Largest meeting of Christians in the sciences comes to Nashville in July
The American Scientific Affiliation’s 68th Annual Meeting will take place July 19-22 at Belmont University as some 250 scientists and academics advance the conversation about faith and science. This year’s theme is “In God’s Image: Celebrating Creativity in Science and Invention” based on Psalm 8:6, “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.”
American Scientific Affiliation Executive Director Randall D. Isaac said, “Our meeting enables Christians in the sciences to meet and support each other. As Christians with a vocation in the sciences, we seek to bring a Christian perspective to our work. As scientists with a commitment to Christ, we seek to understand how a study of God’s creation strengthens our Christian faith. Personal interaction is a vital part of that community of support. We share our insights and experiences to encourage each other in the faith.”
Plenary speakers are Belmont Director of Entrepreneurship Jeff Cornwall, Princeton University Chemistry Professor Andy Bocarsly, U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences Research Division Director Jim Van Dam, University of Illinois College of Engineering Associate Dean for Administration Bruce A. Vojak and Rutgers University Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice Mary Wagner.
The conference includes a banquet with Nashville eye surgeon Ming Wang presenting his take on “Faith and Science: Friends or Foes?” Wang will play the violin erhu accompanied by guitarist Carlos Enrique.
Workshops include the Introductory Hermeneutical Principles for Science and Religion and The Human Genome as an Ancient Text. There will be a symposium featuring poster topics on a variety of issues surrounding science, technology, faith, ethics and education. Belmont Vice President of Spiritual Development Todd Lake will lead the Sunday morning worship service. The tentative annual meeting program schedule with abstracts of all talks is available on the ASA website.
Early-bird registration of $210 for ASA members and $260 for non-members ends June 14. Afterwards, registration increases to $260 for ASA members and $310 for non-members. Banquet tickets are $33 for members and $50 for non-members and available through July 11 at asa3.org.
“The American Scientific Affiliation is a network of academic Christians in the sciences, and having this group on Belmont’s campus is supportive of Vision 2015 and the goal of having growing opportunities for Christian learning in academic coursework. Scientists at the top of their respective fields are members of the ASA. Their work involves presenting scholarship in relation to a Christian faith commitment, and it demonstrates God’s ever-present involvement in all things,” said Belmont College of Arts & Sciences Dean Bryce F. Sullivan, an ASA member.
Several ASA leaders have spoken to students on Belmont’s campus in recent years including Robert Kaita, principal research physicist for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Jennifer Wiseman, chief of the NASA-Goddard Laboratory for ExoPlanets and Stellar Astrophysics.
“Our goal is to showcase and celebrate God’s gift of creativity in science and invention. Belmont is an ideal locale, given its reputation as a leader in entrepreneurial education. Together with all that Nashville has to offer, we’re looking forward to a great meeting,” said Kaita, the meeting’s chairman.
The ASA was founded in 1941 and is the largest organization of Christians in the sciences.
