Deborah Haarsma

Last updated
Deborah Haarsma
Born
Deborah Joy Becker

(1969-06-24) June 24, 1969 (age 55)
Minneapolis, MN, U.S.
Alma mater Bethel University
MIT
Known forPromotion of evolutionary creationism, criticism of anti-evolutionist creationism, advocacy of harmony between science and religion
Scientific career
Fields Astrophysics
Institutions Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota (student)
Calvin College (former professor)
The BioLogos Foundation (current president)

Deborah Haarsma is an American astrophysicist, philosopher of religion and science author and activist. [1] [2] [3] [4] She is president of The BioLogos Foundation, a Christian advocacy organization promoting evolutionary creationism and discourse on science and religion. [5] She contributes to the intersection of modern science and Christian faith, engaging in discussions about conflicts. [6]

Contents

Education and academic career

Haarsma studied at the Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota where she completed her undergraduate work in physics and music. [7] Haarsma then pursued her doctoral studies in astrophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she got her PhD. [7]

Haarsma joined the faculty of Calvin University, where she served as a professor and chair of the physics and astronomy departments. [1] In 2013, she became president of The BioLogos Foundation.

Activism

Haarsma advocates for scientific literacy and harmony between science and religion. [8] She has voiced support for the acceptance of the scientific consensus and what the consensus agrees with such as the age of Earth being about 4.5 billion years old, age of universe being about 13.8 billion years old, [9] and the theory of evolution. [10] Haarsma promotes theistic evolution. [11]

COVID-19

Haarsma strongly supported outbreak restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. She strongly promoted COVID vaccine and was involved in debunking COVID-19 misinformation. [12] She also alongside other members of BioLogos published the statement A Christian Statement on Science for Pandemic Times which was signed by more than 2500 people including Philip Yancey, N.T. Wright, David French, and Walter Kim. [13] [14]

Theistic evolution and intelligent design

She has defended theistic evolutionism against both atheists and theists who argue it to be incompatible with science and theology respectively. [15] She sharply criticized the book Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique published by Crossway and written by members related to the Discovery Institute. [16] [17] In an article on BioLogos criticizing the book, she strongly criticized the Intelligent Design movement and its goals. Haarsma stated that she "indeed" believed in something that is technically an "Intelligent Designer". [18] However, she believed that the "designer" "designs" through the natural processes of evolution and is the first cause of it, while evolution is only secondary to the "designer". She stated that she believes that evolution occurs by natural selection (and other things included in Neo-Darwinism), but considers God's providence to be an additional factor. [19] She believes that evolution occurs by chance and God is the one who set or determined these chances. [20]

Biologos

As president of BioLogos, Haarsma commented on the Bill Nye–Ken Ham debate, [21] which had been criticized for giving attention to Answers in Genesis (an organization that promotes young Earth creationism) and for fueling the creation-evolution controversy. [22] Haarsma and other members of BioLogos said "We expect that we'll agree with most of what Bill Nye will say about the science of evolution. Fossils, genetics, and other disciplines give compelling evidence that all life on earth is related and developed over a very long time through natural processes. But we're also brothers and sisters in Christ with Ken Ham. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for our sins and rose from the dead, and that the Bible is the authoritative word of God." [23] She, alongside others, also stated "that one of the lasting effects of this debate will be to further alienate Christianity from science in the public consciousness." [21]

Personal life

Haarsma is a Christian. She believes in theistic evolution which she prefers to call "evolutionary creationism". She believes that God interacts with and sustains the world and has rejected accusations of deism. [24] Haarsma believes in miracles. She has rejected accusations of "philosophical naturalism", stating that she only supports "methodological naturalism". [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creationism</span> Belief that nature originated through supernatural acts

Creationism is the religious belief that nature, and aspects such as the universe, Earth, life, and humans, originated with supernatural acts of divine creation. In its broadest sense, creationism includes a continuum of religious views, which vary in their acceptance or rejection of scientific explanations such as evolution that describe the origin and development of natural phenomena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolutionism</span> Derogatory term for the theory of evolution

Evolutionism is a term used to denote the theory of evolution. Its exact meaning has changed over time as the study of evolution has progressed. In the 19th century, it was used to describe the belief that organisms deliberately improved themselves through progressive inherited change (orthogenesis). The teleological belief went on to include cultural evolution and social evolution. In the 1970s, the term "Neo-Evolutionism" was used to describe the idea that "human beings sought to preserve a familiar style of life unless change was forced on them by factors that were beyond their control."

Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudoscientific argument for the existence of God, presented by its proponents as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins". Proponents claim that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." ID is a form of creationism that lacks empirical support and offers no testable or tenable hypotheses, and is therefore not science. The leading proponents of ID are associated with the Discovery Institute, a Christian, politically conservative think tank based in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Ham</span> Australian Christian fundamentalist

Kenneth Alfred Ham is an Australian Christian fundamentalist, young Earth creationist, apologist and former science teacher, living in the United States. He is the founder, CEO, and former president of Answers in Genesis (AiG), a Christian apologetics organisation that operates the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theistic evolution</span> Views that religion is compatible with science

Theistic evolution, alternatively called evolutionary creationism, is a view that God acts and creates through laws of nature. Here, God is taken as the primary cause while natural causes are secondary, positing that the concept of God and religious beliefs are compatible with the findings of modern science, including evolution. Theistic evolution is not in itself a scientific theory, but includes a range of views about how science relates to religious beliefs and the extent to which God intervenes. It rejects the strict creationist doctrines of special creation, but can include beliefs such as creation of the human soul. Modern theistic evolution accepts the general scientific consensus on the age of the Earth, the age of the universe, the Big Bang, the origin of the Solar System, the origin of life, and evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Answers in Genesis</span> Nonprofit organization promoting young Earth creationism

Answers in Genesis (AiG) is an American fundamentalist Christian apologetics parachurch organization. It advocates young Earth creationism on the basis of its literal, historical-grammatical interpretation of the Book of Genesis and the Bible as a whole. Out of belief in biblical inerrancy, it rejects the results of scientific investigations that contradict their view of the Genesis creation narrative and instead supports pseudoscientific creation science. The organization sees evolution as incompatible with the Bible and believes anything other than the young Earth view is a compromise on the principle of biblical inerrancy.

The social effects of evolutionary thought have been considerable. As the scientific explanation of life's diversity has developed, it has often displaced alternative, sometimes very widely held, explanations. Because the theory of evolution includes an explanation of humanity's origins, it has had a profound impact on human societies. Some have vigorously denied acceptance of the scientific explanation due to its perceived religious implications. This has led to a vigorous conflict between creation and evolution in public education, primarily in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rejection of evolution by religious groups</span> Religious rejection of evolution

Recurring cultural, political, and theological rejection of evolution by religious groups exists regarding the origins of the Earth, of humanity, and of other life. In accordance with creationism, species were once widely believed to be fixed products of divine creation, but since the mid-19th century, evolution by natural selection has been established by the scientific community as an empirical scientific fact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creation Museum</span> Museum in Kentucky promoting a pseudoscientific creationist point of view

The Creation Museum, located in Petersburg, Kentucky, United States, is a museum that promotes the pseudoscientific young Earth creationist (YEC) explanation of the origin of the universe and life on Earth based on a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation narrative of the Bible. It is operated by the Christian creation apologetics organization Answers in Genesis (AiG).

Theistic science, also referred to as theistic realism, is the pseudoscientific proposal that the central scientific method of requiring testability, known as methodological naturalism, should be replaced by a philosophy of science that allows occasional supernatural explanations which are inherently untestable. Proponents propose supernatural explanations for topics raised by their theology, in particular evolution.

Simon Conway Morris is an English palaeontologist, evolutionary biologist, and astrobiologist known for his study of the fossils of the Burgess Shale and the Cambrian explosion. The results of these discoveries were celebrated in Stephen Jay Gould's 1989 book Wonderful Life. Conway Morris's own book on the subject, The Crucible of Creation (1998), however, is critical of Gould's presentation and interpretation.

Darrel R. Falk is an American biologist. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University and is the past president and a current senior advisor with BioLogos Foundation, an advocacy group that emphasizes compatibility between science and Christian faith.

Deistic evolution is a position in the origins debate which involves accepting the scientific evidence for evolution and age of the universe whilst advocating the view that a Deistic God created the universe but has not interfered since. The position is a counterpoint to theistic evolution and is endorsed by those who believe in Deism, and accept the scientific consensus on evolution. Various views on Deistic evolution:

Objections to evolution have been raised since evolutionary ideas came to prominence in the 19th century. When Charles Darwin published his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, his theory of evolution initially met opposition from scientists with different theories, but eventually came to receive near-universal acceptance in the scientific community. The observation of evolutionary processes occurring has been uncontroversial among mainstream biologists since the 1940s.

<i>The Language of God</i> 2006 book by Francis Collins

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief is a 2006 book by Francis Collins in which he advocates theistic evolution and describes his conversion to Christianity. Collins is an American physician-geneticist, noted for his discoveries of disease genes, and his leadership of the Human Genome Project (HGP). He served as the director of the US National Institutes of Health from August 17, 2009, to December 19, 2021.

<i>The Edge of Evolution</i> 2007 book by Michael Behe

The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism is an intelligent design book by Discovery Institute fellow Michael Behe, published by the Free Press in 2007. Behe argues that while evolution can produce changes within species, there is a limit to the ability of evolution to generate diversity, and this limit is somewhere between species and orders. On this basis, he says that known evolutionary mechanisms cannot be responsible for all the observed diversification from the last universal ancestor and the intervention of an intelligent designer can adequately account for much of the diversity of life. It is Behe's second intelligent design book, his first being Darwin's Black Box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The BioLogos Foundation</span> Christian evolutionary creationist advocacy organization

The BioLogos Foundation is a Christian advocacy group that supports the view that God created the world using evolution of different species as the mechanism. It was established by Francis Collins in 2007 after receiving letters and emails from people who had read his book, The Language of God. The primary audience was Christians in the beginning, but Collins as well as later leaders of the organization have sought to engage with scientific skeptics as well as general audiences invested in biological science.

James B. Stump is an American philosopher, author, and podcast host. He is Vice President of Programs at BioLogos and host of their podcast Language of God. Formerly, he was a professor of philosophy and the chief academic officer at Bethel University (Indiana). In recognition of his contributions to the field of science and religion, Stump was elected as a fellow to the International Society for Science and Religion in 2020.

Although biological evolution has been vocally opposed by some religious groups, many other groups accept the scientific position, sometimes with additions to allow for theological considerations. The positions of such groups are described by terms including "theistic evolution", "theistic evolutionism" or "evolutionary creation". Of all the religious groups included on the chart, Buddhists are the most accepting of evolution. Theistic evolutionists believe that there is a God, that God is the creator of the material universe and all life within, and that biological evolution is a natural process within that creation. Evolution, according to this view, is simply a tool that God employed to develop human life. According to the American Scientific Affiliation, a Christian organization of scientists:

A theory of theistic evolution (TE) — also called evolutionary creation — proposes that God's method of creation was to cleverly design a universe in which everything would naturally evolve. Usually the "evolution" in "theistic evolution" means Total Evolution — astronomical evolution and geological evolution plus chemical evolution and biological evolution — but it can refer only to biological evolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Nye–Ken Ham debate</span> 2014 debate on the origins of the universe

The debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham on the question "Is Creation A Viable Model of Origins?" was held February 4, 2014, at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.

References

  1. 1 2 "Deborah Haarsma". Big Think. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  2. ↑ "Dr Deborah Haarsma". Faraday. 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Deborah Haarsma". Women Scholars and Professionals. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  4. ↑ "Deborah Haarsma". American Scientific Affiliation . Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  5. ↑ "Deborah Haarsma". BioLogos. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  6. ↑ "About BioLogos". BioLogos. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Astronomer Deborah Haarsma '91 Named CAS Alumna of the Year | Bethel University". www.bethel.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  8. ↑ I am an astrophysicist. I am also a Christian.
  9. ↑ Christ and the Cosmos: The Universe Seen through the Eyes of Biblical Faith
  10. ↑ CRIS Hosts Lecture about Evolution, Origins and Creation
  11. ↑ "What is Evolutionary Creation?". BioLogos. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  12. ↑ Christian Leaders Call On Fellow Believers To Take Science Seriously During The Pandemic
  13. ↑ "Statement". BioLogos. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  14. ↑ 2,500 evangelicals sign pandemic statement warning: Don't ignore science
  15. ↑ "What is Evolutionary Creation?". BioLogos. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  16. ↑ "A Flawed Mirror: A Response to the Book "Theistic Evolution"". BioLogos. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  17. ↑ Moreland, James Porter; Meyer, Stephen C.; Shaw, Christopher; Gauger, Ann K.; Grudem, Wayne A. (2017-11-30). Theistic Evolution. Crossway. ISBN   978-1-4335-5286-1.
  18. 1 2 Haarsma, Deborah (2018). "A Flawed Mirror: A Response to the Book "Theistic Evolution"". The BioLogos Foundation . Let me be clear that all of us at BioLogos fully and ardently affirm that the universe is designed. The wonders we encounter, from massive galaxy clusters to tiny viruses, continually amaze us and move our hearts and minds to ponder the Designer of it all. For us, design is seen just as much in God's governance of natural processes as in God's supernatural action. Science expands our amazement of how God works and increases our worship. Whether or not science has an explanation for a phenomenon in the natural world, through the eyes of faith we see God's creative power and providential care.
  19. ↑ Haarsma, Deborah (2018). "A Flawed Mirror: A Response to the Book "Theistic Evolution"". The BioLogos Foundation . God typically sustains the world using faithful, consistent processes that humans describe as 'natural laws.'
  20. ↑ Haarsma, Deborah (2018). "A Flawed Mirror: A Response to the Book "Theistic Evolution"". The BioLogos Foundation . Science expands our amazement of how God works and increases our worship.
  21. 1 2 "Ham on Nye: Our Take". The Biologos Foundation. February 5, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014. Emily Ruppel, Deborah Haarsma, Jim Stump, John Walton, Dennis Venema, and Ted Davis.
  22. ↑ Chowdhury, Sudeshna (February 3, 2014). "Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham: Should Scientists Bother Debating Creationists?". The Christian Science Monitor . Archived from the original on June 11, 2014.
  23. ↑ Haarsma, Deborah (January 15, 2014). "Ken Ham vs. Bill Nye". The BioLogos Foundation. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  24. ↑ Haarsma, Deborah (2018). "A Flawed Mirror: A Response to the Book "Theistic Evolution"". The BioLogos Foundation . No one at BioLogos would describe God's action that way! This definition is basically deism, with God's only action as creating matter at the start and no mention of God's role in that natural behavior of matter.
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