Posts under "Theology and Science"

God’s Will and the Coronavirus

March 17th, 2020 / 48 Comments

I’m not surprised some people are blaming God. Maybe “crediting” God is more accurate. I’m reading social media posts saying the Coronavirus (Covid 19) is God’s will. Our current suffering is part of some predetermined divine plan. One post put it this way: “Sorry to break up the big panic, but the Coronavirus will not […]

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Explanations in Psychology & Theology

January 15th, 2020 / 7 Comments

I spent the last few weeks at Fuller Theological Seminary considering issues in psychology and theology. Most of the time, psychologists and cognitive scientists introduced our little group of scholars to the latest research and theories in their fields. The conversations were rich and varied. I loved it! I thank Bringing Theology to Mind workshop […]

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Experiencing God in Nature

April 3rd, 2019 / 4 Comments

I believe the natural world can be an arena for feeling God’s love. In fact, some outdoor enthusiasts say nature is their church. The idea nature is sacred may be why geological wonders are often called cathedrals, gardens of the gods, heavenly, or angels’ rests.

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Science, Religion, and Evil

March 1st, 2019 / 6 Comments

My title suggests a topic far too large to consider in one essay. Intellectual giants today and throughout history have wrestled with how science and religion ought to relate. And they have often considered questions of evil. Those who separate science neatly from religion think addressing evil well requires two entirely different conversations. Those who […]

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Creatio Ex Nihilo and Creation Care

April 2nd, 2018 / 6 Comments

A growing number of Christians see the need to care for creation. But most of these Christians affirm the ancient idea that God created the universe out of nothing (creatio ex nihilo). Does care for creation fit well with creatio ex nihilo? I don’t think so… I’ve been writing a book chapter for a new […]

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Why I Reject Creation from Nothing

June 17th, 2017 / 26 Comments

Few people wake up one morning and say, “Today, I will renounce the idea God created our universe from nothing.” I suspect that most people have not even heard of the idea, which is expressed by the Latin words creatio ex nihilo. And those who have heard of creation from nothing probably have no reason to question […]

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9 Reasons We Have Genuine but Limited Freedom

May 29th, 2017 / 9 Comments

An essay I wrote has just been published. I argue humans and God have genuine but limited freedom.  The new book is What’s with Free Will? Ethics and Religion after Neuroscience, edited by James Walters and Philip Clayton. The book responds to some neuroscientists who claim human free will is an illusion. These neuroscientists base […]

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My Alternative Theory of Creation

April 3rd, 2017 / 6 Comments

In three previous blogs, I explored 9 reasons many Christians affirm the theory that God initially created our universe from absolutely nothing. Although some of the reasons have validity, I found none of them to be ultimately convincing. In this blog, I want to offer my alternative to creation from nothing. The Basic Idea: creatio ex […]

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