session titled, "Public Education, Knowledge, and Visions for Non-toxic Religion." The group has secured Daniel Dennett, author and one of the leading figures of the "new atheist" movement to be on this panel. Responses will be given by prominent scholars of religion and theology such as Martin Marty, Diane Moore, Nancy Frankenberry and William Schweiker whose views differ markedly from those of Dennett. The event will be held in the International Ballroom North. This program is sponsored by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. For more information, visit the CTNS News and Events website and click on the link to the PDF poster. http://www.ctns.org/news.html.
CTNS Public Forum and Book Launch November 5, with Drs. Shults and Russell
You are invited to a presentation on "Christology and Science" by F. LeRon Shults, Professor of Theology and Philosophy, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway, with a response by Robert John Russell, CTNS Founder and Director, and Ian G. Barbour Professor of Theology and Science in-Residence, GTU/CTNS. Join us at the Graduate Theological Union Hewett Library, Dinner Board Room, 2400 Ridge Road at Scenic Avenue, Berkeley, CA from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Free and open to the public.
The dialogue between theology and science has blossomed in recent decades, but particular beliefs about Jesus Christ have not often been brought to the forefront of this interdisciplinary discussion even in explicitly Christian contexts. In this lecture,
F. LeRon Shults discusses his book Christology and Science, which attempts to break new ground by explicitly bringing the specific themes of Christology into dialogue with contemporary science. He engages recent developments in late modern philosophy of science in order to articulate Christian intuitions about the identity, agency and presence of Jesus Christ in a way that responds to challenges and opportunities that have arisen in light of various scientific discoveries. After an overview of the main argument of the book, which contains three case studies (incarnation and evolutionary biology, atonement and cultural anthropology, parousia and physical cosmology), discussion will emphasize the importance of attending to the mediating role of philosophical categories in the ongoing dialogue between theology and science. For more information, visit www.ctns.org/news.html
Public Forum & Book Launch
"Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and
Believe in Evolution" by Karl Giberson, February 6, 2009 at 7:00 pm, Pacific School of Religion Chapel, Berkeley, CA.. Details forthcoming at www.ctns.org
Dr. Francisco Ayala, esteemed biologist and philosopher, has been invited by the CTNS Board of 
Directors to be this year's Research Fellow. Dr. Ayala is University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Philosophy, at the University of California, Irvine. Among his many distinctions, Dr. Ayala was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2001. Ayala learned of this prestigious award while participating in a three-week CTNS-Science and Religion Course Program lectureship tour in Taiwan and China with Bob Russell, Ted Peters and others.
This 2009 Fellowship coincides with "Year of Darwin," the bicentennial of Darwin's birthday, and sesquicentennial of the publication of Charles Darwin's book "The Origin of Species."
Save the week of April 3 -- 9, 2009 for the J. K. Russell Fellowship events in Berkeley, California with Professor Ayala. Two major events are currently scheduled: the all-day research conference on Saturday, April 4 and the Fellow's Public Forum on Tuesday evening, April 7. More details will be available in January and on the CTNS website, www.ctns.org/news.html.
Photo courtesy of University of California, Irvine.
Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action: Twenty Years of Challenge and Progress, Volume 6 in the CTNS-Vatican Observatory series, Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action, has been published ahead of schedule. This "capstone volume" is edited by Robert John Russell, Nancey Murphy and William R. Stoeger, S.J., and houses a collection of thirteen essays that assess a series of five scholarly publications resulting from five international research conferences. These conferences were co-sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and CTNS between 1991 and 2000. This volume is distributed through the University of Notre Dame Press in North America, and through the Vatican Observatory Press in other countries, or you may visit the CTNS website for more information and ordering details. www.ctns.org/pub_books.html.
Sacred Cells? Why Christians Should Support Stem Cell Research, by Ted Peters, Karen Lebacqz, 
and Gaymon Bennett is now published. Unknown to most outside observers, from the earliest days of embryonic stem cell research through today's latest developments, Christian theologians have been actively involved with leading laboratory research scientists to determine the ethical implications of stem cell research. Contrary to popular expectation, these Christians have been courageously advocating in favor of research. For more information, visit www.ctns.org/news_092308.html
STARS Program Update: Renewal Grant Applications due Soon
The CTNS Science and Transcendence Advanced Research Series (STARS) program is is in its final year. November 1, 2008 is the deadline whereby any of the five current research teams may apply for one of two renewal research grants of $200,000 per team. These team renewal applications will be judged competitively according to the results and accomplishments of their current $100,000-funded research, the likelihood of building on and extending these results in bold, new ways, and the methods by which this new research will be formulated and disseminated. Building upon the outcomes of the current research grants, the desired outcomes for the $200,000 renewal grants include courses, books, lectures and articles. To read about the five STARS teams' research, visit the CTNS-STARS website: www.ctnsstars.org.
This program is supported by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Ted Peters Named Martin E. Marty Professor of Religion and the Academy
for 2009
Ted Peters, professor of systematic theology at the Graduate Theological Union and Pacific Lutheran 
Theological Seminary, co-editor of Theology and Science and long-term member of the CTNS Board of Directors, has been named the Martin E. Marty Professor of Religion and the Academy at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Marty is a renowned observer and historiographer of 19th and 20th century of American Religion.
Peters, well-known author and scholar focusing on the interplay between theology and science, will serve in this capacity for the 2009 calendar year. During his residency at St. Olaf, he will teach, sponsor colloquia and dialogues with faculty and students, and lead a faculty seminar. Congratulations Ted!
Journal News
Theology and Science News
Here is a sneak peek of the current edition (November 2008) which will ship from Taylor & Francis, UK to CTNS members soon:
Volume 6 Number 4 /November 2008
Editorials
Robert J. Russell, "CTNS Honors the Life of Sir John Templeton: A Unique and Outstanding
Philanthropist Supporting Science and Religion"
Lawrence W. Fagg, "Physical Pointers to God's Omnipresence: Do Immanence and Transcendence
Coalesce?"
Articles
Alvin Plantinga, " What Is 'Intervention'?"
Josh A. Reeves, "The Field of Science and Religion
as Natural Philosophy"
A. Randall Olson and Vladmir V. M. Tobin, "An Eastern Orthodox Perspective on Microbial Life
on Mars"
Jacques Arnould, "Does Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life Threaten Religion and Philosophy?"
CTNS is accepting memberships for 2009 as of November 17, 2008.
If you are interested in receiving all four journals from Volume 6 from 2008, contact Melissa Moritz at ctnsinfo@ctns.org by December 1, 2008. Visit the CTNS membership webpage for more information and to register: www.ctns.org/membership.html Allow six weeks.
Scholars wishing to submit articles or book reviews for consideration to Theology and Science should be made online at the Theology and Science Manuscript Central site. New users should first create an account. Once a user is logged onto the site submissions should be made via the Author Center.
Detailed information for authors or reviewers may be found at www.ctns.org/theology_science.html.
Specific article questions may be directed to Joshua Moritz, Managing Editor, by emailing theology-science@ctns.org or by writing to Theology and Science, CTNS, 2400 Ridge Rd., Berkeley, CA 94709 USA (510) 848-8152, 11 am to 5:00 pm PT on Thursdays-Fridays.
Specific questions about submitting a book review, or submitting books for review should be directed to Dr. Nathan Hallanger, Book Review Editor, via email: bookreviews@ctns.org.
Please send editorial comments or suggestions to: theology-science@ctns.org.
CTNS Member News
Members' On-line Journal Access
Join CTNS
Become a member of CTNS and receive the quarterly peer-reviewed journal, Theology and Science both in print and on-line, discounts on conferences, access to the CTNS Bulletin and more. For one year: $67 general, or $42 senior (62 or over), or full-time student.
Instructions on joining/subscribing for the 2009 are available at www.ctns.org after November 17, 2008.
On-line access to Theology & Science
Members of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences are entitled to access the on-line version of Theology and Science free of charge while still receiving the print edition. This on line access is hosted by InformaWorld, (www.informaworld.com), "a one-stop site hosting journals, eBooks, abstract databases and reference works published by Taylor & Francis, Routledge, Psychology Press and Informa Healthcare."You may like to access a sample journal on-line before joining. Click here.
*Note: Allow 4 weeks after joining CTNS or renewing your membership, to receive your login information from InformaWorld.
If you are unsure if your CTNS membership is current, or have other questions, please contact the CTNS Membership Coordinator at ctnsinfo@ctns.org.
CTNS Members Access On-Line Articles from The CTNS Bulletin
CTNS Members receive the username and password to access Volumes 10-22 of The CTNS Bulletin articles via PDF files on the website. (The CTNS Bulletin is the predecessor to Theology and Science.)
Members may search by author, article title, or volume year. (Note that the password will be changed in January 2009 and will be sent to current 2009 CTNS members then).
Note: This is a separate on-line access system from the current CTNS journal, Theology and Science which is hosted at Informaworld.com.
Network News
Conference in London
Christians in Science announces a conference titled "Celebrating Darwin? Creation, Evolution and Theological Challenges" on Saturday, November 1, 2008 in London, UK. Details and booking information may be found at www.cis.org.uk/
The Seventh International Whitehead Conference, India
This conference on Alfred North Whitehead's work will be held January 5-9, 2009 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India and is organized by the Faculty of Philosophy at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram and the PG Department of Philosophy, Christ University. For more information, visit the conference website: www.whitehead-bangalore.in/
Invitation from The Clergy Letter Project
The Clergy Letter Project, begun by Michael Zimmerman, was designed to demonstrate the compatibility of religion and science and to elevate public debate on this important issue. The letter itself addresses the project's goals much more concretely, and it has been signed by over 11,600 members of the Christian clergy. (A recently drafted letter for Jewish rabbis has already received over 200 signatures.) The letter, available for viewing and signing, includes additional information about the project and about the February 2009 Evolution Weekend. Visit www.theclergyletterproject.org/
You may also like to investigate the new Facebook group by the Clergy Letter Project that has also been organized for clergy and lay people.
Visit: http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26834372669&ref=share
"Science & Religion Today" Blog
CTNS recently learned of a Blog titled, Science & Religion Today led by former writers for Science & Theology News. Science writer Heather Wax is the Editor, with Dan Messier serving as Assistant Editor and Karl Giberson as Editor-at-Large. Currently, subscriptions are free, or you may prefer to visit the blog from time to time for articles and announcements of interest to you. The Blog is interested in hearing from you with articles or news of interest in the science and religion arena. http://scienceandreligiontoday.blogspot.com/
Remember to check your local PBS listings for Closer To Truth: Cosmos, Consciousness, God. by new CTNS Board member, Dr. Robert Kuhn. The new production of this television series, for which Dr. Kuhn serves at executive producer and series creator, has begun airing in select cities. Closer To Truth focuses on three fundamental and interrelated subjects: Consciousness (brain, mind, free will, personal identity, alien intelligence, parapsychology), Cosmos (cosmology, fundamental physics, philosophy of cosmology and physics, emergence, science and religion), and God (philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, critical thinking).
Featured are 128 of the world's leading scientists, philosophers, scholars and thinkers including some current members of the CTNS Board of Directors including our own Robert John Russell. Bob will be speaking on "Can Science Deal with God?", "Did God Create Time?" and "How Could God Interact with the World?" Note: KQED World (San Francisco bay area) will air "Can Science Deal with God?" on November 24 & 29, 2008.
The Closer to Truth website shows PBS stations' program listings.www.closertotruth.com/station-listing
Here are some examples:
San Francisco
KQED World
Three times a week: Mondays, 7:30 am; Saturdays, 1:00 pm; Sundays,
4:30 am
http://www.kqed.org/tv/programs/index.jsp?pgmid=17540
New York
CUNY-TV (Channel 75)
Four times a week: Tuesdays, 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 7:30 PM; Saturdays, 8:30 AM
http://www.cuny.tv/specials/special2.lasso?specialsID=%27SP000366%27
WLIW (21) and WNYE (25) will be starting later.
Los Angeles
KOCE (Orange County, Los Angeles) - Mondays 11:30 PM
KVCR (San Bernardino) - Thursdays 11:30 PM
KCET (World) - Beginning in November Thursdays 7:30 AM/1:30 PM
Washington, D.C.
WHUT - Sundays 11:00 AM / Thursdays 6”00 PM
Tacoma / Seattle
KBTC - Tuesdays 7:00 PM / Mondays 12:30 AM
KCKA - Tuesdays 7:00 PM / Mondays 12:30 AM
KCTS - Wednesdays, 4:00 AM/4:30 AM
More stations will be beginning throughout the fall, including Boston (WGBH World), Phoenix, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Rochester, Nebraska, etc.
If you’re not able to tune in for the broadcast, there is a wealth of information as well as video clips on the Closer to Truth website: www.closertotruth.com.
If you would no longer like to receive the CTNS quarterly E-News, you may unsubscribe at: www.ctns.org/involve_unsubscribe.html
We'd like to hear from You.
We would appreciate your comments about this E-News via email or via written letter.
Bonnie F. Johnston, CTNS E-News Editor
2400 Ridge Rd.
Berkeley, CA 94709 USA
Email: ctnsinfo@ctns.org
510-848-8152
fax. 510-848-2535
www.ctns.org
