Minister to address evolution in CLU talk
Speaker held up science as divine guidance at UN
The Rev. Michael Dowd contends that a movement to honor scientific, historical and cross-cultural evidence as divine guidance is transforming the science and religion debate in the United States and beyond.
(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Sept. 8, 2011) An outspoken religious naturalist will present "Thank God for Evolution: Science as Modern-Day Scripture" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, at California Lutheran University.
The Jim Dekker Memorial Just Peace Lecture featuring the Rev. Michael Dowd will be held in Lundring Events Center.
Dowd contends that a movement to honor scientific, historical and cross-cultural evidence as divine guidance is transforming the science and religion debate in the United States and beyond. In his multimedia presentation, which is similar to the one he delivered at the United Nations in 2009, he argues that a sacred and science-based view of human nature, death and the trajectory of big history offers realistic hope for people.
Dowd served as a United Church of Christ minister for nine years in Massachusetts, Ohio and Michigan. He and his wife, Connie Barlow, a science writer and family educator, launched an itinerant ministry in 2002 and have since spoken to more than 1,500 groups as "America's evolutionary evangelists." He has worked to build bridges between religious and non-religious people.
In his 2008 book, "Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World," Dowd narrates the epic of evolution as our common creation story. His 1991 book, "EarthSpirit: A Handbook for Nurturing an Ecological Christianity," was one of the first attempts to look appreciatively at traditional Christianity from the perspective of a modern cosmology.
The United Church of Christ of Simi Valley established the Memorial Just Peace Lecture Series in 2008 in honor of the late James Henry Dekker. As a member of the United Church of Christ in Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, Dekker was deeply involved in the work of peace and justice. After retiring from Hughes Aircraft Co., Dekker earned a teaching credential from CLU and embarked on a second career teaching math and science at Sequoia Middle School in Newbury Park.
The Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is north of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard.
The CLU Religion Department, the United Church of Christ of Simi Valley and Progressive Christians Uniting are sponsoring the free event. For information, contact Julia Fogg at fogg@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3039 or the Rev. June Goudey at 805-526-6001.