Professor of Systematic Theology named a grantee by BioLogos Foundation
::
02/28/13
Oliver Crisp, professor of Systematic Theology at
Fuller Theological Seminary, has been named a grantee of the Evolution
& Christian Faith grants competition sponsored by the BioLogos Foundation.
Last year,
BioLogos, a community of evangelical Christians committed to exploring and
celebrating the compatibility of evolutionary creation and biblical faith, was
awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the John
Templeton Foundation to
fund the work of scholars and church leaders on evolution and Christian faith.
Dr. Crisp’s submission, titled “Original Sin Redux,” was one of
37 submissions chosen to receive an award ranging from $23,000 to $300,000.
His project will
use analytic theology—a new approach to systematic theology that brings the
tools of analytic philosophy to bear on theological topics—to ask to what
extent a theological account of the origin of human sin depends on the
evolution of modern humans from one and only one ancestral pair.
“I was delighted
and honored to be given this grant by BioLogos and the Templeton Foundation,”
Crisp said. “BioLogos is trying to get evangelical Christians to seriously
engage with the sciences, and the Templeton Foundation has a distinguished
history of supporting work that integrates religious belief with wider
intellectual commitments in our culture today. I hope that my work will be a
fitting addition to the work of both these bodies.”
Crisp and other
award recipients will participate in summer workshops in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
The goal of the meetings is to foster a broader knowledge base, and build a
sustained network of scholars and church leaders, who are serious about
addressing the concerns of the church about evolution. In connection with the
third summer workshop in 2015, BioLogos will host a large conference open to
scientists, scholars, and church leaders from around the globe.
"As one of the leading voices in the field of
philosophical theology, Dr. Crisp is a most worthy recipient
of this BioLogos Foundation grant,” said Howard Loewen, dean of
Fuller’s School of Theology. “Fuller Seminary is honored to have one of its
notable faculty be selected to make a significant contribution to the
critical area of evolutionary creation and biblical faith. I am certain
that the originality, creativity, and range that characterizes Dr.
Crisp's current theological work will substantially inform
and advance the important, integrative work occurring at the
interface of the theological disciplines and the sciences."
Other grant
recipients represent organizations in Canada, France, Great Britain,
Netherlands, and Spain.
The 37 grantees
were chosen from a pool of 225 submissions. The review process was overseen by
a panel of eight highly respected scholars and church leaders from diverse
disciplines. Fifty-five other experts participated in scoring the projects.
Criteria for the decision included significance of topic, project design,
creativity and innovation, long-term impact potential, feasibility, and budget.