Issues of religion and reason took center stage at a recent conference that brought together Seventh-day Adventist Church theologians and science professors. The event was the second in a series of three meetings that will culminate in a 2004 international conference.

The Aug. 13 to 20 “Faith and Science Conference” was held at the Glacier View Ranch in Colorado. The conference allowed for some of the church’s best scientists and theologians to talk about contradictory evidence regarding the many facets surrounding creation. Its goals were not to change the church’s beliefs or draw up criteria to define orthodoxy, say church leaders. It did, however, attempt to outline a process where serious and caring dialogue could take place so that scholars could explore conflicting views of difficult issues raised by scientific data that suggests there could be more than one interpretation. Among these are questions such as the age of the earth, or whether the Noachic flood was truly “universal.”

Personnel from the church’s Geoscience Research Institute, based in Loma Linda, California, assisted by a planning committee of church leaders, scientists and theologians, coordinated the event, which primarily involved academics from North America. The event was preceded by an international conference last year in Utah, while another global session will take place in Colorado in 2004.

The 120 participants came from nearly every Adventist college and university in North America, as well as other universities.

Papers on pre-selected topics were presented to attendees. The topics ranged from the role of Christian education, to inspiration and revelation through Scripture, as well as issues raised by geology, biology, physics and paleontology.

Special focus was given to creation, the age of the earth and the flood spoken of in Genesis. The role of scripture and the writings of Ellen White, a pioneering founder of the church, in resolving the mysteries of the natural world was a key issue discussed.

Lowell Cooper, a vice president of the world church, said he felt the openness and cordiality that was demonstrated by the attendees was due in part to the groundwork that had been put in place at last year’s conference.

One of the greatest contributions of the conference was “the genuine commitment [of the participants] to the church and basic trust in each other’s integrity,” said Loma Linda University religion professor Dr. Ivan Blazen.

Dr. Angel Manuel Rodriquez, director of the church’s Biblical Research Institute, added, “I was impressed by the excellent spirit of cordiality that characterized the discussion, even during moments of significant disagreements, and by the commitment of the participants to our Lord and his church.”

And Larry Lichtenwalter, senior pastor of Village Adventist Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, said he was impressed with “the incredible ability of the biblical record to keep yanking us back to itself.”

Similar conferences are being held this year in other world church regions in anticipation of next year’s international conference.