American Scientific Affiliation

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The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)^[1] is a fellowship of men and women in science and related disciplines, who share a common fidelity to the Bible and a commitment to integrity in the practice of science. Founded in 1941, the organization currently has a worldwide membership of around 1,500. ^[2] ASA's stated purpose is to investigate any area relating to Christian faith and science and to make known the results of such investigations for comment and critique by the Christian community and the scholarly community at large.

The ASA logo represents the convergence of two perspectives and commitments. The horizontal arrow represents knowledge obtained through empirical exploration of nature. The vertical arrow represents God’s revelation to us of the spiritual dimension. The juxtaposition of these two arrows creates a third diagonal arrow representing the integration of science and Christian faith.

Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (PSCF) and the ASA Web Site are two means through which the results are disseminated. The Faith-Science Blog and ASA Listserv provide further information and opportunities for discussion.

Annual Meetings are held each summer in the US and occasionally with the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation (CSCA) and Christians in Science (CIS) in the UK. Local ASA Sections hold meetings on themes related to the purposes of the organization.

1 ASA Highlights
2 Joining the ASA
- 2.1 What does the ASA believe?
- 2.2 Categories of Membership
3 Publications
- 3.1 ASA Web Site
4 References
5 Related Organizations
6 External Links

[edit] ASA Highlights

Founding meetings held by a five member council in Chicago, Illinois, September 1941. ^[3]
First regional meetings were held at Pasadena, CA, Boston, MA and Chicago, IL in fall 1942. ^[4]
Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in California, August 1943. ^[5]
First Annual Meeting at Wheaton College (IL), August 1946. ^[6]
Modern Science and Christian Faith, published 1948. ^[7]
Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith began publication in 1949 as the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation.^[8]
ASA Newsletter appears, 1959. ^[4]
H. Harold Hartzler appointed Executive Secretary, (Mankato MN, 1961. ^[9]
William Sisterson appointed Executive Secretary (Elgin IL), 1972. ^[10]
Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation founded, 1973. ^[11]
Fire destroys ASA office and many organizational records, 1979. ^[12]
Robert L. Herrmann appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 1981. ^[13]
40th Annual Meeting held jointly with CIS at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University, 1985. ^[14]
Donald Munro appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 1994. ^[15]
53rd Annual Meeting held jointly with CIS at Churchill College, Cambridge University, 1998. ^[16]
Randy Isaac appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 2005. ^[17]
61st Annual Meeting held at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. July 2006. ^[18]

[edit] Joining the ASA

[edit] What does the ASA believe?

As an organization, the ASA does not take a position when there is honest disagreement between Christians on an issue. It is committed to providing an open forum where controversies can be discussed without fear of unjust condemnation. Legitimate differences of opinion among Christians who have studied both the Bible and science are freely expressed within the Affiliation in a context of Christian love and concern for truth.

The ASA's platform of faith has four important planks:

We accept the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and conduct.
We confess the Triune God affirmed in the Nicene and Apostles' creeds which we accept as brief, faithful statements of Christian doctrine based upon Scripture.
We believe that in creating and preserving the universe God has endowed it with contingent order and intelligibility, the basis of scientific investigation.
We recognize our responsibility, as stewards of God's creation, to use science and technology for the good of humanity and the whole world.

These four statements of faith spell out the distinctive character of the ASA, and the Affiliation strives to uphold then in every activity and publication.

[edit] Categories of Membership

Full members
Associate members
Student members
Friends

[edit] Publications

Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith began publication in 1949 as the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation.^[8] This refereed quarterly contains articles, short communications, book reviews and letters. There are theme issues as well as those with a diverse range of articles. The Newsletter of the ASA and CSCA reports news of these organizations and their members, and other significant events relating to science and Christianity.

[edit] ASA Web Site

ASA's web site was organized in August 1994 with four pages of content. Today it contains many thousands of pages of material including full runs of The Newsletter of the ASA and CSCA and PSCF.

Many of the articles and other material are topically arranged under the headings:

About Science, Archeology, Apologetics, Astronomy-Cosmology, Bible & Science, Book Reviews from PSCF, Teaching & Research,

Creation-Evolution, Education, Environment, Ethics, Historical Studies, Mathematics, Origin of Life, Philosophy, Physical Science,

Psychology-Neuroscience, Science & Technology, Ministry, Worldview, Youth Page

A work-in-progress, the ASA web site is regularly updated.

[edit] References

^ "The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)"Who's Who in Theology and Science, 1996 The Continuum Publishing Company, New York, NY 1996. pp. 556-557.
^ US Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, American Scientific Affiliation, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith,57:4, December 2005. p. 300.
^ H. Harold Hartzler, "H₃ Reminisces-The American Scientific Affiliation: 30 Years" Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 24 (March 1972): 23-25.
^ ^a ^b F. Alton Everest, "The American Scientific Affiliation-The First Decade" Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation 3 (September 1951): 33-38.
^ F. Alton Everest, "The American Scientific Affiliation-The First Decade" Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation 3 (September 1951): 33-38.
^ I. A. Cowperthwaite, "Twenty Years with the American Scientific Affiliation,"Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation 13 (December 1961): 98-102.
^ Members of the American Scientific Affiliation, Modern Science and Christian Faith: A Symposium on the Relationship of the Bible to Modern Science, Scripture Press, Wheaton, IL. 1948
^ ^a ^b First publication date verified via Library of Congress "Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation". ISSN 0003-0988. Retrieved on 2006-07-28.
^ ASA Newsletter, April 1961[1].
^ ASA Newsletter JuneJuly, 1972 [2]
^ Anne Reilly, "Canadian Christians discuss science-and-religion" Science & Theology News(September 28, 2005)
^ ASA Newsletter, December 1979 [3]
^ ASA Newsletter AprilMay 1985[4]
^ ASA Newsletter, AprilMay 1985 [5]
^ ASA Newsletter, JulyAugust 1994 [6]
^ 53rd Annual Meeting Program [7]
^ ASA Newsletter, MayJune 2005 [8]
^ Embedding Christian Values in Science and Technology 61st Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation Program and Abstracts, 2006

[edit] Related Organizations

[edit] External Links

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Category: Evangelical parachurch organisations