Evolutionary Innovation, Chance and Necessity: Science and Theology
- Maclaurin Chapel, Auckland
- Saturday, March 21
- 9:30 am to 3 pm
- $20 Includes lunch and coffee
- Register here.
A seminar with evolutionary biologist, Dr Zach Arndern, with responses from Dr Peter Wills, Dr Nick Matzke and Dr Nicola Hoggard Creegan
Molecular biology pioneer Jacques Monod famously wrote that “chance alone is at the source of every innovation, and of all creation in the biosphere”. This view is consistent with Monod’s materialist philosophy of science, and has a strong conceptual basis rooted in the putative randomness of mutations. But factors other than chance have also influenced evolutionary innovations in the history of life. The role of underlying principles of evolution aside from either chance or natural selection has gained more attention recently. Do these developments constitute a shift away from the Modern Synthesis? What, if anything, are the worldview implications of these developments, and how do they sit with a Christian theological framing of evolutionary history?
Christa McKirland on Science Engaged Theology and Leaving New Zealand
- Free online event
- Register for zoom link
- Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026
- 7:30 am to 9 pm NZST
Christa McKirland came to New Zealand and Carey Baptist College six years ago, with a Templeton Grant and ideas about Science Engaged Theology. She is leaving in a few months to return to the US. We chat to her about her time here, what she has learned, her current thinking about SET and what she is going back to.
Christian and Muslim Approaches to Creation and Climate Change
- The MacLaurin Chapel, Auckland
- Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026
- 6 pm to 9 pm
- $10 including pizza
- Register here.
Join us in person for our first inter-faith event exploring how Christian and Muslim traditions view creation and tackle climate change. Discover the shared values and unique perspectives that inspire action towards caring for our planet. It’s a chance to connect, learn, and be part of a meaningful conversation!
Panel discussion and audience participation. List of speakers soon.
Hosted by New Zealand Christians in Science, the Muslim Chaplaincy at UoA and Maclaurin Chapel