American Scientific Affiliation

The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)"The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)"Who's Who in Theology and Science, 1996" The Continuum Publishing Company, New York, NY 1996. pp. 556-557.] is a fellowship of men and women in science and related disciplines, whose stated goal is to 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. US Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, American Scientific Affiliation, "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith,"57:4, December 2005. p. 300.] 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.

[http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith (PSCF)"] and the [http://www.asa3.org/ ASA Web Site] are two means through which the results are disseminated. The [http://www.asa3.org/weblog/jackhaas/ Faith-Science Blog] and [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/EmailASA/index.html#ASA%20Email ASA Listserv] provide further information and opportunities for discussion.

Annual Meetings are held each summer in the US and occasionally with the [http://www.csca.ca/ Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation (CSCA)] and [http://www.cis.org.uk/ Christians in Science (CIS)] in the UK. Local ASA Sections hold meetings on themes related to the purposes of the organization.

ASA highlights

* Founding meetings held by a five member council in Chicago, Illinois, September 1941. H. Harold Hartzler, [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1972/JASA3-72Hartzler.html "H₃ Reminisces-The American Scientific Affiliation: 30 Years"] "Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation" 24 (March 1972): 23-25.]
* First regional meetings were held at Pasadena, CA, Boston, MA and Chicago, IL in fall 1942. F. Alton Everest, [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1951/JASA9-51Everest.html "The American Scientific Affiliation-The First Decade"] "Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation" 3 (September 1951): 33-38.]
* Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in California, August 1943. F. Alton Everest, [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1951/JASA3-51Everest.html "The American Scientific Affiliation-The First Decade"] "Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation" 3 (September 1951): 33-38.]
* First Annual Meeting at Wheaton College (IL), August 1946. I. A. Cowperthwaite, [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1961/JASA4-61Cowperthwaite.html "Twenty Years with the American Scientific Affiliation,"] "Journal of The American Scientific Affiliation" 13 (December 1961): 98-102.]
* "Modern Science and Christian Faith", published 1948. 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]
* [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith"] began publication in 1949 as the [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html "Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation"] .First publication date verified via [http://catalog.loc.gov/ Library of Congress] cite journal
title =Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation
id = ISSN|0003-0988
accessdate = 2006-07-28 ]
* "ASA Newsletter" appears, 1959. The first issue is dated 13 February 1959. [http://www.asa3.org:16080/ASA/topics/NewsLetter5960s/Feb59.html#VOL%201%20NUMBER%201] .]
* H. Harold Hartzler appointed Executive Secretary, (Mankato MN, 1961. ASA Newsletter, April 1961 [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/NewsLetter5960s/APR61.html] . ]
* William Sisterson appointed Executive Secretary (Elgin IL), 1972. ASA Newsletter JuneJuly, 1972 [http://www.asa3.org:16080/ASA/topics/NewsLetter70s/JUNJUL72.html] ]
* Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation founded, 1973. Anne Reilly, [http://www.stnews.org/News-1535.htm "Canadian Christians discuss science-and-religion"] "Science & Theology News"(September 28, 2005)]
* Fire destroys ASA office and many organizational records, 1979. ASA Newsletter, December 1979 [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/NewsLetter70s/DEC79JAN80.html] ]
* Robert L. Herrmann appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 1981. ASA Newsletter AprilMay 1985 [http://www.asa3.org:16080/ASA/topics/NewsLetter80s/FEBMAR81.html] ]
* 40th Annual Meeting held jointly with CIS at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University, 1985. ASA Newsletter, AprilMay 1985 [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/NewsLetter80s/APRMAY85.html] ]
* Donald Munro appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 1994. ASA Newsletter, JulyAugust 1994 [http://www.asa3.org:16080/ASA/topics/NewsLetter90s/JULAUG94.html] ]
* 53rd Annual Meeting held jointly with CIS at Churchill College, Cambridge University, 1998. 53rd Annual Meeting Program [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/meetings/cambridge98/program.html] ]
* Randy Isaac appointed Executive Director (Ipswich MA), 2005. ASA Newsletter, MayJune 2005 [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/newsletter/mayjun05.pdf] ]
* 61st Annual Meeting held at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. July 2006. [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/meetings/Calvin2006/Calvin_program.pdf "Embedding Christian Values in Science and Technology"] 61st Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation Program and Abstracts, 2006]
* 63rd Annual Meeting held at George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon. August 2008. [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/meetings/georgefox2008/GeorgeFox_abstractbook.pdf "The Heart of Science: Do right, love mercy, walk humbly"] 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation Program and Abstracts, 2008]

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:

*Acceptance of the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and conduct.
*Confession of the Triune God affirmed in the Nicene and Apostles' creeds which we accept as brief, faithful statements of Christian doctrine based upon Scripture.
*Believe that in creating and preserving the universe God has endowed it with contingent order and intelligibility, the basis of scientific investigation.
*Recognition of the human 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 them in every activity and publication.

Publications

[http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith"] began publication in 1949 as the [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation] .First publication date verified via [http://catalog.loc.gov/ Library of Congress] cite journal
title = Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation
id = ISSN|0003-0988
accessdate = 2006-07-28 ] 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. [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/newsletter/index.htm "The Newsletter of the ASA and CSCA"] reports news of these organizations and their members, and other significant events relating to science and Christianity.

ASA web site

[http://www.asa3.org/ 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 [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/newsletter/index.htm "The Newsletter of the ASA and CSCA"] and [http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF.html "PSCF"] .

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

:About Science and Faith, 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

References

Related organizations

* [http://www.messiah.edu/departments/bioscience/acb.htm Affiliation of Christian Biologists ]
* [http://www.christianengineer.org/ Affiliation of Christian Engineers]
* [http://www.wheaton.edu/ACG/ Affiliation of Christian Geologists]
* [http://en.arocha.org/home/ A Rocha Christians in Conservation]
* [http://association%20of%20christians%20in%20the%20mathematical%20sciences Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences]
* [http://ausable.org/au.main.cfm Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies]
* [http://www.capswest.org/ Caps West: Christian Association for Psychological Studies]
* [http://www.ctns.org/ The Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences]
* [http://pages.prodigy.net/hjlubansky/ Christian Engineers and Scientists in Technology]
* [http://www.cmdahome.org/ Christian Medical & Dental Society]
* [http://www.christianmind.org/ The Christian Mind]
* [http://www.cneuroscience.org/ The Christian Neuroscience Society]
* [http://www.cis.org.uk/ Christians in Science]
* [http://www.counterbalance.org/ Counterbalance]
* [http://www.echonet.org/ ECHO—Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization]
* [http://www.emiusa.org/ Engineering Ministries International]
* [http://www.maclaurin.org/ Maclaurin Institute]
* [http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/faraday/ The Faraday Institute for Science and Theology]

External links

* [http://www.asa3.org/ ASA Web Site]
* [http://www.csca.ca/ CSCA Web Site]
* [http://www.cis.org.uk/ CIS Web Site]