Karl Giberson
Encyclopedia
Karl Willard Giberson is a physicist
and scholar specializing in the creation
-evolution
debate (see Creation-evolution controversy
). He has held a teaching post since 1984, written several books, and been a member of various academic and scientific organizations.
, and both a Master's degree
in Physics and a PhD
in Physics from Rice University
.
, the Eastern Nazarene College
, since 1984, where he teaches courses on science and religion and directs the Honors Scholar Program.
Giberson is also a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation
(ASA). He served as Director of the Forum on Faith & Science at Gordon College (Massachusetts)
and co-director for the Venice Summer School on Science and Religion. He has lectured on science and religion at Oxford University, the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
in Sicily
, and various colleges and universities in the United States. In 2006, he was invited to speak at the Vatican
on "America's Ongoing Hostility to Darwinism" and at the Harvard Club of New York
in 2008. In early 2009, Giberson became the Executive Vice President of The BioLogos Foundation
, founded by Francis Collins
.
(JTF).
Giberson has published over two hundred articles, reviews, and essays, both technical and popular. In addition to blogging regularly at the Huffington Post and BioLogos Forum, Giberson has written for Salon.com
, Discover, Perspectives on Science & Faith, Books & Culture, Quarterly Review of Biology, Weekly Standard, Christianity Today
, Zygon, USA Today and other journals.
He has been quoted in a variety of scholarly journals.
His essay "What's wrong with science as religion?" is being used as required reading in a course taught at St. John's University.
and Beacon Hill Press has, despite controversy, been used at various Nazarene and other evangelical colleges to counter Christian Fundamentalist approaches to "origins".
Giberson's second book, co-authored with historian Donald A. Yerxa
, was Species of Origins: America’s Search for a Creation Story, which appeared in 2002 and garnered recognition as one of the most balanced treatments of the creation-evolution controversy in print. America's leading scholar of creationism
, Ronald Numbers
, described it as "accessible, accurate, and even-handed." It is used as a textbook and has been translated into Polish
for an inclusion in a contemporary philosophy series.
Giberson's third book appeared in late 2006, co-authored with Spanish philosopher Mariano Artigas
and published by Oxford University Press
. Titled The Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists Versus God and Religion, the book examines the purported "abuse of science" in the service of secularism
by six scientists of this generation: Carl Sagan
, Stephen Jay Gould
, E.O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins
, Steven Weinberg
, and Stephen Hawking
. The book has been translated into Italian, Spanish and Polish.
His book Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution, which HarperOne released in June 2008, was recognized by the Washington Post Book World as "One of the best books of 2008."
The Language of Science and Faith: Straight Answers to Genuine Questions, with Francis Collins
, is set to be released in March 2011 by InterVarsity Press.
He is currently under contract with co-author Randall Stephens for The Anointed: American Evangelical Experts, with Harvard University Press
, and co-author Dean Nelson for Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion, with Lion-Hudson Press. His 8th and 9th books are under contract with InterVarsity Press and Paraclete Press respectively.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and scholar specializing in the creation
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
-evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
debate (see Creation-evolution controversy
Creation-evolution controversy
The creation–evolution controversy is a recurring cultural, political, and theological dispute about the origins of the Earth, humanity, life, and the universe....
). He has held a teaching post since 1984, written several books, and been a member of various academic and scientific organizations.
Education
Giberson holds two Bachelor's degrees (in Philosophy and in Physics/Math) from the Eastern Nazarene CollegeEastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
, and both a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Physics and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Physics from Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
.
Career
Giberson has been on faculty at his alma materAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the Eastern Nazarene College
Eastern Nazarene College
The Eastern Nazarene College is a private, coeducational college of the liberal arts and sciences in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston, in the New England region of the United States. Known for its strong religious affiliation, distinctive liberal arts core curriculum, and excellence in science...
, since 1984, where he teaches courses on science and religion and directs the Honors Scholar Program.
Giberson is also a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation
American Scientific Affiliation
The American Scientific Affiliation is a Christian religious organization of scientists and people in science-related disciplines. The stated purpose is "to investigate any area relating Christian faith and science." The organization publishes a journal, Perspectives of Science and Christian Faith...
(ASA). He served as Director of the Forum on Faith & Science at Gordon College (Massachusetts)
Gordon College (Massachusetts)
Gordon College is a liberal arts college located on the former Princemere estate in Wenham, Massachusetts, northeast of Beverly. Founded by Baptist minister A. J...
and co-director for the Venice Summer School on Science and Religion. He has lectured on science and religion at Oxford University, the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture
Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture is an organization based in Sicily, Italy. The President of EMFCSC is Prof. Antonino Zichichi. It sponsors the International School of Subnuclear Physics whose Director is Prof...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, and various colleges and universities in the United States. In 2006, he was invited to speak at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
on "America's Ongoing Hostility to Darwinism" and at the Harvard Club of New York
Harvard Club of New York
The Harvard Club of New York is a private club in Midtown Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. Anyone who has attended Harvard University may apply to become a member. Incorporated in 1887, it is housed in adjoining lots at 27 West 44th Street and 35 West 44th Street...
in 2008. In early 2009, Giberson became the Executive Vice President of The BioLogos Foundation
BioLogos Foundation
The BioLogos Foundation is a Christian advocacy group established by Francis Collins in 2007. BioLogos aims to address the core themes of science and religion, and emphasize a compatibility between science and Christian faith....
, founded by Francis Collins
Francis Collins
Francis Collins may refer to:*Francis Collins , geneticist*Francis Dolan Collins , 19th century American politician-See also:*Frank Collins *Francis Collings, BBC journalist*Francis Collin, English footballer...
.
Published works
Giberson was the founding editor of Science & Theology News, the leading publication in the field until it ceased publication in 2006, and editor-in-chief of Science & Spirit from 2003-2006 for the John Templeton FoundationJohn Templeton Foundation
"The John Templeton Foundation is a philanthropic organizationthat funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality. It is usually referred to simply as the Templeton Foundation...
(JTF).
Giberson has published over two hundred articles, reviews, and essays, both technical and popular. In addition to blogging regularly at the Huffington Post and BioLogos Forum, Giberson has written for Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, Discover, Perspectives on Science & Faith, Books & Culture, Quarterly Review of Biology, Weekly Standard, Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
, Zygon, USA Today and other journals.
He has been quoted in a variety of scholarly journals.
His essay "What's wrong with science as religion?" is being used as required reading in a course taught at St. John's University.
Books
His first book, Worlds Apart: The Unholy War between Religion and Science, published in 1993 by the Church of the NazareneChurch of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
and Beacon Hill Press has, despite controversy, been used at various Nazarene and other evangelical colleges to counter Christian Fundamentalist approaches to "origins".
Giberson's second book, co-authored with historian Donald A. Yerxa
Donald A. Yerxa
-Career:A noted historian, Yerxa is a Director of The Historical Society at Boston University and a Senior Editor of Historically Speaking, published by the Johns Hopkins University Press for BU.He is the former chair of the James R...
, was Species of Origins: America’s Search for a Creation Story, which appeared in 2002 and garnered recognition as one of the most balanced treatments of the creation-evolution controversy in print. America's leading scholar of creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
, Ronald Numbers
Ronald Numbers
Ronald L. Numbers is an American historian of science. He was awarded the 2008 George Sarton Medal by the History of Science Society for "a lifetime of exceptional scholarly achievement by a distinguished scholar".- Biography :...
, described it as "accessible, accurate, and even-handed." It is used as a textbook and has been translated into Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
for an inclusion in a contemporary philosophy series.
Giberson's third book appeared in late 2006, co-authored with Spanish philosopher Mariano Artigas
Mariano Artigas
Mariano Artigas was a Spanish physicist, philosopher and writer. He received the Templeton Foundation Award in 1995 for his work on science and religion...
and published by Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
. Titled The Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists Versus God and Religion, the book examines the purported "abuse of science" in the service of secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
by six scientists of this generation: Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation....
, E.O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles....
, and Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
. The book has been translated into Italian, Spanish and Polish.
His book Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution, which HarperOne released in June 2008, was recognized by the Washington Post Book World as "One of the best books of 2008."
The Language of Science and Faith: Straight Answers to Genuine Questions, with Francis Collins
Francis Collins
Francis Collins may refer to:*Francis Collins , geneticist*Francis Dolan Collins , 19th century American politician-See also:*Frank Collins *Francis Collings, BBC journalist*Francis Collin, English footballer...
, is set to be released in March 2011 by InterVarsity Press.
He is currently under contract with co-author Randall Stephens for The Anointed: American Evangelical Experts, with Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. Its current director is William P...
, and co-author Dean Nelson for Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion, with Lion-Hudson Press. His 8th and 9th books are under contract with InterVarsity Press and Paraclete Press respectively.
External links
- KarlGiberson.com
- Video (with mp3 available) of discussion about religion and God with Giberson and Robert WrightRobert Wright (journalist)Robert Wright is an American journalist, scholar, and prize-winning author of best-selling books about science, evolutionary psychology, history, religion, and game theory, including The Evolution of God, Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, The Moral Animal, and Three Scientists and Their Gods:...
on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...