TWU

Trinity Western University hosts "Scientists and the Church" set of events featuring Christians working in physics and environmentalism

Trinity Western University's Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences is pleased to host a series of events in partnership with the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation (CSCA) Vancouver chapter and The Scriptorium at UBC. 

Public Event

Date: Saturday, January 28, 2023

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. See the full day schedule below. 

Location: DeVries Centre auditorium, TWU Langley campus

Topic: Scientists and the Church

Genetic Engineering. Climate Change. Artificial Intelligence. Vaccines. Any one of these contemporary topics involves science and scientists. Many of these scientists are faithful members of our congregations. How do these church members experience discussions within their faith communities when nonscientists attempt to understand these issues from their faith perspective? And how can churches better engage Christians who are scientists in serving the church?

This event is funded by a Supporting Structures grant from Scholarship & Christianity In Oxford.


Scientists and the Church: Full Day Schedule

8:00-9:30 a.m. Breakfast with local pastors, ministry leaders, TWU and seminary faculty (optional)
* see below for more details 
10:00-11:30 a.m

ASA Winter Symposium (online), “watch party”: Scientists and the Church
* see below for more details 
 

12:00-1:00 p.m. Luncheon, including students (optional)
 
1:00-2:30 p.m. Robert Mann “To Infinity and Beyond: 50 Years of Exploring Science and Faith”
5:30-7:00 p.m. Dinner at UBC (optional)
7:30-9:00 p.m. Robert Mann “Time and Eternity” at UBC


Further Event Details

8:00 a.m. Breakfast with local pastors, ministry leaders, TWU and seminary faculty

Meals will include excellent opportunities to converse with local scientists, our guest speaker, and fellow attendees, with discussion questions at each table.

Register here ($10 | $5 for students | Breakfast ticket sales end Jan. 24 at 11:30 p.m.)
Registration is required for meals only, not for attending the public events.


10:00 a.m. Watch Party at TWU

Trinity Western University’s Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences and CSCA’s Vancouver chapter present a watch party of ASA’s 2023 Winter Symposium, featuring Walter Kim (President, National Association of Evangelicals) and Jessica Moerman (Vice President of Science and Policy, Evangelical Environmental Network).


About the Speakers

Walter Kim became the president of the National Association of Evangelicals in January 2020, after serving as a pastor for 15 years at Boston’s historic Park Street Church and four years at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has spent nearly three decades preaching, writing, and engaging in collaborative leadership to connect the Bible to the significant intellectual, cultural, and social issues of the day. He serves on the boards of Christianity Today and World Relief. Kim received his PhD from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, his MDiv from Regent College in Vancouver, and his BA from Northwestern University, and he is a licensed minister in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference.

Jessica Moerman is a climate and environmental scientist, pastor, educator, and advocate. She serves as Vice President of Science and Policy at the Evangelical Environmental Network (EEN). Jessica is also cofounding pastor of Grace Capital City church, which she planted in 2016 with her husband Chris in Washington, DC. Prior to joining EEN, Jessica was a AAAS Science and Technology Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy. She received her PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Georgia Institute of Technology and has held research positions at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where she researched how climate has changed throughout Earth’s history. She regularly speaks on issues related to climate change, pollution, children’s health, the clean energy transition, environmental stewardship, and the intersection of science and faith. She has appeared on national media outlets, including the NBC TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Robert B. Mann has a B.Sc. in physics from McMaster University and an M.Sc. and Ph.D from the University of Toronto, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. Currently a Professor of Physics at the University of Waterloo, he has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Cambridge University, the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, MacQuarie University, the Universite de Francois Robillard at Tours, the University of Queensland, Adolfo Ibanez University, and Pontifica Universidad Catholica de Valparaiso.


About Canadian Scientific & Christian Affiliation

The Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation (CSCA) is a fellowship of scientists and those interested in science, who want to understand how science should best interact with the life-giving Christian tradition.TWU’s Arnold Sikkema, Professor of Mathematical Sciences is the Executive Director. The CSCA is affiliated with the American Scientific Affiliation based in the US, and similar organizations in the UK and Australia. 


About Trinity Western University

Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.


For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.