Gregg Davidson

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Removed old book: When Faith and Science Collide

I decided to remove an old book from my website to avoid confusion. When Faith and Science Collide, released in 2009, was replaced by a deep revision with a new title in 2019. In the last decade, a ton of new material has been published that is relevant to the discussion of science and Christian faith. Some really cool and some disturbing. The revised book has a new title: Friend of Science, Friend of Faith: Listening to God in His Works and Word. After hearing a reader pitch the original book to someone as “more about reconciliation than conflict,” I decided an improved title was needed. The new title better reflects the theme of the work.

What’s new in the revised book?

On the scientific side, advances in DNA sequencing, for species ranging from whales to fossil Neanderthals, is opening a whole new world of inquiry into the history of life. New fossils are rewriting popular understandings of how modern organisms are tied to those in the past, and evolutionary hypotheses are even being put to the test in bench-top experiments. On the religious side, significant contributions have been made by theologians and Christian scientists wrestling with how new scientific findings comport or challenge traditional understandings of the Bible.

Chapters addressing the intelligent design and young earth movements have been expanded, with more attention given to foundational assumptions, methods of argument, and the resulting impact on the mission of the church. More attention has also given to the subject of biblical inerrancy.

Finally, with the benefit of readers and critics of the original book, I have tossed out some material that did not have the desired effect, reorganized the content into five parts to make the logical flow easier to follow, and added more than twenty new figures.

Friend of Science Friend of Faith

Creating multiple indexes in Word

Indexes can be useful additions to non-fiction books to help readers locate terms or subjects. For some books, it is beneficial to have more than one index. As an example, my current book project on Genesis 1 (co-authored with theologian Ken Turner) will have three: Subject, Author, and Scripture indexes. MicroSoft makes it relatively easy to create a single index in Word, but if wishing to make multiple indexes, the developers seem to have gone out of their way to make it as non-intuitive as possible. When searching the web for solutions, I found lots of teasers, but very few “solutions” that were actually helpful. I didn’t find any that were sufficient to answer all my questions. In the end, I was successful only with insights from my computer scientist wife. To avoid forgetting all those non-intuitive steps for some future project, I wrote up step by step instructions – mostly for myself, but posting it in case it turns out to be useful for anyone else.

Steps for generating multiple indexes (including Scripture references)
All based on MS Office 2019

1) Create a concordance file: A concordance is a two-column table with all variations of words to search in the first column (including variable capitalization, singular and plural, abbreviations, etc.) and index categories as they will appear in the index in the right column. Follow the main entry with a colon and the subcategory term. For scripture references, insert a backslash (\) before the colon to avoid it being read as a sub-category.

For multiple indexes, create a concordance for each index and add dummy characters to the end of each index category in the right column. Note that for a scripture index, if you wish books to be listed in biblical order (rather than alphabetical) leading numbers must be added before each book category to order correctly. To get chapter and verses to order correctly, leading zeros need to be added to avoid a reference such as 10:9 from being listed before 1:10 (so write as 01:10). The dummy text and leading zeros are removed in the final product.

concordance 1 (Author)

TurnerTurner, Kenneth J.-aaa
DavidsonDavidson, Gregg-aaa

concordance 2 (Subject)

simileliterary device: simile-bbb
metaphorliterary device: metaphor-bbb

concordance 3 (Scripture)

Ps. 34:1–319-Psalms:034\:01–3-ccc
Psalm 34:1–319-Psalms:034\:01–3-ccc

2) In the document to be indexed, go to References / Insert Index / AutoMark. Select the first concordance file and Open.
Index field codes will appear as, e.g. {XE “Turner, Kenneth J.-aaa”}
(The curly brackets cannot be searched or replaced, but text inside can be.)

3) Do a global search and replace to exchange the dummy characters with the index number identifier.
First turn on Show Marks (the paragraph icon under the Home tab).
Open Replace.
Find –> enter the dummy characters (e.g. -aaa)
Replace –> _^92f_^34^49^34 (use space key where underscore is shown)
     – these are Ascii codes that will become \f “1”
^92 = \
^34 = ” (straight double quote, not curly version)
^49 = 1, ^50 = 2, ^51 = 3
Check the box for use wildcards
Click Replace All

Alternative: To append text or commands to the end of index field codes:
Find –> XE “*”
Check box for use wildcards
Replace –> ^&_^92f_^34^49^34 (again, underscore is actually a space)

4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each new index.

5) Select an arbitrary word in the document and mark for a temporary index (References / Mark Entry / Mark).

6) Add page breaks for each index. On each page, insert a dummy index. References / Insert Index, pick formatting, number of columns, etc. and click OK.
When it asks if you want to replace existing index, click No.

7) Right click on each index and select edit field, then click on Field Codes at bottom left. A window will open with format coding. At the end of the string add: _\f_”1″ (underscore is a space, make sure double quotes are straight, not fancy). Click OK. All the index 1 entries should appear.

8) Repeat step 7 for each index.

9) Delete the index field code for the random word selected to initiate the indexes. e.g. {XE “whatever”}

10) For repeated trials, all index field codes can be deleted using the find and replace function, entering ^d XE to Find and leaving Replace as blank (view codes has to be turned on).

11) To add a “see X” item in an index, select the first occurrence of the word and highlight it. Go to References / Mark Entry, click on cross-reference, add the term for X, and click OK. Add the \f “1” (or other index number) at the end.
The cross-reference mark is only done on one word, but all subsequent occurrences will need the index field-code tag associated with word X.

12) For the Scripture index, the leading numbers in front of the books of the Bible and leading zeros in front of chapters or verses will need to be manually deleted.

Note: In principle, it should be possible to take a duplicated document with a unique set of index field codes (for a second index) and use the Review / Combine function to merge the second file with the original. This does NOT work. Field codes get mysteriously dropped and fragments of text get duplicated.

I hope this helps someone out there!

Virtual Book Tour, 2021!

Friend of Science, Friend of Faith: Listening to God in His Works and Word
– Live remote seminars on science and Christian faith now available!

In our increasingly polarized society, science and the Bible are being pitted against each other in unhealthy ways. Many Christians speak of science as an enemy, unwittingly creating stumbling blocks to faith in Christ, diminishing appreciation of the majesty of the natural world, and diverting Christian youth away from careers in the sciences. Seminars by Dr. Davidson are aimed at removing these stumbling blocks, healing the science-faith divide, and recapturing our sense of wonder at God’s creation.

For colleges and universities, a Bible-themed presentation could be coupled with a seminar given in a geology (or related) department deriving from my day job studying hydrogeology and geochemistry. A separate list of science seminar titles is provided after the science & faith titles below.

Contact info: GreggDavidson63@gmail.com

Science & Christian Faith Presentations

Should science influence biblical interpretation?
Many Christians think the answer is No, without realizing the importance an understanding of God’s natural creation has historically played in biblical understanding. The presentation walks participants through the apparent science-Bible conflicts in the days of Galileo, why science was not ultimately a threat to biblical authority, and how our understanding of scripture and science today is better for it.

Sin, death, and the fossil record
Evolution and the biblical flood are set against each other as mutually exclusive explanations for the fossil record, with the question of the timing of death taking center stage. Many argue that death could not have existed before man sinned, but this sense hinges more on human sentiment than biblical mandate. The presentation focuses on the scriptural arguments for material/animal death that preceded man’s sin.

How do we know those dating methods work?
It is often claimed that scientific dating methods are based on untestable assumptions and circular reasoning. This presentation uses an example from the Hawaiian Islands to demonstrate how assumptions get tested and how independent methods can be compared to give confidence that dating methods are reliable.

Varves, tree rings, and carbon-14: putting age models to the test
(A more technical and robust presentation to the question above regarding the reliability of dating methods – lots of graphs.) A series of studies of tree cores from Europe and sediment cores from Lake Suigetsu, Japan, allow a rigorous test of conventional and young-earth models. The test combines carbon-14 measurements from tree rings and varves (annual sediment couplets) to walk stepwise through a series of challenges and confirmations of conventional understanding. God gives us some amazing tools to study the “unobserved past.”

Fossils support evolution! Fossils support creation!
Evolutionary scientists and young earth creationists both claim that the evidence overwhelmingly supports their position. This presentation offers a layman’s summary of what the evidence is, how it is commonly misunderstood, and why the full weight of evidence is not consistent with young earth claims.

ID vs intelligent design
There is a marked contrast between William Paley’s understanding of intelligent design and the modern Intelligent Design (ID) movement. While recognition of design in nature is a good thing and even mandated in scripture, ID incorporates additional layers that are neither biblical nor helpful. By reducing belief to a science, faith is supplanted, and requiring evidence of design to be of a miraculous nature places evidence for God in an increasingly shrinking box.

Half-truths and the mission of the Church
Young earth advocates argue that the natural evidence speaks strongly of a young earth if viewed through a biblical lens. Few in the Church realize the degree to which that evidence is manipulated in presentations, which negatively impacts the witness of the Church to the lost and to its own people.

Young-earth evolutionists? “Taking us back to Egypt”
While most think of young earth organizations as defenders of traditional biblical understanding, few realize how far their views have migrated from traditional or orthodox understandings of the Bible. Leading young earth advocates are now strident evolutionists, differing from conventional understanding only in rates and mechanisms.

Human origins: “In the image of God”
Fossil hominid and genetic studies suggest humanity has a deep and complex history ultimately shared with other organisms. Population geneticists argue it was impossible for all of humanity to have started with a single couple. Is this where the Bible and science completely part ways? Not nearly as much as you might think! There are remarkable points of convergence between scientific and biblical models of understanding that do not relegate Adam and Eve, bearers of the image of God, to the trash bin of history.

“Regular science” Seminar Titles and Descriptions

The evolution of an oxbow lake: changes in sediment infilling rates based on 210Pb, 137Cs, and 14C
Presentation serves as a typical “results of a particular project” and as an example of how problems in research are solved. Bulk sediment fractions are not normally preferred for 14C measurements, but that was the only option at Sky Lake on the Mississippi floodplain. A novel approach had to be developed which turned out to work very well to map dramatic changes in the rate of sediment infilling at different stages from (1) an active river channel, (2) initial cutoff, (3) migration of the river away, and (4) land clearing.

Characterizing flow beneath a levee at flood-stage using water chemistry: sand boils, relief wells, and risk assessment
Sand boils form along a levee when flood waters force flow beneath the levee fast enough to erode sediment and carry it to the surface (called piping). Piping can potentially compromise the structural integrity of a levee, especially where flow pathways erode material close to the surface. In aquifers that are geochemically stratified (common in alluvial aquifers), the chemistry of water issuing from sand boils can be used to differentiate deep and shallow pathways, and characterize the nature of the flow system beneath the levee.

Oxbow lake-wetland systems as sources of aquifer recharge
Groundwater is being mined in many regional aquifers, including the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer, drawing greater attention to the need to understand sources of recharge. There are hundreds of oxbow lakes on the Mississippi River floodplain that hold water, but are not generally thought to be significant sources of recharge. A prolonged dry season followed by a high-water event in Sky Lake, MS, coupled with placement of a high density of monitoring wells, documented significant recharge to the aquifer from downward seepage from both the lake and the adjoining wetland.

Varves, tree rings, and carbon-14: putting young-earth and conventional age models to the test
Young earth organizations insist that assumptions made by conventional dating methods are not testable, and offer alternative models for earth history compressed within a few thousand years. A series of studies of tree cores from Europe and sediment cores from Lake Suigetsu, Japan, allow a rigorous test of conventional and young-earth models. The test combines carbon-14 measurements from tree rings and varves (annual sediment couplets) to walk stepwise through a series of challenges and confirmations of conventional understanding. Note: This is not an anti-Bible talk. It is a “how science works” talk.

Localized oxygenation of saturated wetland sediments created by preferential flow pathways: implications for wetland hydroecology
Saturated sediments rapidly turn anoxic as oxygen demand exceeds oxygen delivery. In the forested wetland of Sky Lake, MS, increases in sediment redox potential were observed at isolated locations as surface water levels increased, contrary to normal expectations. Vertical conduits of higher hydraulic conductivity are created by decomposing roots and fallen trees, allowing zones of oxygenation to exist in otherwise saturated anoxic sediments. These zones may contribute to observed correlations between wetland tree growth and water depth.

Google My Business: Categories for Artists and Musicians, but not Writers?

To improve visibility of my author website (which also serves as a book publisher), I signed up for the Google My Business program. This is a free service that Google provides to improve their search engine’s ability to connect customers to businesses. The program came recommended by a musician friend who runs a successful small business in the Denver area in audio production and guitar lessons.

The first step in setting up your business with Google is selection of a business category. Naturally, I started with Author. No match. Odd, I thought, but undeterred, entered Writer. No match. Really? As a check on whether any creative art professions were recognized, I entered Artist. Google had that category, as it also did for Musician. Google also recognized Entertainer, though not Actor or Thespian. Dancer? Sorry.

Thinking surely the inconsistency had to be a simple oversight, I looked for a customer support option – which of course does not really exist – and thus resorted to a Google search of “Why no author category on Google My Business?” I found others had posed the same question, but without much in the way of answers. The only one that even seemed to come close was some guy saying that authors don’t interact directly with customers. What??

Curiosity getting the better of me, I went back into the Google business categories and started typing partial entries to see what would auto-populate. Of course, Basilica is recognized as a business. Basilica?? Maybe Google should Google what that word means. Or how about Priest? Yep – a Google-recognized business category. Nothing for Pastor, mind you, so apparently Catholics have a lock on the business angle here. (I wonder how many entrepreneurs missed out on the burgeoning priest business?) Or maybe Erotic Massage? At least that could be a real business, right? Oh – wait – that’s an actual option.

Returning to my own business, I stared for a while at the Book Publisher category. Okay – I do have a micro-publishing company operated mostly for my fiction books (Malius Press), so I am not being dishonest about making that my business category. But it is not really what I want my name most associated with. More appropriate descriptors, in the absence of writer or author could be Public Speaker – no match, or maybe Freelancer – no match, or at least Professor – sorry, no match.

With a heavy sigh, I picked Book Publisher. But I’m telling you, Steamed Bun Shop was awfully tempting.

Easter Resurrection Essay at Peaceful Science

I was invited to submit an essay to Peaceful Science on how a practicing scientist could believe in something as seemingly impossible as someone rising from the dead. The essay went live just in time for Easter.
Peaceful Science is a discussion forum run from a Christian perspective, but frequented by non-Christians engaging in (mostly) peaceful dialogue.

The essay is unique in telling my story of how God introduced me to the writings of Richard Dawkins – a strident evangelist for atheism – to solidify my confidence that the God of the Bible is real. Seriously!

Link to the essay here.