Veritas Forum: From Primate to People: God, Goodness, Evolution & Evil

As our understanding of science advances and we learn more about human evolution, questions are mounting about the origins of human nature, the complexities of imperfection, the prevalence of evil, and what this all means for the Christian worldview. Join physicist Loren Haarsma from Calvin University and theologian & philosopher J. Richard Middleton from Northeastern Seminary in a captivating conversation that delves into questions around origins, evil, and God.

All perspectives and faith backgrounds are valued, and all voices are encouraged to join this inclusive exploration and thought-provoking dialogue. Haarsma's scientific insights and Middleton's theological wisdom promise to shed light on the origins of human flaws and the nuanced interplay between scientific inquiry and theological contemplation.

Speaker: J. Richard Middleton, Ph.D.
J. Richard Middleton (Ph.D. Free University Amsterdam) is a professor of biblical worldview and exegesis at Northeastern Seminary and Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, NY). He is past president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019–2021) and the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011–2014). Middleton holds a bachelor of theology degree from Jamaica Theological Seminary and an MA in philosophy from the University of Guelph (Canada). His most recent book is Abraham’s Silence: The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God (Baker Academic, 2021). He is also the author of A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology (Baker Academic, 2014), The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Brazos, 2005), and has published articles on creation theology in the Old Testament, the relationship of Christian faith to cosmology and evolutionary science, the music of Bob Marley, the problem of suffering, and the ethics of power. His books have been published in Korean, French, Indonesian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Speaker: Loren Haarsma, Ph.D.
Loren Haarsma is an associate professor of physics at Calvin University. He did his undergraduate studies at Calvin, earned a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University, and then completed five years of postdoctoral research in neuroscience before returning to Calvin to teach. His scientific research is studying the biophysical activity of ion channels in living cells and artificial lipid membranes, and computer modeling of self-organized complexity. He also studies and writes on topics at the intersection of science, philosophy, and Christian theology. He is co-author of the book Origins: Christian Perspectives on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design and recently wrote When Did Sin Begin? Human Evolution and the Doctrine of Original Sin.