By Rick Vacek
GCU News Bureau
Grand Canyon University students and staff as well as the general public will hear an important message Monday from an authority on how the Christian worldview relates to science.
Dr. John Lennox, professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford and emeritus fellow in mathematics and the philosophy of science at Green Templeton College, Oxford, will do two presentations Monday called “Against the Flow,” based on his book of the same name.
Lennox will speak at two events in GCU Arena — the weekly Chapel at 11:15 a.m., where most of the audience is students, and a special presentation at 2 p.m., open to the public in addition to anyone on campus. He also will meet with GCU faculty at a private session Monday morning.
"Dr. Lennox has spent a lot of time speaking very directly against the secular bent that's essentially the culture in the West, particularly if you're in his area, the U.K., or in North America," said Dr. Jason Hiles, dean of GCU's College of Theology. "The trend has been so secular that there's been this widespread writing off of the Christian worldview or anything that has to do with God.
"In the midst of a very secular culture, he's standing up not as a theologian but as a scientist and a mathematician, two areas where there's not a lot of respect for Christians and there's a sort of arrogance among scientists that they know better than to believe in God. He's standing up and saying, 'I believe in God, and let me explain why your dismissive attitude is out of bounds and you're not being very thoughtful about this.'"
Hiles said Lennox's work is particularly important for students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program, which the University is emphasizing as a critical part of its curriculum going forward:
“He's extended such a shadow over the entire conversation about science from a Christian perspective that it's huge to have him come to this campus to talk when we're in the middle of developing our STEM programs and be able to say, 'Look, it's legitimate to work in this space and to do so from a Christian perspective. There's absolutely nothing that you should be ashamed of or concerned about.’”
Lennox's afternoon session Monday will feature a talk of about a half-hour and then a question-and-answer period with the audience. Questions also can be submitted during the event via Twitter at #gcudrlennox.
Contact Rick Vacek at (602) 639-8203 or [email protected].
