Dear WesleyNexus Colleague:
As we head into the post-Pentecost summer season, this issue of our newsletter might appropriately be dubbed “Fishing Expeditions.” This month we highlight a faith-science sermon series that was used by a prominent United Methodist Church as a “fishing expedition” for persons not affiliated with church. Two other articles highlight the latest news on gene-editing, CRISPR, and human fetal research; they remind us that our ministry takes place in a cultural landscape that is rapidly changing. A summary of the 235th session of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church reminds us that the church, too, is in the midst of change. It can all seem so exhausting and overwhelming, but a “throwback” to one of Paul Tillich’s sermons, “Spiritual Presence,” encourages us that ours is the work of the Spirit.
To us, as to his first disciples, Jesus says, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” (from Matthew 4:19-20, The Message). The content of this newsletter reminds us that we are not the only ones fishing for hearts and minds. Others are too, often with ideologies and agendas that compete with the grace-filled, justice-for-all vision that Jesus embodied. And, so, we press on for the work of Christ.
The work of WesleyNexus is to bring you the best resources at the intersection of science and Christian faith, to promote the most reasoned and Christ-informed dialogue, that together we might make a difference in a world that is increasingly shaped by science and technology. We kindly ask your financial support to help us continue this important work. WesleyNexus is a 501(c)(3) charitable, educational organization, and we will acknowledge all gifts from individuals for tax reporting purposes. Thanks in advance for your support.
Blessings,
Jennifer, Maynard, and the rest of the WesleyNexus Board
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Fishing Expedition: Flagship United Methodist Church Uses Faith-Science Sermon Series for Outreach
Discovery & Faith, a program initiative of WesleyNexus, recently helped the pastoral team of Floris United Methodist Church, led by Rev. Tom Berlin, plan a 4-week sermon series on faith and science. Floris UMC is a flagship church of the Virginia Annual Conference with a main campus in Herndon, Virginia, and two satellite campuses in Reston and Loudoun. Its faith-and-science sermon series was intended as a “fishing expedition,” meant to reach persons who are not already affiliated with church. The series began the Sunday after Easter with a sermon on the resurrection of the body; explored creation and evolution and creation care; and culminated in a look at issues at the intersection of faith and medical science. Check out the faith-science sermons given by the Floris UMC pastors:
At Floris UMC:
- The Body Beyond Death by Rev. Tom Berlin
- Creation and Evolution by Rev. Tom Berlin
- Who Cares About the Environment? by Rev. Tom Berlin
- The Holy in Medicine by Rev. Barbara Miner
At Restoration Reston by Rev. Tim Ward:
- Creation and Evolution
If you would like help to plan a faith-and-science event for your church, please contact Jennifer Secki Shields at connect@discoveryandfaith.org.
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White House Decides to Terminate HHS-Funded Research Using Human Fetal Tissue
Reflecting the controversy that defines the debate about abortion in the U.S., the Trump administration recently decided to terminate HHS-funded research using human fetal tissue. NIH Director Francis Collins, the government’s top medical scientist (also a Christian), said as recently as December that he believes “there’s strong evidence that scientific benefits come from fetal tissue research.” Given the impact of the administration’s decision on medical research and potential treatment of human disease, this will no doubt be an issue of significance as the 2020 presidential election heats up. To help you better understand this issue, particularly as it meets the practice of Christian faith, we encourage you to check out the following links:
Three sources that reported on the White House decision:
- Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/06/trump-personally-made-call-restricting-medical-research-using-fetal-tissue/
- US News & World Report: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2019-06-05/trump-ending-fetal-tissue-research-by-federal-scientists
- WMAL: http://www.wmal.com/2019/06/05/white-house-ends-fetal-tissue-research-by-federal-scientists/
NIH Chief and Christian Francis Collins Defends the Use of Human Fetal Tissue in Research:
BioLogos, a leading organization in the faith-science dialogue particularly among evangelicals, weighed in on the topic as a sub-theme in its article on gene editing:
https://biologos.org/articles/christian-wisdom-in-the-biotech-age
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U.S. Experiments Aim to Create Gene-Edited Human Embryos
A scientist in New York is conducting experiments designed to modify DNA in human embryos as a step toward someday preventing inherited diseases, NPR has reported.
For now, the work is confined to a laboratory. But the research, if successful, would mark another step toward turning CRISPR, a powerful form of gene editing, into a tool for medical treatment.
A Chinese scientist sparked international outrage in November 2018 when he announced that he had used the same technique to create the world’s first gene-edited human babies. He said his goal was to protect them from infection with HIV, a claim that was criticized because there are safe, effective and far less controversial ways of achieving that goal.
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Historic 235th Session of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Challenges UMC Discipline
The 2019 session of the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference might be considered historic because, for the first time, a fully credentialed bishop in the United Methodist church ordained as deacon a woman in a married same-sex relationship, followed by the ordination of a man as elder who is also in a same sex marriage. By definition, these persons, and this act on the part of Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, contravenes the existing 2016 Book of Discipline, and will challenge the actions of the 2019 Special General Session of the UMC General Conference in St. Louis last February. The plan that was passed at the St. Louis General Conference was upheld in part by the Judicial Council in April, so this story will have another chapter unfolding when that plan takes effect on January 1, 2020. Read more…
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“Throwback” Sermon by Paul Tillich Still Speaks Words of Encouragement
The church today faces many challenges, from both inside and outside its walls. Ministry in the post-Christian era on a rapidly and ever-changing cultural landscape can seem daunting. As the church celebrates her birthday, we offer inspiration from Paul Tillich, first preached on Pentecost. Read Tillich’s complete “Spiritual Presence” sermon…
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The 65th Annual Summer Conference sponsored by the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science is scheduled for June 22-29, 2019 on Star Island off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There is still time to register on the website.
The CRISPR Apple on the Tree of Knowledge: Bioengineering, Gene Editing, and the Human Future
Human gene editing is quickly outstripping the decision-making mechanisms we have in place for approving or regulating technology usage. The technology to directly manipulate the genomes of plants, animals and even humans is developing rapidly and is already in use. Can it be rationally managed and applied ethically? What are the medical, economic, environmental, and social consequences of genetic manipulation? At this conference, scientists, theologians, religious scholars and ethicists will offer illuminating and thought-provoking perspectives on the issues surrounding the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. Scientists will explain the technique of gene editing with CRISPR and ethicists will ponder the impacts on society, from pest control to designer babies. What are the implications for agriculture and world hunger? What about medical advances that are too costly for most of the world? Theologians and religious scholars will discuss how we understand human nature and responsibility from within various religious traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Most fundamentally, we will explore ethical issues such as therapy versus enhancement; species elimination versus global epidemic; germline intervention; and the long-term effects of bioengineering and genome editing that are within the realm of CRISPR possibility.
Dr. Ted Peters of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and Dr. Arvin Gouw, of Stanford University are serving as Program Co-Chairs of the 2019 Conference, and they have assembled a stellar lineup of presentations. The featured speakers include (among others) Michael Ruse of Florida State University, Kareem Washington of Howard University, Gary Sherman of Virginia Technological Institute and University, Arthur Surherland of Loyola University of Maryland, Gayle E. Woloschak of Northwestern University, Lisa Fullam of Santa Clara University, Nadine Vincenten of Harvard University, and William Hurlbutt of Stanford University. For more information go to the IRAS website www.iras.org.
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American Scientific Affiliation: Annual Meeting at Wheaton College, July 19-22, 2019
The 2019 Annual Meeting of ASA is “Exploring Creation” and will be hosted by Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, west of Chicago. The American Scientific Affiliation was founded in 1941 as an international network of Christians in the sciences. The ASA is not an advocacy organization. Where there is honest disagreement on an aspect of science, Christian faith, or the relationship between the two, the ASA strives to create a safe environment in which dialogue can flourish and diverse, even contrasting, ideas can be discussed with courtesy and respect. Plenary speakers confirmed for the 2019 Conference include physicist Gerald Gabrielse, professor of physics at Northwestern University; Deborah Haarsma, formerly professor of physics and astronomy at Calvin College and President of BioLogos; Jennifer Powell McNutt, professor of history of Christianity at Wheaton College; Kenneth R. Miller , Professor of Biology at Brown University; James L. Sherley, founder of the stem cell biotechnology company Asymmetrex, LLC; and Gayle E. Woloschak, professor of Radiation Oncology, Radiology, and Cell and Molecular Biology in the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. The 2019 Conference theme is intended to combine the scientific aspect of exploration with the theological concept of the natural world as creation. This theme epitomizes the work of the ASA, focusing on understanding science and related fields in the context of our Christian faith. More information and registration links are available on the ASA website www.asa3.org.
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ISSR Conference, July 21-24, 2019, United Kingdom
The International Society on Science & Religion will be holding a conference this year at Eynsham Hall near Oxford in the United Kingdom on 21st – 24th July, on the topic ‘Evolution, Religion and Social Bonding’. There is a strong set of invited speakers, and the conference will include presentations from ISSR’s current grant-funded project on Religion and the Social Brain. Please pass this on to any younger scholars who you think might be interested. ISSR is offering bursaries to help with conference costs. For more information see https://www.issrconference.org