Michael Whiting, associate professor of integrative biology at Brigham Young University, will speak Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. on “Mormonism and Evolutionary Biology: Seeking Grandeur in this View of Life” in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium.
Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend.
Charles Darwin’s “On The Origin of Species,” published in 1859, has affected religion, politics and science. Darwin is often portrayed as a man eager to destroy faith and tear down religion, but Whiting describes Darwin as a kind and gentle man who provided profound insights into nature and who recognized grandeur in his view of life.
As a contemporary of Joseph Smith, Darwin was molded by many of the same social and religious forces that influenced the prophet and the early years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Whiting will discuss how understanding the mechanics of creation through solid scientific inquiry makes it possible to gain a deeper respect for the creation and a richer appreciation for the ingenuity of an all-wise Creator.
This fifth lecture in the Hyrum B. Summerhays Lecture Series is hosted by BYU Religious Education and the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. These lectures provide students, faculty and staff with an opportunity to learn more about the relationship between science and religion.
For more information, contact Michael Whiting at (801) 422-5651.
