Wondering why hundreds of scholars inundated campus in the middle of an otherwise uneventful summer? They’re attending the 31st annual Christian Scholars’ Conference, a tradition that called hundreds of academics across different disciplines to join in Malibu June 16 through 18 to explore the unique relationship between faith and science.
Hundreds gathered Thursday afternoon, packing Elkins Auditorium and requiring an overflow to PLC 125, to hear the plenary address by Francis Collins on the current tensions between science and faith. Collins formerly worked as the director of the Human Genome Research Institute, and since 2009, has served as the director of the National Institute of Health under the appointment of President Barack Obama.
Collins humbly took the microphone after an extensive introduction by Provost Darryl Tippens, opening with a joke about how challenging it was, as a presidential appointee, to get permission to speak at the event. “I am not here representing the U.S. government,” he said, a comment met with a room full of chuckles.
Collins described his journey in education that eventually led him to Jesus.
“At 25, I would have thought ‘Christian scholar’ was an oxymoron,” Collins said. “Because at 25, I was an atheist.”
After deciding to change the course of his career and attend medical school at UNC Chapel Hill, Collins grew curious about the faith of ill patients. At the time, he assumed it was because of a “superstitious fear of the unknown.”
As he learned more about Christianity, however, Collins said he realized his knowledge of science and the potential of faith did not contradict. He also found that many in his field were believers, as many as 40 percent of scientists, according to Collins.
“I fell on my knees and became a follower of Jesus, and I’ve been there for 34 years,” Collins said. A voice in the audience replied, “Hallelujah!”
Under Collins’ leadership, the Human Genome Project brought 2,000 scientists from six different countries together to research gene-related illnesses. Twenty-two years ago, the gene linked to cystic fibrosis was identified. The project has also aided in the development of breakthrough treatments for DNA-caused cancer, such as the drug crizotinib. Collins described the case of one particular patient, whose stage IV lung cancer did not respond to chemotherapy. Although only 10 percent of lung cancer can be treated with crizotinib, her tumors were gone within five to six months.
Many guests of the conference were familiar with Collins from his interview on “The Colbert Report” about his book “The Language of God.” Collins played a clip from the interview, in which Colbert asked, “So will you be the only Christian in hell?” Collins took care to mention the satire was not rehearsed.
“Colbert is a very thoughtful and very serious believer,” Collins said.
Despite the punchy humor of Collins’ address, his presentation went on to draw serious conclusions about creation.
For example, Collins noted the genetic variation present in the human population today, in which each child has around 60 mutations not present in his or her parents, could not develop from only one or two ancestors, the biblical Adam and Eve. Collins concluded the variation would be more consistent with a population of around 10,000 at the start of the species, but offered numerous explanations of Adam and Eve for consideration.
Max Feiler, a student at CSU Chico, said he especially admired Collins’ humility. Feiler heard about the conference through the C. S. Lewis Foundation and decided to attend the conference to gain more background for one of his classes. He described the challenges of attending a public university, where some atheist students can sometimes be ignorant to the work of researchers like Collins. Feiler also expressed his respect for David Bentley Hart, a theologian at the conference whom he described as one of the leading theologians in the country.
“We’re honored to host some of the absolute foremost thinkers who have bridged the perceived gaps between science and theology,” said Professor Craig Detweiler, who participated in the conference as a panelist and moderated several sessions. “I think Pepperdine has a unique position … to merge to fields of technology with enduring scholarship. This conference and these speakers put us at the nexus of a very strategic moment.”
Tippens commented on Pepperdine’s hopes for the conference.
“Historically, Christianity and science have been allies,” Tippens said. “[At Pepperdine] we are all about the integration of faith and learning,”
He described the prevailing assumption among people who are not specialists in either science or religion that they are incompatible, mentioning an editorial he authored in the Ventura County Star, in which he asserted that science and faith can be friends. Tippens explained that, perhaps ironically, secular fundamentalism and religious fundamentalism mirror each other in their reductivism.
“Going back through the tradition of science, there has always been room for both,” Tippens said.
MP3s of all the main speeches are available on iTunes U.
