St Andrews University given £2.3m grant for science-engaged theology

The John Templeton Foundation has awarded the Scottish university £2.3m.

 

The money will also go into an open online resource and two scholarships for undergraduates to come to St Andrews based on an essay competition.

Dr John Perry, Senior Lecturer in Christian Ethics at St Andrews, said: “With this project, the University of St Andrews is pioneering a wave of interdisciplinary research and teaching.

“Rather than generalising about science and religion as abstract concepts, science-engaged theology draws specific sub-disciplines and theories together to solve concrete problems.

“In ‘Science-Engaged Theology: New Visions in Theological Anthropology’ we will be funding the creation of new research projects, course syllabi, funding student scholarships, and creating a new online platform that incorporates current knowledge from the behavioural sciences into religious visions of what it means to be human.

“We believe that this grant will facilitate long-lasting change that allows for greater collaboration between scientists and theologians for many years to come.”

The Templeton Foundation often provides funding to projects which look to advance understanding of faith.

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16 Percent of Christians Think the Church Should Apologize for American’s Racist Past

16 Percent of Christians Think the Church Should Apologize for American’s Racist Past



According to a new study undertaken by Barna research group, just a tiny fraction of the American church feels obliged to repent of the country’s racist past.


In Barna’s latest publication entitled, “Where Do We Go from Here?,” just over 1,500 practicing Christians were asked what they believe should be done to make amends for the decades of racist history that plagued the United States.


Respondents were presented with several different answers to choose from, including nothing, “repair the damage, “repent,” “pursue restitution,” “lament,” and “don’t know.” Shockingly, just 16 percent of American Christians asserted that the Church needed to repent for America’s racist history of slavery and segregation.


Among African-American participants, the percentage of those who believe repentance to be the way forward was at 24 percent, whereas among the white respondents it plummeted to just 13 percent.


Interestingly, some 26 percent of all respondents indicated they “don’t know” when asked about what the church’s response should be to historical racism, perhaps indicating a lack of insight or understanding on the issue.


“This could represent confusion over the specific options provided, which range from the symbolic to the material, or it could simply be a way of saying respondents are unsure what should — or even what can — be done by churches…

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Catholics march for peace in Hong Kong as unrest continues

Large protests started in response to a proposed extradition bill, which has now been suspended, but have evolved into a more demanding pro-democracy movement.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 Catholics have marched for peace in the city as mass unrest in Hong Kong is now in its tenth week.

 

 

People at the vigil gathered in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and marched through the central business district to the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong, singing hymns and holding electric candles.

Organisers of the march who include the Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong Diocese, said they were calling for a full withdrawal of the extradition amendment proposed by chief executive Carrie Lam; the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the conflict between protesters and police; and accountability by the Hong Kong Legislative Council and chief executive but said that they would remain solely a prayer movement.

Hong Kong Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing addressed the gathering, saying the situation called for the Catholic Church to speak with peace and reason. “In the past two months, we have really experienced the limit of humanity and we should pray,” he said.

“Violence will only create more violence. Hatred will only produce more hatred. Injustice will never achieve justice. History will prove that only peace and reason can establish…

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Teen Vogue Uses Snapchat to Teach Teens How to Get an Abortion

Teen Vogue Uses Snapchat to Teach Teens How to Get an Abortion



Teen Vogue has been using a popular social media app to help teenagers obtain an abortion. 


Building on a June article titled, “How to Get an Abortion if You’re a Teen,” the magazine’s shocking Snapchat story not only advised youngsters on how to attain the procedure but also laid out exactly how young people can get a termination without attaining parental consent.


“No matter what your parents’ abstract views are, they might behave far more tenderly when their own child needs access to abortion care,” the article read, before offering a step-by-step guide on how to circumvent the authority of their parents and achieve an abortion on their own accord.


“There is another legal option in many states that would let you get an abortion without parental approval called a judicial bypass procedure — but it takes time and involves testifying before a judge,” the story continued.


“In any case, you can also contact your local abortion fund if you need help paying for it on your own.”


The teen-focused lifestyle magazine featured its controversial Snapchat story on the app’s discovery page, which usually displays advertisers’ stories for 24 hours at a cost of up to $50,000.


“Imagine this… ” reads one of the images featured as part of the Snapchat story,” according to The Daily Caller. “You’re 16, you’re pregnant, and you don’t want to…

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Majority of Right-Leaning Voters Will Continue to Support Netanyahu Even if He’s Indicted, Study Finds

Majority of Right-Leaning Voters Will Continue to Support Netanyahu Even if He’s Indicted, Study Finds



A new survey has revealed that a majority of right-wing voters will continue to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even if he is formally indicted on corruption charges.


The study, undertaken by the Rafi Smith Institute for the Israel Democracy Institute, also found that a staggering two-thirds of respondents insisted that Netanyahu’s legal troubles were a result of politically-motivated persecution by law enforcement.


According to the Jerusalem Post, some 53% of right-wing voters said they would support Netanyahu remaining in office even if he is officially indicted following a pre-indictment hearing with the attorney-general. Just 18% of the 1,063 respondents said that the Prime Minister should resign if he is formally charged.


Voters also expressed a desire for the powers of the justice system to be curtailed in exchange for more power being placed in the hands of the governing apparatus. Indeed, some 74% of right-wing voters declared that a law, allowing the Knesset to override High Court of Justice decisions that strike down legislation, should be passed.


Respondents appear to be mirroring Netanyahu’s assertion that the three corruption cases brought against him are nothing more than political smear. In February, the Prime Minister said that the cases were an attempt “to topple the right-wing and raise the left to the…

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Unprecedented protests in Hong Kong and Moscow: How to unleash the power of true community

Protestors at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday, Aug. 12, 2019

Hong Kong International Airport has canceled all remaining departing flights for the second day after thousands of pro-democracy protesters blocked the terminals. “Protesting in the airport is the best way to tell the world what’s happening in Hong Kong,” according to a sixteen-year-old who handed out flyers to travelers alleging police brutality.

Demonstrators say they are protesting the erosion of the “one country, two systems” arrangement that was enacted when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese control in 1997. Uprisings started ten weeks ago over a bill that would have allowed China to extradite Hong Kong citizens to face trial in Communist courts. It has since broadened into demands for more democratic reforms. Protesters have blocked trains and staged airport strikes, rallies, and marches. 

Meanwhile, nearly fifty thousand people flooded Moscow over the weekend to demand an end to political controls under President Vladimir Putin and to stand up against police violence. This is the largest protest movement in Moscow in years and comes as Mr. Putin’s support has fallen to multiyear lows. 

Is our culture at war with community? 

There is enormous power in community. 

The return of Col. Roy Knight Jr.’s remains to Dallas on an airplane flown by his son engendered an airport-wide show of support that even made the New York Times. Mass protests led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and sweeping democratic reforms in Eastern Europe. Whether for bad or for good, the force generated by people working together to advance a common agenda is undeniable. 

Why, then, is our culture undermining community at a time when we need it most? 

As American society has turned from biblical sexuality and marriage, we have seen a rapid fragmentation of the family. The number of unmarried parents has increased fourfold since 1968; the number of births to unmarried…

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Six Reasons Why “People Are Saying . . .” Is the Most Frustrating Comment for Church Leaders

Podcast Episode #562

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When a pastor hears the phrase “People are saying . . . “, it brings a great deal of anxiety. But should it? Today, we discuss the reasons for the anxiety and how to deal with it.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

  • We should address grievances directly with one another in the church—not through gossip.
  • Critical views are typically held by only a few in a church, but their size often gets magnified when they are anonymous.
  • Criticism is often magnified beyond its real scope.
  • The negativity of one criticism often feels 10 times greater than the positivity of one compliment.

The six reasons we discuss are:

  1. It is an unbiblical cop out.
  2. It fails to address the critic directly.
  3. It is usually magnified beyond reality.
  4. It is very much like an anonymous letter.
  5. It causes dissent and disunity.
  6. It is a diversion from what really matters.

Resources mentioned in today’s podcast


Episode Sponsors

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For more information, visit Vanderbloemen.com.


The mission at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by…

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