PLNU was awarded a grant from the Science, Theology, and Religion Initiatives (STAR) office at Fuller Theological Seminary to stimulate conversations in the community about unity in faith, science and practice. To champion this year-long Live United! campaign, faculty/student scholarship projects and inspirational thought leaders were featured. Activities included discussion, films, lectures, tours, and exhibits. See schedule below. Students, faculty, staff and the community were encouraged to participate.
Learn about our project which equipped college campus leaders to normalize conversations around faith and work in the sciences.
2018 – 2019 Schedule
October 1–5, 2018: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. * Creation Care Exhibit
Exhibit
Upper Division Graphic Design Students and Courtney Mayer, MFA, Associate Professor of Art & Design
Location: PLNU Caf Lane and Love Gallery
This is the first in a series of faculty/student projects throughout the academic year designed for the Live United! Unity in Faith, Science, and Practice campaign theme. Senior graphic design students will use human-centered design and visual communication across media to focus on the integral connections between our faith, values, ethics, and behaviors, the science of climate change, and care of God’s creation.
October 1, 2018: 3 – 4 p.m. * Cutting-edge Science, Google/Verily Innovation And Personal Faith Story
Conversations in Community
Scott Kennedy, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, Anderson University
Moderator | Michael Wiese, PhD, Professor of Marketing
Location: Colt Hall Forum
Scott Kennedy will tell his story of cutting-edge science leading to significant discoveries and innovation. As a Christian, Scott strives to find unity in science, his faith and his sense of personal calling. Learn how Scott Lives United! as a scientist through his past work in the United States government and his current work with Google/Verily.
October 2, 2018: 3 – 4 p.m. * Providence, Hard-core Physics/Engineering And Amazing Innovation Lecture
Conversations in Community
Society of Physics Students with Faculty Advisor, Heide Doss, PhD, Adjunct Professor in Physics and Engineering
Scott Kennedy, PhD, Professor of Chemistry, Anderson University
Host | Michael Wiese, PhD, Professor of Marketing
Location: Colt Hall Forum
Scott Kennedy will talk about how his work in science has led to significant innovations and how he finds God’s providence in the journey. This discussion will be designed for the scientifically inclined student.
Scott will also be a visitor in business courses as he shares more about the integration of science and business in the new product development process.
October 4, 2018: 12 – 1 p.m. * Now More Than Ever, Laudato Si': On Care Of Our Common Home Lecture
Conversations in Community
Courtney Mayer, MFA., Associate Professor of Art & Design
Location: Fermanian Conference Center
As part of the Wesleyan Lecture Series, Professor Mayer will talk about the development of Pope Francis’ reimagined and redesigned encyclical, Now More Than Ever, Laudato Si': On Care of Our Common Home. She will discuss how human-centered design practices, processes, and methods have influenced the outcome, and what she hopes it will do for readers that engage in this new proposed book edition.
October 4, 2018: 7 – 9 p.m. * An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power Film
Film
By Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, screening followed by Q&A
Location: Latter Hall, Room 101
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power is a 2017 American documentary film, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, about former United States Vice President Al Gore’s continuing mission to battle climate change. The sequel to An Inconvenient Truth 2006, addresses the progress made to tackle the problem and Gore’s global efforts to persuade governmental leaders to invest in renewable energy, culminating in the landmark signing of 2016’s Paris Agreement.
October 5, 2018: 12:15 – 1 p.m. * Sustainable Plant Tour
Activity
James Payton, Campus Horticulturist
Location: Meet Outside Brown Chapel
Horticulturist James Payton will lead a campus tour to demonstrate the sustainable aspects of the PLNU landscape. He will show and explain the difference between native plants, California friendly plants, and invasive plants. He will also discuss how and why PLNU maintains a sustainable landscape.
October 17, 2018: 7 p.m. * How Does The Integration Of Faith And Science Inform Your Practice As A Christian In The World? Interview
Conversations in Community
Michael Lodahl, PhD, Professor of Theology & World Religions
Darrel Falk, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Biology
Moderator, April Maskiewicz Cordero
Location: Cooper Music, Choir Rehearsal, Room 115
Moderator April Maskiewicz Cordero interviews Michael Lodahl and Darrel Falk about the case for the compatibility of science and Christian faith. These scholars will share how the integration of science and faith inform their practice as a Christian in the world.
October 23, 2018: 4:30 p.m. * Faith, Stress, And Self-Care Discussion
Conversations in Community
Dave Cummings, PhD, Professor of Biology
Location: Latter Hall, Room 101
Biology professor and author shares his story about how he discovered tools for healing and recovery from stress, anxiety, and depression.
November 12, 2018: 4:30 p.m. * Personal Stories Uniting Faith, Science & Practice
Conversations in Community
Harry Watkins, PhD, Professor of Strategy, Marketing and Sustainability
Linda Beail, PhD, Professor of Political Science
Location: Smee Hall, Room 100
Harry: Science and my understanding of God's call on my life and God's purpose for business itself are deeply connected in both my personal and professional lives. Together, they inform how I understand the Fermanian Business School's "More than the bottom line; business education to change the world" tagline, and they have changed the classes I teach and the content of those classes, and how I live at home.
But this wasn't always the case. In fact, in spite of the fact that my undergraduate degree was in Biology, and despite having become a Christian at the age of 30, I didn't think much about the intersection of science, my faith, and how I think about the purpose of business until several years after I started teaching at PLNU.
Isn't the purpose of business simply to make a profit for shareholders? I don't believe so. In fact both science and Christian scripture strongly argue for a different view.
I will share my journey to what I believe to be a much more defensible and encouraging view of the purpose of business: to leave both people and the planet better off - which I believe aligns well with both scientific and biblical truth. What are the implications of this view for how we live personally? How we engage with businesses as consumers and executives? I hope we will be able to discuss these issues together.
Linda: I grew up in a Nazarene household that was always concerned with issues of social justice. Thus, studying Political Science, and with it, systems of power and discrimination as they impact women, minorities, and the powerless were natural areas of interest for me.
November 27, 2018: 12 – 1 p.m. * CRISPR And Christian Ethics
Conversations in Community
Dawne Page, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Biology
Montague Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Church, Culture and Society
Location: Smee Hall, Room 100
Lunch provided for the first 20 attendees
Learn about the possibilities and perils of CRISPR technology using various ethical frameworks in a Christian perspective.
January 24, 2019: 12 – 1 p.m. * Artificial Intelligence
Conversations in Community
Michael Wiese, PhD, Professor of Marketing
In this casual conversation, the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be explained, with possible life applications of this technology presented. How can AI predict our behaviors, based on prior behavior? How can machine knowledge make decisions for us, solve problems, inform diagnosis, assist in completing tasks and replace current ways of doing things and getting things done? As consumers, is this a good or a bad thing? As Christians, what are the implications of AI?
What are your thoughts on AI? How do we Live United with our faith in an emerging world when human intelligence is creating and using artificial intelligence?
Interested? Come and join in the conversation.
Location: Nicholson Commons (NC), Cunningham #A Dining Room (Grab your lunch in the caf, and go through the north doors to Cunningham #A)
February 1, 2019: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. * Integrating Research And Faith In Nursing And Psychology
Conversations in Community
Ross Oakes-Mueller, PhD, Chair and Professor, Department of Psychology
Sharon Smith, PhD, Associate Professor of Nursing
Location: Smee Hall, Room 100
Lunch provided
Dr. Oakes-Mueller will share about the three ways that, as a Christian clinical psychologist and researcher, he feels pulled by the telos of research, the telos of therapy, and the telos of Christian faith. Dr. Smith will speak about how her mission trip to Africa led to her research on understanding the role of spirituality in HIV positive adolescents and emerging adults.
February 13, 2019: 7 – 8 p.m. * Will Androids Have Souls? Artificial Intelligence, Human Being, And Social Justice
Conversations in Community
Mark H. Mann, MDiv, PhD, Professor of Theology
Heather Ross, MA, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Jimiliz Valiente-Neighbours, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Work
Location: Latter Hall 101
Many scientists believe that within our lifetimes artificial intelligence and robotics will have advanced enough that ’thinking machines’ will be capable of accomplishing virtually any task that humans can, raising serious challenges to how we think about what it means to be human. This session will present theological, philosophical, and sociological perspectives on this issue, with special focus on the ethical implications of developing human-like machines.
March 29, 2019: 12:15 – 1:15 p.m. * What Does Our Brain Have To Do With Our Faith?
Conversations in Community
Sam Powell, PhD, Professor of Philosophy and Religion
Rebecca Flietstra, PhD, Professor of Biology
Location: Nicholson Commons (NC), Cunningham #A Dining Room (Grab your lunch and join us).
Dr. Flietstra will be sharing about how her understanding of the human person is influenced by Neuroscience and her Christian faith. Dr. Powell will share the results of a quantitative case study of University students regarding the changing behavior and renewing of the brain through spiritual formation practices.
April 9, 2019: 3 – 5 p.m. * Faculty/Student Showcase, Live United! Unity In Faith, Science, And Practice