God and Nature Summer 2021
letter from the editors |
|
By Sy Garte and Aniko Albert
Happy Summer! Of course, when we think about Summer, the first thing that comes to mind is….
the annual ASA Meeting!
This year’s meeting, to be held online, promises to be an exciting and inspiring event, with a great lineup. We won’t get a chance to meet up with each other in person—but imagine how special next year’s meeting will be! If you haven't registered yet, you still can.
Before tuning in to the 2021 Annual Meeting, you have a chance to peruse this issue of God and Nature. We welcome back a lot of regular contributors, starting with Janet Warren, who brings us a penetrating exploration of the parallels between vaccination and Christian faith. Pastor and author Terry Defoe writes about Bernard Ramm, his work, and his surprising influences on modern debates on origins. Angie Cornwell continues her series on how animals can teach us lessons about our faith commitments and give us strength to heal. Lucas Mix presents a thought-provoking analysis of the problems with the “warfare model” in understanding God’s creation of natural evil, including even viruses. Carlos Pinkham gives us a short but powerful piece on diving into deep water as an analogy to exploring the depth of scientific and theological truths. Finally, we have a newcomer to the magazine: Gary Cao and his collaborator Helen G. Hammond have contributed an essay on some ways physics can help us understand Scripture.
Our regular photo-essayist Cheryl Grey Bostrom gives us a collection of photos with a special theme—all are related to her forthcoming novel about the power of forgiveness. The captions to the photos include quotes from the book. (I (Sy) have read it and loved it!)
We are blessed with two outstanding poems in this issue, also by newcomers: Julia Oostema and Llewellen Hall. And finally, enjoy the latest from columnist Mike Clifford about a play rethinking Genesis from Eve's point of view.
Please enjoy this issue, think about contributing your own essay, poetry, or art, and we’ll see each other (minus the handshakes) in a couple of weeks at the annual meeting. Blessings to all.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature, and the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith.. He has been a Professor of Public Health and Environmental Health Sciences at New York University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pittsburgh. He was also Associate Director at the Center for Scientific Review at the NIH. He is the author of five books, over 200 scientific papers, and articles in PSCF and God and Nature. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA.
Aniko Albert grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University. A serial migrant, she taught English as a Foreign Language in her hometown, high-school Spanish in Kingston, Jamaica, and English and various subjects in Alameda, California. She is currently the Managing Editor of God and Nature, and Co-Chair of Rockville Help, an emergency assistance charitable organization in Rockville, Maryland.
Happy Summer! Of course, when we think about Summer, the first thing that comes to mind is….
the annual ASA Meeting!
This year’s meeting, to be held online, promises to be an exciting and inspiring event, with a great lineup. We won’t get a chance to meet up with each other in person—but imagine how special next year’s meeting will be! If you haven't registered yet, you still can.
Before tuning in to the 2021 Annual Meeting, you have a chance to peruse this issue of God and Nature. We welcome back a lot of regular contributors, starting with Janet Warren, who brings us a penetrating exploration of the parallels between vaccination and Christian faith. Pastor and author Terry Defoe writes about Bernard Ramm, his work, and his surprising influences on modern debates on origins. Angie Cornwell continues her series on how animals can teach us lessons about our faith commitments and give us strength to heal. Lucas Mix presents a thought-provoking analysis of the problems with the “warfare model” in understanding God’s creation of natural evil, including even viruses. Carlos Pinkham gives us a short but powerful piece on diving into deep water as an analogy to exploring the depth of scientific and theological truths. Finally, we have a newcomer to the magazine: Gary Cao and his collaborator Helen G. Hammond have contributed an essay on some ways physics can help us understand Scripture.
Our regular photo-essayist Cheryl Grey Bostrom gives us a collection of photos with a special theme—all are related to her forthcoming novel about the power of forgiveness. The captions to the photos include quotes from the book. (I (Sy) have read it and loved it!)
We are blessed with two outstanding poems in this issue, also by newcomers: Julia Oostema and Llewellen Hall. And finally, enjoy the latest from columnist Mike Clifford about a play rethinking Genesis from Eve's point of view.
Please enjoy this issue, think about contributing your own essay, poetry, or art, and we’ll see each other (minus the handshakes) in a couple of weeks at the annual meeting. Blessings to all.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature, and the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith.. He has been a Professor of Public Health and Environmental Health Sciences at New York University, Rutgers University, and the University of Pittsburgh. He was also Associate Director at the Center for Scientific Review at the NIH. He is the author of five books, over 200 scientific papers, and articles in PSCF and God and Nature. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA.
Aniko Albert grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University. A serial migrant, she taught English as a Foreign Language in her hometown, high-school Spanish in Kingston, Jamaica, and English and various subjects in Alameda, California. She is currently the Managing Editor of God and Nature, and Co-Chair of Rockville Help, an emergency assistance charitable organization in Rockville, Maryland.