Language of God show

Language of God

Summary: BioLogos brings you a podcast about science and Christian Faith. Featuring the voices of experts & thinkers, scientists & theologians, and stories from people who are finding a harmony between faith and science.

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 112. Bill McKibben | No License to Give Up | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 50:05

With his 1989 book The End of Nature, climate activist Bill McKibben launched the contemporary movement against climate change. In the several decades since its publication, he has continued informing the public about the status of our climate and advocating for necessary mitigation measures. McKibben is also a Christian who sees his activism as a natural result of his ardent faith. In this episode, he discusses how we got to our current situation, including why he thinks many Christians have historically avoided or actively opposed their Biblical mandate to be stewards of the Earth, as well as why the Christian Church may be the only institution with the power to effectively confront the dominant culture of apathy on this issue. These discussions inevitably confront political commitments, yet McKibben makes a strong case that our Christian responsibilities take precedence over political affiliations.  Learn more about Third Act on their website Check out Bill McKibben’s books here Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 111. N.T. Wright | The Point of Resurrection | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 54:38

For an episode released during Holy Week, it seemed appropriate to have a conversation with the theologian who has written what many consider to be the seminal work on Jesus’ resurrection, The Resurrection of the Son of God. N.T. Wright is a New Testament scholar of high regard and we talk to him about the resurrection: this miraculous, earth shattering event which changed the course of history. We also hear a bit about how he came to be a theologian and writer who has split his time between academia and ministry.  Find N.T. Wrights free ebook, Preaching the Cross in Dark Times here.  The music in this episode is by Joseph McDade Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 55. Tim Mackie | What is the Bible? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 53:21

In this episode, Jim Stump is joined by Tim Mackie, one of the founders of BibleProject. Tim’s transformation from West Coast skateboarder, to Bible student, to video producer may seem surprising, but his unorthodox journey to faith has given him a unique perspective and passion for the Bible. Tim discusses the history of the Bible, explores the context in which it was written, and demonstrates what it looks like to bring the Bible into relevance for people today. Tim Mackie is a writer and creative director for BibleProject, an animation studio that produces videos to help make the story of the Bible accessible to everyone. He has ahis Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. BibleProject YouTube ChannelBibleProject Website This episode was originally aired on September 17th, 2020. Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 110. Makoto Fujimura | Creating Beauty from Brokenness | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:04:27

Makoto Fujimura is a world-renowned artist often counted among the preeminent figures in the “slow art” movement. Yet Fujimura also has a deep connection to the sciences: he double majored in animal behavior and art during his undergraduate degree at Bucknell University and his father Osamu Fujimura was an influential speech scientist. In this live episode recorded at the 2022 BioLogos Faith & Science Conference, Fujimura reminisces on the roles of art, faith, and science in his childhood; discusses the relationship between these practices today; and presents his vision on how caring for culture can help revive our sense of enchantment with the world by bringing together disparate ways of knowing God’s world.  Images from the live recording are available at our website. Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 109. Tish Harrison Warren | God Is A Bad Fairy Godmother | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:46

The problem of evil has confounded people of faith as far back as Job. And the knowledge of the world that has been brought about by science has not made it any easier to answer the question of why a good and powerful God would let bad things happen. Tish Harrison Warren confronts the problem of evil in her book, Prayer in the Night. In the book she asks the question, how can we trust God at all when we can’t trust that God will keep bad things from happening to us? In the episode, we talk about how praying the compline prayer helped her to find an answer to that question and we talk about what prayer is and what it does. We also discuss COVID 19, broaching the topic of returning to in-person church, which she has written about in some recent newsletters in the New York Times. Original music in this episode is from Carp. Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 108. Debra Rienstra | The Discipline of Hope | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 58:29

Our best scientific models make it clear that society needs a big change at a global scale in order to limit irreversible damage—what good can individual actions and attitudes do in the face of this immense problem? Today’s guest, Debra Rienstra, argues that the right relationship with the Earth can actually make all the difference and that new worlds of hope are built in hidden refuges amidst the surrounding devastation. Genuine lament and grief help reorient us toward the beauty and majesty of creation. Only once this groundwork has been laid can we truly repent for what we have done—and begin the work of hope for a better future. Learn more about Debra’s new book Read April Maskiewicz Cordero’s article on climate conversations Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 107. Leslie Wickman | Bring on the Multiverse | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:30

Leslie Wickman first witnessed the expanse and majesty of creation through a telescope as a young child on one of those rare cloudless nights in the Pacific Northwest. She never could have guessed that it would lead her to working on parts of the Hubble telescope, training in space simulations and becoming designated as a corporate astronaut. In the episode, Leslie talks about her path through her many scientific endeavors and the development of her understanding of faith in relation to that science. We discuss the new Webb telescope, the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe, the multiverse, and the significance of fine-tuning as a pointer to God.  Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 67. Esau McCaulley | Justice & the Bible | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:04

A common refrain at BioLogos is “you don’t have to choose,” and usually it is in the context of the Bible and science. Esau McCaulley, assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, was presented with a different choice, one between the Bible and racial justice. But this too is a false dichotomy.  The Bible is a good place to turn in times of confusion or questioning, but whether it is science or issues of injustice, it is important that a reading of the Bible be informed by the perspectives of other people and other cultures. McCaulley’s book, Reading While Black lays out the case for a Black Ecclesial interpretive tradition. He shows how asking questions of the text that grow out of the reality of being Black in America, helps to give us a fuller perspective on what the Bible has to say about things like race, governing authorities, and justice.  This episode was originally aired on Feb 4, 2021. Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 106. Joseph Graves | Race, Racism, and the Church | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 55:25

In Dr. Joseph Graves’ recent book, Racism, Not Race: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, he and his co-author build a case that our concept of biological races was brought about because of the racism that was a part of the fabric of our lives, not the other way around, as is often assumed. In a previous series of episodes, Dr Graves helped us to understand the nuances of why race is not a biological concept. In this episode, we build on that, talking about institutional racism, the myth that athletic ability is tied to race, and the church’s inaction, so far, on following the call to love our neighbors and enact justice.  Listen to episodes 48 and 49 of Language of God to hear Joseph Graves on the genetics of race. Find books mentioned in this episode: Race, not Racism by Joseph Graves and Alan GoodmanBecoming an Anti Racist Church by Joseph BarndtNew Jim Crow by MIchelle AlexanderWhite Too Long by Robert Jones Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 105. Bishop Claude Alexander | What the Lord Requires | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 54:59

On his return to the podcast, Bishop Claude Alexander talks with Jim about his new book, Required: God’s Call to Justice, Mercy, and Humility to Overcome Racial Division. Co-authored by Bishop Claude and Mac Pierre, the book explores what the Bible calls us to do in the face of racial injustice. While Protestantism often prefers to emphasize the importance of grace in being saved rather than works, the authors make a strong, Biblically centered case for how we as Christians should love our broken world.  Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 104. Regina McCurdy | Teaching Teachers to Teach Science | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:38

Regina McCurdy loved science as a child and also took her faith really seriously, which eventually led to a conflict. But when she was eventually told by a pastor that she didn’t have to choose between science and faith, her world opened up. Now she spends her days teaching teachers how to teach science. In the episode we hear her story and then talk about some different aspects of science teaching including the importance of bringing empathy into the classroom and the role race and ethnicity plays in the science classroom. Read Regina's story on the BioLogos website here Learn about Integrate Science and Faith Curriculum Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 103. Reconciling Evolution | Part Two | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 37:30

Though the theory of evolution has revolutionized the biological sciences, bringing the theory into the classroom still causes some fear and trembling—from teachers, students, parents. Last fall we spent some time with a group of people who have been researching how to teach evolution better, in a way that acknowledges the emotional and religious tensions that comes into the classroom and attempts to help students understand the science of evolution while retaining—even bolstering—their faith. In this episode we hear from some of the people putting this work into practice and we hear a few stories of the hardships that are faced when evolution comes to the classroom. Learn more about the Reconciling Evolution Research Group Science and the Bible series by Ted Davis Learn more about Integrate Curriculum The music in this episode is by Joseph McDade Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 102. Reconciling Evolution | Part One | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 33:37

Though the theory of evolution has revolutionized the biological sciences, bringing the theory into the classroom still causes some fear and trembling—from teachers, students, parents. Last fall we spent some time with a group of people who have been researching how to teach evolution better, in a way that acknowledges the emotional and religious tensions that comes into the classroom and attempts to help students understand the science of evolution while retaining—even bolstering—their faith. In this episode we talk about the history of teaching evolution and introduce some of the research from the team.  Learn more about the Reconciling Evolution Research Group Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 101. Jemar Tisby | Splendiferous Wondrous Differences | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:10:27

Every human bears the image of God, and in God’s good future there will be a great diversity of people from all nations and tribes. But we don’t always live as if that were the case. Dr. Jemar Tisby joins us to talk about the church’s complicity in racism and what we can do about it. Jemar Tisby is the author of The Color of Compromise, a New York Times bestseller, and How to Fight Racism, as well as the recently published How to Fight Racism Young Reader’s Edition. He’s also the co-founder of The Witness: a Black Christian Collective and co-host of the podcast, Pass the Mic.  Join a conversation about this episode on the BioLogos Forum.

 100. May Hope Abound | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 53:36

N.T. Wright, Francis Collins, John Walton, Deb Haarsma, Julia Wattacheril, Charlotte vanOyen-Witvliet, and Curtis Chang come back to the podcast to share their wisdom about hope.  Jim Stump's article on hopeDeb Haarsma's article on hopeArthur Brooks Atlantic article on Hope and OptimismN.T. Wright and Francis Collins sing 'New World Has Been Born' (video)Christians and the Vaccine  

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