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| | '''''Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith''''', subtitled ''Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation'' is the academic publication of the [[American Scientific Affiliation]]. | | '''''Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith''''', subtitled ''Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation'' is the academic publication of the [[American Scientific Affiliation]]. |
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| − | ==Background==
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| − | The ASA's original constitution provided two goals for the ASA: "(1) to promote and encourage the study of the relationship between the facts of science and Holy Scriptures and (2) to promote the dissemination of the results of such studies." The establishment of the journal was seen as being in context of these goals.<ref name=Haas>[http://www.asa3.org/aSA/PSCF/1998/PSCF12-98Haas2.html The Harmonious Dissonance of Evangelical Scientists: Rhetoric and Reality in the Early Decades of The American Scientific Affiliation], ''PSCF'' 50 (December 1998): 241-249</ref> The journal is indexed in the [[ATLA Religion Database|ATLA Religion Serials Database]].<ref name=OCLCATLA>{{cite web|url=http://www.oclc.org/us/en/firstsearch/periodicals/results_title_search.asp?searchterm=perspectives&database=ATLAS&fulltext=%22%22&results=paged&PageSize=25&B1=Search |title=OCLC - Results of periodical search by title |accessdate=2009-10-05 |publisher=Online Computer Library Center }}</ref>{{Relevance-inline|date=May 2012}}
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| − | ''Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith'' (''PSCF'') began publication in 1949 as the ''Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation'' (''JASA'').<ref>[[Library of Congress]] records for:
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| − | * [http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=2&ti=1,2&Search_Arg=Journal%20of%20the%20American%20Scientific%20Affiliation&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=100&PID=OTXdItPBD2WxvT1Pd8ELLE87_h-5y&SEQ=20090702033513&SID=3 Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation]
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| − | * [http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=Journal%20of%20the%20American%20Scientific%20Affiliation&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=100&PID=OTXdItPBD2WxvT1Pd8ELLE87_h-5y&SEQ=20090702033513&SID=3 Perspectives on science and Christian faith : journal of the American Scientific Affiliation]
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| − | </ref> In its first year the journal was subtitled ''The American Scientific Affiliation Bulletin''.<ref name=Haas/> In its first issue it announced its purpose as being:
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| − | {{quote|It is intended primarily for the benefit of the A.S.A. members, and interested friends, and it is hoped that it will be instrumental in helping the organization achieve its primary purpose of witnessing to the truth of the Scriptures and elucidating the relationship of both the ideology and fruits of science thereto. Furthermore we confidently expect that in the publication of papers presented at the convention and others received from the membership at large, a real service will be rendered each of us in creating an enlarged appreciation and understanding of the Christian position in other fields of science than that of our own specialization. Also thru the A.S.A. Bulletin, we plan to give every interested member the benefit of a constructive criticism and Christian evaluation of papers presented and of reviews of books of great interest or strategic importance.|Marion D. Barnes|Foreword, ''JASA'' 1 (January 1949): 1<ref>[http://www.asa3.org/aSA/PSCF/1949/JASA1-49Barnes.html Foreword], Marion D. Barnes, ''JASA'' 1 (January 1949): 1</ref>}}
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| − | From its beginning the journal included divergent views, and the editorial objectives of the journal, published in December 1950, were a clear indication of the ASA's non-doctrinal focus.<ref>Webb(2002) pp157-158</ref>
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| − | == Editors ==
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| − | The editors of the ''JASA''/''PSCF'' have been as follows:
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| − | * [[Marion Barnes]] (1949–1951), Research Chemist, [[Lion Oil|Lion Oil Company]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[Delbert N. Eggenberger]] (1951–1962), Research Physicist, [[Argonne National Laboratory]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[David O. Moberg]] (1962–1964), Professor of Sociology, [[Bethel University (Minnesota)|Bethel College, Minnesota]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[Russell L. Mixter]] (1965–1968), Professor of Biology, [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College, Illinois]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[Richard H. Bube]] (1969–1983), Professor of Material Science, [[Stanford University]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[Wilbur Bullock]] (1984–1989), Professor of Biology, [[University of New Hampshire]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[John W. Haas]], Jr. (1990–1999), Professor of Chemistry, [[Gordon College (Massachusetts)|Gordon College, Massachusetts]]<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | * [[Roman Miller]] (2000–2007), Professor of Biology, [[Eastern Mennonite University]]{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
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| − | * [[Ari Leegwater]] (2008–2011), Professor of Chemistry, [[Calvin College]]{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
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| − | * [[James C. Peterson]] (2012–), Charles and Helen Schumann Chair of Christian Ethics, [[Roanoke College]] and Roy A. Hope Professor of Theology and Ethics at [[McMaster Divinity College]], [[McMaster University]]{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
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| − | == Debates on the creation–evolution controversy ==
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| − | The ASA journal published various views in the [[creation–evolution controversy]]. It carried [[Bernard Ramm]]'s view that the theory of evolution had logical weakness,<ref>Webb(2002) p157</ref> a 1949 article on "presuppositions in evolutionary thinking" by [[Young Earth creationist]] E. Y. Monsma,<ref>[http://www.asa3.org/aSA/PSCF/1949/JASA6-49Monsma.html Some Presuppositions in Evolutionary Thinking], ''JASA'' 1 #3 (June 1949): 15-30</ref><ref>Numbers(2006) p187</ref> [[J. Laurence Kulp]]'s 1950 indictment of "Deluge Geology",<ref name=DG>[http://www.asa3.org/asa/pscf/1950/JASA3-50Kulp.html Deluge Geology], J. Laurence Kulp, ''JASA'', '''2''', 1(1950): 1-15</ref> and [[Henry M. Morris]]'s anonymous reply to it.<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | Kulp's paper, ''Deluge Geology'' execrated [[flood geology]], which he stated had "grown and infiltrated the greater portion of fundamental Christianity in America primarily due to the absence of trained Christian geologists." He asserted that the "major propositions of the theory are contraindicated by established physical and geological laws" and focused on "four basic errors":<ref name=DG/>
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| − | #The "confusion that geology and evolution are synonomous{{sic}}"
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| − | #Assuming "that life has been on the earth only for a few thousand years, [and] therefore the flood ''must'' account for geological strata"
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| − | #Misunderstanding "the physical and chemical conditions under which rocks are formed"
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| − | #Ignoring recent discoveries, such as [[radiometric dating]], that undermined their assumptions
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| − | Kulp's conclusion was that a Christian was faced with two choices. Either: (1) the earth was created millions of years ago; or (2) God has apparently deceived humanity in providing data which does not support a 6,000- to 10,000-year-old Earth. He viewed "flood geology" as offering no third choice, that it was unscientific, ludicrous, and "has done and will do considerable harm to the strong propagation of the gospel among educated people". He also accused [[George McCready Price]] of ignorance and deception, including misrepresentation of geological data when defending [[flood geology]]. The paper failed to evoke the fireworks that Kulp and ASA president [[F. Alton Everest]] expected it to generate.<ref name=DG/><ref>Numbers(2006) pp 188-190</ref> In the opinion of at least one of the attendees at the annual convention where Monsma's and Kulp's papers were first presented, Monsma had lost the debate to Kulp, and Kulp was appointed that year to the executive council seat that Monsma had vacated.<ref>Numbers(2006) p188</ref> Kulp's influence was largely responsible for isolating flood geologists within the ASA, and ''Deluge Geology'' caused them considerable discomfort for years to come.<ref>Numbers(2006) pp 191-192</ref>
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| − | During the editorship of [[David O. Moberg]] (1962–1964), the ASA journal had a heavy emphasis on the creation–evolution controversy, with the subject being mentioned in the majority of issues, and the September 1963 issue being almost entirely devoted to it.<ref name=Haas/>
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| − | In 1964, ''JASA'' featured a pair of hostile reviews of [[John C. Whitcomb]]'s and [[Henry M. Morris]]'s ''[[The Genesis Flood]]'' (introduced by book-review editor Walter R. Hearn, who stated that they had been "edited extensively ... to tone them down a bit"), and in 1969 published a highly critical commentary by J. R. van der Fliert, a [[Dutch Reformed]] geologist at the [[Free University of Amsterdam]], who called Whitcomb and Morris "pseudo-scientific" pretenders. "To ensure that no readers missed his point," the journal "ran boldfaced sidebars by evangelical geologists applauding van de Fliert's bare-knuckled approach."<ref>Numbers(2006) 231-33; J. R. van de Fliert, "[http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1969/JASA9-69vandeFliert.html Fundamentalism and the Fundamentals of Geology,]" ''Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation'', 21 (September 1969): 69-81.</ref>
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| − | In the 1970s, [[Richard H. Bube]] defended the viewpoint of [[theistic evolution]] in the journal.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7049/is_3_60/ai_n28562907/ PSCF: a retro- and prospective], Randy Isaac, ''PSCF'', September 2008</ref>
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| − | ==References==
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| − | <references />
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| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
