BioLogos

{{Short description|Christian evolutionary creationist advocacy organization}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = The BioLogos Foundation

| image = BioLogos foundation logo.svg

| formation = 2007

| status = Non-profit

| headquarters = Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States

| leader_title = President

| leader_name = Kristine Torjesen

| budget =

| website = {{URL|https://biologos.org}}

| remarks =

}}

The BioLogos Foundation is a Christian advocacy group that supports the view that God created the world using evolution of different species as the mechanism.{{Cite journal |date=May 2010 |title=Of faith and reason |journal=Nature Immunology |language=en |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=357 |doi=10.1038/ni0510-357 |pmid=20404844 |issn=1529-2916|doi-access=free }} It was established by Francis Collins in 2007 after receiving letters and emails from people who had read his book, The Language of God.{{Cite web|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/aprilweb-only/117-43.0.html|title=Q & A: Francis Collins}} The primary audience was Christians in the beginning, but Collins as well as later leaders of the organization have sought to engage with scientific skeptics as well as general audiences invested in biological science.

BioLogos affirms evolutionary creation as a core commitment.{{cite web| title=About BioLogos | website=BioLogos | date=18 February 2019 | url=https://biologos.org/about-us/ | access-date=28 April 2019}}

History

In his 2006 book The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, Francis Collins wrote that scientific discoveries were an "opportunity to worship" and that he rejected both Young Earth creationism and intelligent design. He wrote that his own belief was theistic evolution or evolutionary creation, which he described as "BioLogos", and that one can "think of DNA as an instructional script, a software program, sitting in the nucleus of the cell."{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Francis |title=The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief |date=September 4, 2008 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=9781847396150}} He appeared on The Colbert Report and on Fresh Air radio to discuss his book.{{cite web |date=December 6, 2006 |title=Francis Collins |url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/dqyz7h/the-colbert-report-francis-collins |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110064017/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/dqyz7h/the-colbert-report-francis-collins |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2020 |publisher=The Colbert Report}}{{cite episode |title=Francis Collins on 'The Language of God' |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9207913 |series=Fresh Air |series-link=Fresh Air |airdate=2007-03-29}} In an interview with D. J. Grothe on the Point of Inquiry podcast, he said that the overall aim of the book was to show that "one can be intellectually in a rigorous position and argue that science and faith can be compatible", and that he was prompted to write the book because "most people are seeking a possible harmony between these worldviews [science and faith], and it seems rather sad that we hear so little about this possibility.{{cite web |author=D.J. Grothe |author-link=D.J. Grothe |date=August 31, 2007 |title=Dr. Francis Collins - The Language of God |url=http://www.pointofinquiry.org/dr_francis_collins_the_language_of_god/ |access-date=September 3, 2015 |publisher=Point of Inquiry}}

In 2007, Collins founded the BioLogos Foundation to "contribute to the public voice that represents the harmony of science and faith." He served as the foundation's president until he was confirmed as director of the NIH.[http://biologos.org/news-events/francis-collins-confirmed-as-director-of-the-national-institutes-of-health/ BioLogos website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902103115/http://biologos.org/news-events/francis-collins-confirmed-as-director-of-the-national-institutes-of-health|date=September 2, 2009}} Collins has also spoken at the Veritas Forum on the relationship between science and religion and the existence of God.{{cite web |title=Francis Collins - The Veritas Forum |url=http://veritas.org/speakers/francis-collins/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128042639/http://veritas.org/speakers/francis-collins |archive-date=November 28, 2015 |access-date=March 29, 2018 |website=veritas.org}}

Presidents

File:Francis Collins official photo.jpg and as director of the National Institutes of Health.]]

The foundation has been led by the following presidents:

Francis Collins (founded 2007 – 16 August 2009; resigned to become 16th director of the National Institutes of Health)
Darrel R. Falk (16 August 2009 – January 2013)
Deborah Haarsma (January 2013 – March 2025)
Kristine Torjesen (March 2025 – present)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BioLogos sponsored livestream events featuring the NIH director and BioLogos founder Francis Collins.{{Cite web|last=Randall|first=Rebecca|title=To Debunk Viral Conspiracies, First Build Trust|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/april-web-only/coronavirus-conspiracies-francis-collins-covid-19.html|access-date=2020-08-14|website=ChristianityToday.com|language=en}}

Responses

A Time article about the foundation reported different responses in 2009.{{Cite magazine |magazine= Time |title= Helping Christians Reconcile God with Science |first= Amy |last= Sullivan |author-link= Amy Sullivan |date= May 2, 2009 |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1895284,00.html |access-date=2009-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505062635/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1895284,00.html |archive-date=2009-05-05 |url-status=dead }}

BioLogos has also received praise and positive responses. Supporters include Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, who has argued that the foundation's goal of "helping fundamentalists evolve can only be good for civilization."{{cite news |first=Kathleen |last=Parker |author-link= Kathleen Parker |title=An Evolution for Evangelicals |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/08/AR2009050802383.html |work=The Washington Post |date=May 10, 2009 |accessdate=2009-04-18 }}

Reception of the "evolutionary creationism" message of BioLogos within the Christian community has been mixed. Young earth creationists identify BioLogos as one of the great compromisers of the Bible, accusing members of bowing to science over the clear Word of God.John UpChurch, The Danger of BioLogos, Blurring the Line Between Creation and Evolution, Answers Magazine, Oct-Nov, 2011. https://answersingenesis.org/theistic-evolution/the-danger-of-biologos/ BioLogos counters that they affirm all the core tenants of the traditional Christian faith, and that their views on evolution are consistent with notable defenders of Christianity such as Augustine, an early church father,Craig D. Allert, What is a Literal Reading?: Lessons from Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine, BioLogos, January 15, 2015. https://biologos.org/articles/what-is-a-literal-reading-lessons-from-gregory-of-nyssa-and-augustine (accessed Jul 13, 2024) and B. B. Warfield, a staunch 19th century promoter of biblical inerrancy.Mark Noll, B.B. Warfield, Biblical Inerrancy, and Evolution, BioLogos, August 22, 2011. https://biologos.org/articles/b-b-warfield-biblical-inerrancy-and-evolution (accessed Jul 13, 2024)

References

Bibliography

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, by Francis Collins

Category:Christian organizations established in 2007

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Category:Criticism of creationism

Category:Christianity and science

Category:Christianity and evolution

Category:501(c)(3) organizations