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June 11, 2008

Dear Friend of CTNS,

Summer is almost here in Berkeley, California, and at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) we are breathing deeply the fresh air and dreaming of new possibilities, reflecting on the success of the past year and forging ahead with plans for the future.

Turning away from both conflict and isolation models, we at CTNS bring our knowledge of science and faith to bear in our explorations into their interaction, seeking to carry out our mission of research, teaching and public service with wisdom, honesty and integrity.

In the past months, much has happened at the Center.  Here are some of the highlights:

In December we held a conference entitled, God's Action in Nature's World—Assessing Publications of Robert John Russell. I was honored to hear responses to my work by Ian G. Barbour, Professor Emeritus of Carleton College; Nancey Murphy of Fuller Theological Seminary; William Stoeger, SJ of the Vatican Observatory; Nancy Wiens, Spiritual Director, Presbyterian Church (USA); Michael Dodds of the Dominican School of Philosophical Theology; and Ted Peters of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union, at this inspiring half-day conference. 

Also in December, we announced the five recipients of the Science and Transcendence Advanced Research Series (STARS) program's $100,000 research grants. (STARS is funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation). I am delighted with the extraordinary quality and ground-breaking approaches to interdisciplinary research by these five winning teams. Their research holds great promise.

In February, we held the second biennial co-sponsored science and religion conference with KIATS, the Korean Institute for Advanced Theological Studies, and with the Korean Student Association of the Graduate Theological Union.  Nathan Hallanger, CTNS Program Director, moderated the conference, welcoming speakers, Ted Peters, Koo Dong Yun and Taeil Bai and myself.

In March we hosted the 26th annual J. K. Russell Fellowship with Dr. George Coyne, S. J., who recently retired from his nearly three decades as the Director of the Vatican Observatory. The conference was stimulating as we looked not only at the legacy of the Church in the field of science and religion, but also speculated on the trajectory of the path ahead as we discussed, “Twenty Years After the New View from Rome: Pope John Paul II on Science and Religion." 

In May and June, we have welcomed Andreas Losch from Duisburg, Germany as a visiting scholar, and Fr. Marek Slomka from Poland will arrive in the fall. This kind of rich interaction between international scholars hosted by CTNS and the local resources of the GTU and UC Berkeley is unique and mutually fruitful. 

CTNS needs the financial support of its members and friends to continue on our excellent track record.  We invite you to participate by visiting www.ctns.org/donate.html and making a generous contribution to the 2008 general fund.

CTNS continues to create new publications. As a sign of its excellence and success, the journal Theology and Science has increased to four issues this year, and several important CTNS volumes have recently been published, including:  Physics and Cosmology: Scientific Perspectives on the Problem of Natural Evil (VO/CTNS, 2007); Cosmology from Alpha to Omega: The Creative Interaction of Theology and Science (Fortress, 2008); The Evolution of Evil (Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2008) and Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action: Twenty Years of Challenge and Progress (VO/CTNS, forthcoming).

This fall, Nathan Hallanger and Ted Peters will team up with Carl Pennypacker of the Space Sciences Laboratory of UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to teach a new and very exciting course, "Creation and Cosmology." 

Fundraising for the Ian G. Barbour Chair in Theology and Science at the Graduate Theological Union continues at a good pace, with $1.9 million raised so far towards our goal of $2.5 million. 

The outcome of all of this, from teaching courses, to writing books, to public lectures, to supporting students in their research, all amounts to one thing—promoting the creative mutual interaction between faith and science. 

This is our goal, this is our hope. And this is what you support with your gift to the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences.  I invite you to uphold and further this important dialogue through a generous gift to the 2008 CTNS General Fund.

You may donate online at www.ctns.org/donate.html or by sending a check or Visa or MasterCard information to CTNS, 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley, California 94709; Fax: 510-848-2535; Phone: 510-848-8152.

Thank you again for your invaluable support.

Dr. Robert John Russell
CTNS Founder and Director
Ian G. Barbour Professor of Theology and Science In Residence,
The Graduate Theological Union