Faith at the Frontiers

Austin and Barney interview Professor Emeritus Hugh Williamson of Oxford University on how his faith relates to historical enquiry about the Old Testament. We discuss questions like:

Thanks, as always, to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Is the Old Testament historically reliable? What difference does that question make to our faith? What do we mean by 'historical' and 'reliable' anyway?

In this episode, Barney and Austin interview Professor John Goldingay, a retired Old Testament scholar enormously influential in the Evangelical tradition. Prof. Goldingay shares his thoughts about the relationship between faith and biblical history, and then problematizes the question for us: why are we asking about this and in what way should it, and should it not, matter?

Thanks to Jamie Maule for sound editing!

Introducing the new co-host, Austin Stevenson, and our new topic for the next series. Austin and I will be wrestling with how the Christian faith relates to its own history. We'll be asking questions like:

Tune in soon for the first episode in the series!

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!

Let's open the science & religion debate to include voices from beyond the White Western world! In this episode Barney interviews two Anglican bishops who are doing just that:

This episode is full of insights about the way Africans conceive of the faith/science relationship, and what we can learn from it and other global perspectives. 

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Science is done in a society. Society affects not only what science is done, but how people understand it and its role. Dr. Thoko Kamwendo is part of a growing field of research called ‘science

Do you love reading sci-fi or fantasy? Have you ever thought about its theologial potential? In this episode, Barney discusses the value of science fiction for exploring dimensions of the Christian faith, with:

If you like this episode and want to learn more, visit these ECLAS resources:

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound editing!

Barney interviews Pastor Alton Bell about his experiences persuading his church congregation to take the Covid vaccine. This episode digs into the history of black peoples' engagement with white medicine, and is not always easy listening. But its message is important: science is always communicated by someone, and if that someone is the government, there are political issues at play.

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!

How can scientists enrich and enliven their local church communities? We’ve invited Professor David Wilkinson, Petra Crofton, and Deb Fozzard to explore the impact of the ⁠Scientists in Congregations project that shows just how much scientists can do.

If you want to learn more, check out these free science and faith resources for schools and (church) children’s workers:

• Wild and Wonderful UK.

Also take a look at these children's books on science by Petra Crofton:

• Science Geek Sam and His Secret Logbook 
• Science Geek Christy and Her Eco-Logbook 

Finally, take a look at Petra Crofton's top book recommendation: Francis Collins, The Language of God.

As always, thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!

What do Charismatic/Pentecostal Christians think of science? Two of their number discuss the distinctives of their tradition on this question:

1. Chris Done, Professor of astrophysics at Durham University
2. Simo Frestadius, executive director of the institute for Pentecostal theology

Among their many insights are that:

• Charismatics place a lot of emphasis on experience and experiment - not so different to scientists!
• Charismatics are keen to ‘demythologise’ the Bible - but not the same way Bultmann did!

Enjoy listening! Thanks to Jamie Maule for his sound engineering!

It may sound like a strange idea to teach science in seminaries. But after recording this episode, it made much more sense to the hosts! Lucas Mix (ECLAS) and Katy Hinman (AAAS) help run help run ECLAS’ ‘Science for Seminaries’ programme, in which future pastors, priests, and church leaders get to learn what it’s like to engage in science and with scientists. We discuss questions like:

• Why do people turn to their religious leaders for advice on scientific questions?
• Why has there been justified suspicion of science from minority ethnic groups, and what do we do about it?
• What might Science for Seminaries look like in the future?

If you’re interested to learn more, check out:

• The Science for Seminaries main page.
• The Science for Seminaries page on ECLAS' website.
• The resource website for DoSER (Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion).

Thanks to Jamie Maule for his audio editing!