This page functions like the back cover of a paperback, full of blurbs by respected names written in support of an unknown author.
Biblical Scholars
Many people find the apparent polarization between 'science' and 'faith' puzzling, but don't know quite why or how to sort it all out. Here is a resource, by a thinker who knows both worlds intimately and is well used to reflecting on their interaction, that will provide both the sigh of relief for the puzzled and anxious and the stimulus to all of us to think clearly and act wisely.
This is a really useful site for helping people see how you can take the Bible with absolute seriousness as the Word of God but not be locked into reckoning you have to be against the theory of evolution.
All truth is God's truth. But on some points, the Bible and science sometimes make competing claims. How should Christians navigate these difficulties? By pulling together these solid resources and perspectives on the interaction of Christian faith and science, Dr. Vinson has proven himself to be a welcome and reliable guide.
Christians have struggled for generations with the intersection of their faith and the developments of scientific inquiry, many of which are part and parcel of our daily existence. This uneasy, tenuous, and tumultuous relationship between faith and science requires fresh eyes and new paradigms. This site is a resource aimed at just that, and no doubt many people will benefit greatly from it.
What I have learned, after more than 35 years of studying the Bible, is that what most disturbs us is not the conflict of science and faith but the conflict of science and our cherished interpretations of biblical texts. Faith and science don't conflict, but sometimes what we "think" is our faith does -- and the more I study the intersection of faith and science the more convinced I am that we have nothing to fear. What we ought to fear is elevating cherished interpretations to the level of the centrality of our faith.
The Christian church and the world at large continue to need people who will do the hard work necessary to link disciplines, such as science and theology, and then to 'translate' what they discover at such a nexus for those of us lacking the time or skill to do it ourselves. Dr. David Vinson's site offers numerous and prudently chosen resources for people who want to understand better how science and theology relate. And who doesn't want to understand that?
David's webpage is a generous and useful resource for persons of faith who seek to find constructive, rather than confrontational, ways to converse with science. David balances scholarship and personal perspective in a disarming and invitational way. Would that all participants adopt such a posture!
Local Pastors
As a pastor in a university setting, I regularly connect with Christians who struggle with the seeming incompatibility of their education and their faith in God’s Word, the Bible. David Vinson has provided us with a truly valuable resource that will help thoughtful Christians sift through the theological and academic issues surrounding the evolution/creation debate. My confidence in Dr. Vinson goes beyond his academic credentials; as a close friend who knows his character, I can recommend him doubly.
I am delighted to be asked to commend David Vinson's website on faith and science. I encourage both theological students and lay people to give special attention to this important resource for thinking about the relationship of Christian faith to scientific exploration. For the beginner, this website should be the first port of call. Those who have studied and thought about these matters for years could do no better than to make this website home port. As both mature scientist and lay theologian David is in a unique position to be a sure-footed guide through the turbulent waters of faith and science.
In my quarter century in campus ministry, I have witnessed a troubling and growing schizophrenia among Christian students. They have one brain for succeeding in the university and another for their Christian life. Seldom do their Christian mind and student mind appear to converse with one another. This bifurcation is tragic both for the church and for the academy. Moreover, it constitutes a spiritual malady inasmuch as these students maintain at least one false persona and, therefore, lack integrity. This illness occurs to some extent in all disciplines, but nowhere is this more apparent than in the biological sciences. Dr. Vinson has provided an invaluable dispensary to help foster the spiritual health of Christian university students. His web-site ought to be a standard course for any Christian university student, especially those in the biological sciences.
One of the pressing matters of our day is the relationship between faith and science. Constructive dialogue is needed if we are to bypass the false dichotomy that stsifles conversation and impedes learning. This website encourages that much-needed dialogue. Dr. Vinson has a unique passion for and knowledge of science and theology, which allow him to raise vital questions and offer compelling answers. Throughtful Christians will find this site's many resources most informative. I highly recommend it.
Scientists
David Vinson's site assembles some excellent and trustworthy resources. In the virtual world, other web-sites do not represent well the depth of theological and scientific scholarship, and so misrepresent the fruitfulness of the dialogue between science and religion. This site shows just how rich and constructive the dialogue is.
At a time when evangelicals are rejecting established science in favor of home-grown and obsolete mythologies it is encouraging to find voices like David Vinson's. This site is well-worth perusing and makes a valuable contribution.
I have followed the work of Dr. David Vinson for a couple years now, and have found that he presents one of the most balanced approaches that I have seen to the relationship between science and religion. Two words characterize his handling of this material: faithful and fearless. He is faithful to Scripture, the Book of God's Words, and he is fearless in drawing the best conclusions from today’s natural sciences, the Book of God's Works. I highly recommend Dr. Vinson’s website as a rich and reliable resource for the Christian's exploration of creation through evolutionary means.
Linked
A couple sites have listed our webpage as among their recommended links.
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