Apologetics 315 Podcast

008 - Thinking About Evolution with Fuz Rana


Listen Later

Today's interview is with biochemist Fazale Rana, the vice president of research and apologetics at Reasons to Believe. He is the author of several groundbreaking books, including Who Was Adam, Creating Life in the Lab, The Cell’s Design, and Humans 2.0. He holds a PhD in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry from Ohio University.

We'll be talking to Fuz about RTB's book, "Thinking About Evolution: 25 Questions Christians Want Answered" in which he's a contributing author.

1:25 - Introduction to Fuz Rana, Reasons to Believe (www.reasons.org) and the book Thinking About Evolution.

2:30 - Defining the terms surrounding evolution, as well as the possibility of equivocation on evolution. Micro-evolution, macro-evolution, speciation, chemical evolution, origin of life, etc.

6:45 - Thinking through evolution for yourself. Philosophical pre-commitments. The problem of underdetermination of scientific theories.

10:00 - The structure of the book, overarching goals, and RTB's approach to evolution as it relates to creation.

12:05 - The biases that everyone brings to scientific topics. Acknowledging our biases. The progressive creation model.

15:50 - Fuz's personal journey, uncertainty about God's existence, evolution, design in biological systems, the origin of life.

19:30 - What is theistic evolution / evolutionary creationism? Philosophical challenges and theological implications. "Tacking God onto evolution".

26:50 - Chemical evolution and the origin of life. Philosophical pre-commitments that life evolved. Challenges in origin of life research.

30:00 - Interactions with origin of life researchers. Intelligent agency in origin of life experiments. "The hand of God dilemma."

39:10 - Irreducible complexity in biological systems, and how they may or may not be good arguments for design in biology. Co-option as a possible rejoinder to irreducible complexity.

44:00 - How the concept of biological convergence could be interpreted as common design rather than evolutionary similarities on two different beaches of the evolutionary tree.

48:00 - Does co-option apply to biological convergence? Eye structures in chameleons and sandlances.

51:30 - Does Paley's "watchmaker argument" fail? Biomemetics and bio inspiration. The inverse watchmaker argument.

54:50 - Junk DNA? What is the state of the science? Functions that have been discovered in "junk DNA".

59:30 - Advice to Christians going into science, biology, and technology. The importance of the philosophy of science.

Find more info on Reasons to Believe at www.reasons.org.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Apologetics 315 PodcastBy Defenders Media

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

244 ratings


More shows like Apologetics 315 Podcast

View all
Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

15,951 Listeners

Reasonable Faith Podcast by William Lane Craig

Reasonable Faith Podcast

1,454 Listeners

Unbelievable? by Premier Unbelievable?

Unbelievable?

2,026 Listeners

The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast by J. Warner Wallace

The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast

1,510 Listeners

Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast by Greg Koukl

Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

1,256 Listeners

Intelligent Design the Future by Discovery Institute

Intelligent Design the Future

954 Listeners

Apologia Radio by Apologia Radio, Jeff Durbin

Apologia Radio

1,952 Listeners

Breakpoint by Colson Center

Breakpoint

3,080 Listeners

#STRask by Stand to Reason

#STRask

591 Listeners

The AC Podcast by Apologetics Canada

The AC Podcast

209 Listeners

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture by Talbot School of Theology at Biola University / Sean McDowell & Scott Rae

Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith & Culture

1,273 Listeners

BibleThinker by Mike Winger

BibleThinker

2,867 Listeners

I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST by Dr. Frank Turek

I Don't Have Enough FAITH to Be an ATHEIST

5,383 Listeners

The Alisa Childers Podcast by Alisa Childers

The Alisa Childers Podcast

5,368 Listeners

Undeceptions with John Dickson by Undeceptions Ltd

Undeceptions with John Dickson

362 Listeners