Calvin Seminary Wins Templeton Grant

The Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to help develop a website offering resources for preachers interested in addressing issues of science from the pulpit.

This grant comes as part of Templeton's "Science for Ministry Initiative," which "aims at finding creative strategies to assist pastors and other church leaders in finding positive and constructive ways to use the fruits of contemporary science in the preaching, teaching, and worship life of the church," says Rev. Scott Hoezee, Director of The Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary

The Calvin project, "Science on Sunday: Integrating Science into the Life of the Congregation" will be a multi-year joint effort between Calvin Theological Seminary and Calvin College's Science Division.

"This is a unique partnership the exact nature of which has never before been done between Calvin Theological Seminary and Calvin College," says Hoezee.

The center will contract with Calvin scientists and ask them to write essays in their area of expertise. "We'll ask them to produce the essays with their own pastors in mind," says Hoezee. "We'll have them try to get people up to speed on where science is – and also address questions as they relate to their faith."

These essays will be posted on the website and might eventually be compiled into a publication.

The project will be spearheaded from the seminary side by Hoezee along with colleagues Elizabeth Steele-Halstead and John Bolt and from the college side mostly by Deborah Haarsma.

Hoezee said the website of resources will eventually be included in the overall website for the Center for Excellence in Preaching. "We'll try to gather existing links to existing resources," he says.

These will be resources that will be able to help preachers and others to become familiar with the latest issues in science as well as how they might be able to weave these issues into their sermons or classes in churches.

The program starts Jan. 1. The grant is for three years. For more information, call Hoezee at 616-957-6085 or visit http://cep.calvinseminary.edu.

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