Language of God

Prayer is a central tenet to the Christian faith. In this episode we explore the intersection of science and faith when it comes to prayer. Can the effectiveness be prayer be tested with scientific studies? How does prayer affect us physically and what happens in our brain when we pray? And what is the role of prayer during a worldwide pandemic?  The first part of this episode is from episode 8 wh...

Our last conversation with Katharine Hayhoe aired in early March, the same week as the United States declared a state of emergency because of COVID-19. We’re bringing part of that conversation back in this episode, along with an update on how we might think about climate change in a post-COVID world, without falling into despair. Katharine Hayhoe is the Political Science Endowed Professor in Publi...

Today we revisit one of our favorite early episodes. From Praveen’s childhood, growing up in a Hindu family, to his later conversion to Christianity and his entry into science, he has gained great insight into the science and faith conversation. With grace and humility, Praveen shares some of that insight as he considers what it means to be made in the image of God in light of our understanding of...

Philip Yancey returns to the podcast to dig deeper into his many years spent traveling and writing with Dr. Paul Brand and learning about the marvel of the human body. What we can learn from the human body—about the importance of pain, about healing and unity—can also be applied to the body of Christ. In doing so, we find relevance with many of today’s issues including the coronavirus and the need...

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, what should be the Christian response? Bible scholar N.T. Wright and BioLogos founder Francis Collins, two influential Christian figures and long-time friends, ponder this question and more.  N.T. Wright is a globally renowned New Testament scholar, Pauline theologian, and Anglican bishop. He is considered to be one of the most respected theologia...

Shauna Niequist brings her passion for food and her Christian experience to a conversation about how food connects us to the created world and to each other and how our spiritual lives might be nourished around the table. Shauna is a popular author, speaker, podcaster. Her most recent book is Present Over Perfect, which came out in 2016. The interview was originally streamed live on June 29th. Ori...

There is probably no one who has done more scientific work on the genetics of race than Dr. Joseph L Graves. Dr. Graves has been writing, thinking, and doing research on this topic for almost 30 years. In the midst of a national uprising of anger and frustration at the continued systemic racism in this country and around the world, this conversation probes the scientific reality that there is no g...

There is probably no one who has done more scientific work on the genetics of race than Dr. Joseph L Graves. Dr. Graves has been writing, thinking, and doing research on this topic for almost 30 years. In the midst of a national uprising of anger and frustration at the continued systemic racism in this country and around the world, this conversation probes the scientific reality that there is no g...

Last time we talked to Lynette Strickland, she told us all about the work that she was doing to show that tortoise beetles, which vary greatly in their appearances, are actually one species. We play some of that conversation but then we catch up with Lynette to press further into the beauty and importance of diversity within a species. And it’s a short step from talking about beetles to talking ab...

We find ourselves three months into a global pandemic, and one week into a movement of nationwide protests in response to the death of George Floyd. For this episode Jim Stump, vice president of BioLogos and host of the podcast, and Deb Haarsma, president of BioLogos, take a moment to talk about where we are, where the church and science can fit in, and how the work of BioLogos might have a role i...

Leading evangelical thinker Tim Keller joins Francis Collins, who heads our country’s biomedical research, in a conversation that includes updates on the latest COVID-19 research, a discussion on the value of human life and what it means to care for the most vulnerable among us, where God is during a pandemic, and much more. Check out the livestream video ! NIH Director’s Blog Article Francis Coll...

In the episode, Jim talks with Bishop Claude Alexander about his growing up in the south with parents esteemed in the medical field--his mother was the first black psychiatrist in Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas and his father was family practitioner who was assigned to Martin Luther King, Jr. whenever he was in Mississippi--and about the role of science in racial reconciliation in America toda...

We were made in the image of God, but what does that really mean? Whom does that apply to? What does that call us to? The Bible is very central to understanding the answers to these questions, as is cultural context. In this episode, biblical worldview professor, Richard Middleton joins Jim Stump in an attempt to answer some of the questions about human identity through both of those lenses. Richa...

Many of us find rest and comfort in having good health, secure jobs, and a vibrant community. Of course we do. But what happens when that is taken away, like it was for Job? Some of us, while stuck in our homes during the coronavirus pandemic, may have started to ask some questions about the way the world works and how God could let this kind of a thing happen. Well, we’re not the first to ask tho...

Water is mysterious. It is cleansing, it is dangerous, and it is life-giving. In our everyday life we can tend to overlook just how fascinating and important water is. Water is interesting both scientifically and biblically, so it’s only fitting that we explore it. And in this episode we do just that. Because this is a complex topic, we asked several experts to join us in this episode. You’ll hear...

When Brian McLaren got a call from his editor asking if he’d like to travel to the Galapagos Islands and write about it it took all of a few seconds to agree. The book he wrote is called the Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey. In this episode Jim Stump talks to him about the book and about a theology that is informed by wild places and the scientific knowledge that helps us understand those pl...

With an overwhelming amount of news about the coronavirus coming out daily, we thought it would be best to go all the way to the top, with updates on the coronavirus from the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins. Francis Collins is also the founder of BioLogos and a committed Christian. In this conversation with Jim Stump, he answers questions from listeners about the cur...

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our identities as Christians. We believe that Christ died for our sins and that he will come again one day. But we live in the times of social distancing, with Easter services that will happen remotely, with Easter hymns sung in our living rooms instead of in chapels. In this special episode, Jim reflects on what the resurrection—along with...

In this episode, Jim Stump is joined by author, speaker, and professor Sean McDowell. They talk about how apologetics has changed from his father’s original work a generation ago and how to reach those leaving the church today. But their conversation centers around the science of evolution and whether Christians should accept it. They don’t necessarily see eye to eye on this topic, so what follows...

It’s not every day that we come face to face with science in such a drastic way as we have with the coronavirus, sweeping through our communities and upending our routines. Many of us feel a great deal of anxiety and worry and we want to respond to some of that by reaching into the science with three interviews from scientists in the fields of microbiology, biochemistry, and infectious disease, al...

Katharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist. And she’s a Christian. You may have noticed that climate change is not a topic that is often brought into the church because it often seems to divide people more than bring them together. But Katharine wants to change that. Her science doesn’t come in spite of her faith but because of it. She sits down with Jim Stump to talk specifically about some of the c...

In this episode, Jim Stump is joined by Professor Emeritus of Biology at Point Loma Nazarene University, Darrel Falk. Darrel reminisces about some of his experiences with the early genetic sciences as well as his role in the beginnings of BioLogos as an organization. They then dive into human identity, and how cooperation has had a role in shaping our genetic makeup. Darrel Falk served as BioLogos...

Kutter Callaway started leading youth ministry in Theater 5 with the big screen as a backdrop. Film, music, and art have always been one of his main entries into spirituality and led him to his position as Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Seminary.  In this episode, Jim Stump and Kutter Calloway discuss how art and pop-culture have become an underlying meta-narrative for our c...

In a small laboratory, a participant sits with electrodes attached to her brow and a heart rate monitor humming in the background as she considers a time in her life when someone did wrong to her. This is a glimpse into a study of forgiveness. The results of a study like this teach us a lot about what forgiveness is and how it works. And although it is a scientific endeavor, it has direct effects...

From marriage and parenting to managing life in a world of social media, relationships are very central to our lives, and in some cases to our happiness and wellbeing. So what happens when problems arise in these huge aspects of our lives? In this episode, Jim Stump is joined by clinical psychologist Mari Clements whose work focuses on helping real people in real relationships with real problems....