The Seven Series with Gregg Davidson

Young Earth advocates claim that dating methods using tree rings, annual sediment layers (varves), or carbon-14 cannot be trusted because they are all based on untestable assumptions. In fact, geologists have ways of testing ALL assumptions using the methods of empirical science. In this episode, I'll share my own contributions to the subject showing how tree rings, sediment varves, and carbon-14 can be combined in really, really cool ways to demonstrate that counts of tree rings and varves yield valid ages. To read more, check out the paper I wrote with fellow geologist and Christian brother, Ken Wolgemuth: Testing and Verifying Old Age Evidence: Lake Suigetsu Varves, Tree Rings, and Carbon-14.

In the second of a two part conversation with embryologist Dr. Jeff Hardin, we get into the ethical/moral implications of experimentation with embryos, how a human embryo should be treated in terms of its human nature or capacity, fixing vs enhancing genes, creating trans-species chimeras, and attempts to make humanzes (human-chimp embryos. Wild times in which we live!

In this two part conversation, I am joined by Dr. Jeff Hardin, a zoologist at the University of Wisconsin and co-author of the textbook World of the Cell. In part 1, we spend most of the discussion on the amazing and sometimes mind-boggling science of the embryo, including splitting an embryo to create two or more fully developing individuals, two or more embryos merging to form one chimera, trans-species chimeras, glow-in-the-dark cells, gene editing, clones, and designer babies. With lots of mention of movies and sci fi!

Materialists argue we are essentially brains with legs - what your brain does is who you are. No brain function - no person. This episode is part 2 of a conversation with neuroscientist and Christian, Dr. Paul LaPenna, for a fascinating conversation on the relationship between brain function and who we are as soul-bearing individuals. What does it mean if someone’s personality changes after brain trauma? Does existence continue in the absence of brain function? What about near death experiences or end of life stories of encounters with the supernatural? What does it mean if dementia wipes out memories of coming to Christ? And is there such a thing as gendered brains? 

Materialists argue we are essentially brains with legs - what your brain does is who you are. No brain function - no person. In this episode and the next, I am joined by neuroscientist and Christian, Dr. Paul LaPenna, for a fascinating conversation on the relationship between brain function and who we are as soul-bearing individuals. What does it mean if someone’s personality changes after brain trauma? Does existence continue in the absence of brain function? What about near death experiences or end of life stories of encounters with the supernatural? What does it mean if dementia wipes out memories of coming to Christ? And is there such a thing as gendered brains?

Science is frequently described as advancing as religious belief is overcome. I am joined by Dr. Ted Davis, a historian of science and Christian faith, to talk about the development of scientific though in pre-Christian/pre-Western cultures, the interplay of faith and science during the Scientific Revolution, and the drift from open expressions of appreciation of God in the opening pages of scientific texts to the modern ban on any reference to the divine. From there the conversation moves into assessments of materialist claims in belief in facts over faith (such as Jerry Coyne or Richard Dawkins), whether religious belief is decreasing among modern scientists (it is not), and interesting observations of more Christians in the hard sciences than in the social sciences.

In this first episode in a new series on the Web of Science & Christian Faith, I am joined by archaeologist Dr. Steven Ortiz from Lipscomb University. Dr. Ortiz has led many digs in Israel and surrounding lands and was a contributor to the book Do Historical Matters Matter to Faith. Topics include expectations and the reality of archaeological evidence for the Exodus, a Jewish kingdom at the time of David, and the mixed remnants of occupation of Jerusalem - all with respect to the question of whether the Bible is true.  

Final episode in the 7-part mini-series Designed for Discovery!The creation has not just been designed to explore the history of our planet, but others as well. In this episode, I am joined by Planetary Scientist Dr. Roger Wiens to talk about things like how we can tell a meteorite on earth came from a planet 100 million miles away, and how we can decipher the history of water on the Martian surface that has been gone for billions of years! 

Mary Schweitzer is best know for the discovery of surviving organic tissues in 65 million year old dinosaur fossils. Her story is fascinating, for she started her educational journey as a young earth creationist intent on disproving evolution, but studying actual fossils not only convinced life had truly adapted over time, but also that modern birds trace their origins back to theropod dinosaurs. More importantly, she never lost her faith in Christ or the truth of the Bible. You will hear some of that story in this episode!

Whales and hippos share a common terrestrial ancestor? And we can tell that how? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ryan Bebej about the story of discovery of whale evolution from a four-legged land ancestor. The conversation takes us from early speculation on the origin of whales, the discovery of transitional fossils in the Middle East, and how the discovery of ankle bones allow competing hypotheses to be put to the test. 

This episode continues the Designed for Discover series, but shifting from evidence of intentionality in creation to stories illustrating how creation is designed to allow discovery of earth's ancient past - long before human eyes were around to see.In this episode, you get a glimpse of what my geology students learn about how we figured out that continents move, how we know they were once all together, and how we can test the competing hypotheses of conventional geology and young-earth flood-geology! 

The universe is not only finely tuned for life to exist (see Ep 29), but our unique position in the solar system and galaxy also appears intentionally crafted for scientific exploration and discovery. Dr. Guillermo Gonzalez, co-author of The Privileged Planet, joins me in this episode with a special focus on just how unique our earth-moon-sun system is, and our position in the Milky Way galaxy.

Multiple physical properties turn out to require incredibly precise values for stars, planets, and life to exist. I am particularly intrigued by how weirdly easy it is for stars to produce carbon, an atom that turns out to have no equal in its ability to support life, and the cosmic distribution system for supplying that carbon to planets.I am joined in this episode by Dr. Luke Barnes, co-author of A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos, to talk about fine tuning, evidence for a Creator, and if fine tuning is compatible with a fallen creation. 

New series: Designed for Discovery! Our universe has the hallmarks of being intentionally fashioned with exploration and discovery in mind, allowing scientific methods to be applied to discover ancient earth history (before any humans were around to observe), and to find bread crumbs to a trail that leads back to a Creator.In this kickoff episode, I share my own expertise on water, delving into the unique properties of water that make it just plain weird relative to most other natural substances - but in ways that are critical to life and ecological diversity.

In the 7th and final episode in the mini-series on Questions of Creation, I am joined by author Dr. Joel Edmond Anderson to discuss his newly revised book, The Heresy of Ham. Joel shares his story of loss of employment and severed relationships that resulted from questioning young earth dogma, and explains why he now believes the young earth message to be legitimately labeled as heresy.The Heresy of Hamhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMK2JN88/ 

Young Earth arguments often sound very convincing, though too often because critical information is left out, opposing arguments are misrepresented, quotes are taken out of context, or claims are made that simply not true. In Friend of Science, Friend of Faith, I have a full chapter devoted to the methods employed by Young Earth organizations that are aimed more at winning converts than communicating truth. In the long run, barriers are constructed that block the view of the Cross. In episodes 25 and 26 episodes, I am joined by Dr. Joel Duff, a biologist and partner in Christian ministry, to walk through seven tactics routinely employed by Young Earth advocates that fall short of a Gospel standard. The objective is not to disparage those who hold a different opinion, but to discourage use of arguments that ultimately undermine genuine Christian witness. 

Young Earth arguments often sound very convincing, though too often because critical information is left out,  opposing arguments are misrepresented, quotes are taken out of context, or claims are made that simply not true. In Friend of Science, Friend of Faith, I have a full chapter devoted to the methods employed by Young Earth organizations that are aimed more at winning converts than communicating truth. In the long run, barriers are constructed that block the view of the Cross. In the next two episodes, I am joined by Dr. Joel Duff, a biologist and partner in Christian ministry, to walk through seven tactics routinely employed by Young Earth advocates that fall short of a Gospel standard. The objective is not to disparage those who hold a different opinion, but to discourage use of arguments that ultimately undermine genuine Christian witness.

In this episode of the Questions of Creation series, I discuss how the definition of Intelligent Design (ID) has changed over the last few decades, in ways that are not an improvement over the original formulation. Modern ID has attempted to take on a scientific mantle, with theological and logical baggage.

In an effort to defend the Bible as teaching accurate science, many claim it contains descriptions of nature that preceded scientific discovery by thousands of years. Examples include the hydrologic cycle, ocean floor topography and currents, a spherical earth, and an expanding universe. In this episode, we take a closer look at the verses in question, asking what they would have meant to the original audience, if a consistent hermaneutic is being applied in modern interpretations, and whether we would buy the same argument from a Muslim if the same wording was found in the Koran.No references to source material are given in the audio of this episode. You can find documentation and references in my book, Friend of Science, Friend of Faith from your favorite online bookseller. (I have recently found ChristianBooks to have better prices on my books than Amazon or Barnes & Noble.)

In the second episode in the series Question of Creation, I am joined by British doctor and author Jon Garvey, to discuss his book God's Good Earth, The Case for an Unfallen Creation. What started as a personal quest to understand historical and contemporary Church understanding about the Fall turned into a book - with some unexpected discoveries.  

This next series revisits the subject of creation, addressing questions or claims raised by young earth and intelligent design advocates. Episodes will address questions of death before sin, what happened to nature after Eden, are there things in the history of life that can't be explained without miraculous tweaking, does the Bible actually predict some modern scientific discoveries (like an expanding universe), and is there any compelling evidence for a young earth? The primary focus will be the theological implications, but with an eye on science and the witness of the church.This episode addresses the common belief that there was no death of any kind before Adam/Eve sinned. But does the Bible actually say that? And what actually happened to nature when God cursed the ground? If we take the words used in Scripture seriously, the results may be surprising.

The next series is a return to the subject of origins, with a focus on questions and issues related to the biblical creations story. We will explore questions such as How is nature addressed throughout the Bible? Could death have predated sin? What actually happened to nature when humans sinned? Why are some Christians skeptical of Intelligent Design. And we'll finish up with a set on the issues and problems introduced in the church and society by young-earth religion.We'll be working on the next series of the coming month, aiming at the first episode by Aug 12.

Critics of the Bible often mock its supposed morality with claims that Old Testament law says a raped women has to marry her rapist. Does the Bible really place that little value on the human dignity of women?In the 7th and final episode of a mini-series on Bible and Culture, I am joined by Dr. Sandra Richter, an expert in Old Testament law and ancient near east civilization, to discuss her work on this topic. Dr. Richer is a professor at Westmont College with degrees  from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Harvard University's Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department. Her books include the widely acclaimed Epic of Eden and Stewards of Eden. The journal paper that prompted the current episode is -  Sandra Richter (2021) "Rape in Israel's world ... and ours: A study of Deuteronomy 22:23–29", Journal of the Evangelical Society, 64.1, 59-76.

We live at a time in American society when normal male behavior is considered toxic, and healthy differences between men and women increasingly erased. I am joined in this episode by Nick Dotti - retired special forces Lt. Col. turned camp director for Deerfoot Lodge, a Christian wilderness camp for boys, to discuss the challenges of raising boys in a culture that does not value godly masculinity. https://blueridge.deerfoot.org/

It is a remarkable sign of the times that one of the most controversial subjects is the definition of a woman or of a man. When Justice Kendaji Brown Jackson was asked to define a woman, she deferred saying she "was not a biologist." Ironically, her supporters in the media were quick to clarify that a biologist can't answer the question either. So how should Christians engage in the conversation in a post-science relativistic age? Join me in that conversation with Dr. Katie McCoy, author of the recent book To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond.

In an April 1, 2024, interview with LBC, Richard Dawkins self-identified as a "Cultural Christian," even lamenting the loss of some of the trappings of Christianity - all while disavowing belief in Christianity itself. There is much to this that is worth digging into to to understand what is happening in Western society today. Coming episodes will include discussion of what defines a woman with author Katie McCoy,  challenge of raising boys in a society hell-bent on feminizing them with Green Beret turned camp director Nick Dotti, and how the Bible really treats women (no, really) with theologian and author Sandra Richter. 

The prompt for this episode is the mass migration across the American southern border, though perhaps with a more nuanced conclusion than you are accustomed to. My co-host for this conversation is Melvin Manickavasagm, an immigrant from Malaysia now serving on the pastoral staff of a church in Oxford, Mississippi. Join us for a conversation on how Christians should navigate biblical mandates to care for the orphan, the widow, and the alien among us - while also respecting the need of a nation for maintaining order and national security.

Most likely think that a scientist speaking on the intersection  of science and faith is a "one-way street" - science delivered to the church.  Do such speakers ever aim their message back to their secular colleagues? More often than you might think. In this episode, I share a story of navigating the cultural space of my professional organization when a decision was made to no longer post job announcements from Christian colleges, all in the name of diversity and inclusion. 

We often hear claims that evolution is "just a theory" and lacks any real evidence. In this episode, I am joined by biologist Dr. Joel Duff of the University of Akron talking about what we should expect to see in the  fossil record for a one year global flood vs evolution, and what we actually find.

This episode is the first in the series to consider the strength of scientific evidence - in this case for the age of the earth. I am joined by my friend and fellow geologist, Ken Wolgemuth, to discuss four common myths or misunderstandings of the science of earth history. Myth 1: Historical science is not "real" science. Myth 2: The geologic column and deep time was invented to make room for evolution. Myth 3: Dating using counting methods such as tree rings and lake layers reply on untestable assumptions of one ring/layer per year. Myth 4: Dating using radiometric methods rely on untestable assumptions of no daughter products at the time of mineral formation, no leakage of atoms after, and constant radioactive decay rates.You don't need a science education to follow this discussion. We assume everyone listening was an English major. 

We continue with asking if modern scientific understanding, particularly as it relates to origins, is inherently in conflict with the biblical creation account. Part 2 dives into human origins -  whether Adam and Eve were specially created or selected from a larger population, how scientists can claim we all came from a single female AND from a larger contemporaneous population, and what the Bible might say about hominids outside the Garden. All with an eye to the truth of Scripture!

In this episode, we ask if modern scientific understanding, particularly as it relates to origins, is inherently in conflict with the biblical creation account. Part 1 considers the beginning of everything, the origin of plants and animals, death before sin, and whether creation over many generations is consistent with the biblical description of the character of God. (We'll save the human origins questions for Part 2!) 

In the Bible, land plays a much larger roll than just a place to call home. The gift of a homeland represents living where God walks among his people. Exile from that land meant being sent away from God’s presence, provision, and protection. It represented death.In this final layer of Then Manifold Beauty of Genesis 1, we explore the parallels between Eden and Canaan, and between Adam and Israel. It is a story of blessings, sin, and exile, but with the sure hope of restoration. 

Of all the layers covered, this one is likely the least familiar to readers today, as the drift of modern society has removed us from the significance of the calendar of festivals of ancient Israel. Material for this layer is drawn largely from Michael Lefevre’s book, The Liturgy of Creation, published in 2019. The basic premise is that the festival dates, holy days, and even dates commemorating historical events, are tied to the agricultural cycle as a way of emphasizing Israel’s dependency on God’s provision. That same annual cycle can be found in microcosm in Genesis 1.

The parallels between Eden and the tabernacle or later temple run deep through Scripture, even to the very end, where Ezekiel and Revelation speak of a final temple that is what Eden was intended to one day be, filling the entire earth. A place where we learn what it really means to enter God’s rest – a place where God dwells and walks among his people.In the Polemic Layer (Episode 6), we saw Genesis challenging the errant theology and false gods of the surrounding nations. But in the Covenant Layer (Episode 7) and in this Temple Layer, we find Genesis tapping into common understanding of treaty and temple language to illustrate who God is and what he is doing with his people.

Layer 4 of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One dives into the importance of covenants in the Bible, starting from the very beginning – not only with Adam and Eve, but with the creation itself. The implications of a creation covenant influences how we see and care for God’s garden today.Discussion also includes insights from archeological discoveries that the biblical language of covenants has significant parallels with the wording of Hittite and Assyrian treaties – especially treaties between a ruling king and a vassal nation. 

Layer 3 of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One focuses is the Polemic – contrasting the God of Israel against the false gods and twisted theology of the surrounding nations. If you wonder how pertinent this layer is for a modern culture that has moved beyond belief in a pantheon of gods, prepare to be surprised!

Layer 2 is the Analogy with the human work week. God had no need to divide his creativity into a series of days, no need of the breaks between, and certainly no need of an ending rest – nor was he confined to one spot on a spinning globe (a requirement for day to turn to night). But the divisions communicate a great deal about what is important to God on our behalf – work, order, creativity, rest, and worship. Think Genesis 1 is simply the history of creation? Or perhaps a mythological “just so” story for an ancient tribe? The creation story is so much more! Join in for a 7-part series, co-hosted by Kenneth Turner, Hebrew scholar and co-author of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One, where we discuss the rich tapestry of layers contained in this singular story. 

Think Genesis 1 is simply the history of creation? Or perhaps a mythological “just so” story for an ancient tribe? The creation story is so much more! Join in for a 7-part series, co-hosted by Kenneth Turner, Hebrew scholar and co-author of The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One, where we discuss the rich tapestry of layers contained in this singular story. Layer 1 - the Song of Creation - focuses on the unique poetic structure of the creation days (and the number 7!), illustrating the artistry of the God’s craftsmanship, not simply bring a material world into existence, but endowing it with beauty and intrinsic purpose.

Christians typically believe that the Bible, by virtue of being inspired by God, is free of errors. It is inerrant. This term seems to be a straightforward way of differentiating those who believe the Bible is true from those who do not. But it turns out to be a bit more complicated, particularly where the Bible intersects with nature. Episode 3 takes a deeper look at what it means to be free of error in all the Bible intends to teach. 

Think genealogies are just ancestral links to the past? The boring parts in the Bible you read over to get to the interesting stuff? Episode 2 aims to change your mind!

The kickoff episode describes the inspiration for the podcast title, exploring the symbolic meaning of numbers in the Bible, with special attention on the number 7. The first three episodes, sub-titled "Biblical Foundations," will set the stage for a 7-part series on the layered message of the creation story -- all based on the book The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One.