God and Nature Fall 2020
Letter from the Editors |
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By Sy Garte and Aniko Albert
This is the last issue of 2020, a year that will certainly live in our memories as a time of great challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic we focused on in the Summer issue is far from over, and here in the US we still have to get through what promises to be a stormy election. We are praying for a Christmas season of joy and hope, and for freedom from the anxiety and sometimes despair of this difficult year.
The essays and photos in this issue will hopefully lift us above the ongoing stress of our times into the world of science and God’s grace. We have an intriguing discussion of panpsychism and the role of the human microbiome in health and cognition by John Pohl; a moving personal story of the meaning of communion after a tragic experience by former God and Nature Managing Editor Ciara Reyes-Ton; and John Griffin’s story of one man’s journey through the science/faith jungle and the support he received from fellow Christians. Amir Azarvan presents a compelling view of how to discuss the limits of science and the meaning of scientific laws with students.
Angie Cornwell gives us a poignant picture of how animal camouflage can teach us about finding our way to God, in whose will we must trust. The science of quantum physics inspires essays by Ranjit Thuraisingham and Ken Touryan to find analogies with the duality of human nature and the power of prayer, respectively. Finally, Marina George presents a well thought-out treatise on evolutionary creationism. We are blessed with two photoessays from our regular photography contributors, Thomas Jay Oord and Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Tom’s prose and Cheryl’s poem make perfect accompaniments to their inspiring photographs of God’s creation.
We also have a new Declare the Glory feature: Awe is an inspiring video of astronomical photos and text contributed by Jim Green, set to the music of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Please enjoy this issue of God and Nature, keep praying, and think about what you might like to contribute to the magazine for others to read and enjoy. Peace and safety be with you.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature. 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, God and Nature and The BioLogos Forum. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA. He is the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith.
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.
This is the last issue of 2020, a year that will certainly live in our memories as a time of great challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic we focused on in the Summer issue is far from over, and here in the US we still have to get through what promises to be a stormy election. We are praying for a Christmas season of joy and hope, and for freedom from the anxiety and sometimes despair of this difficult year.
The essays and photos in this issue will hopefully lift us above the ongoing stress of our times into the world of science and God’s grace. We have an intriguing discussion of panpsychism and the role of the human microbiome in health and cognition by John Pohl; a moving personal story of the meaning of communion after a tragic experience by former God and Nature Managing Editor Ciara Reyes-Ton; and John Griffin’s story of one man’s journey through the science/faith jungle and the support he received from fellow Christians. Amir Azarvan presents a compelling view of how to discuss the limits of science and the meaning of scientific laws with students.
Angie Cornwell gives us a poignant picture of how animal camouflage can teach us about finding our way to God, in whose will we must trust. The science of quantum physics inspires essays by Ranjit Thuraisingham and Ken Touryan to find analogies with the duality of human nature and the power of prayer, respectively. Finally, Marina George presents a well thought-out treatise on evolutionary creationism. We are blessed with two photoessays from our regular photography contributors, Thomas Jay Oord and Cheryl Grey Bostrom. Tom’s prose and Cheryl’s poem make perfect accompaniments to their inspiring photographs of God’s creation.
We also have a new Declare the Glory feature: Awe is an inspiring video of astronomical photos and text contributed by Jim Green, set to the music of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Please enjoy this issue of God and Nature, keep praying, and think about what you might like to contribute to the magazine for others to read and enjoy. Peace and safety be with you.
Sy Garte Ph.D. Biochemistry, is Editor-in-Chief of God and Nature. 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, God and Nature and The BioLogos Forum. Sy is Vice President of the Washington DC ASA Chapter, and a fellow of the ASA. He is the author of The Works of His Hands: A Scientist's Journey from Atheism to Faith.
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.