How do the arts and sciences reveal the genius of God?

Is the world a meaningless churning of random intersecting events or a beautiful place of genius that reveals the reality of God as the ultimate Genius? 

Dr. Jonathan Witt joins The Denison Forum Podcast to discuss this central question of his book, A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature

When we encounter, discover, or help to create things in our world that express the unmistakable qualities of depth, harmony, clarity, and elegance, how do we explain them? What are they pointing us to? 

From great literature to music, to mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics, the majestic fingerprints of an all-powerful, good and majestic creator are all around us—if we have the eyes, ears, and heart to receive them. 

It just may be that breathtaking beauty and order will lead us to the greatest discovery of all.

Topics

• (01:57): Guest introduction: Dr. Jonathan Witt
• (04:52): Dr. Witt's journey of faith and intellectual exploration
• (08:05): Critique of Evolutionary Theory
• (10:13): The intersection of science, art, and faith
• (15:44): The influence of Christianity on modern science
• (21:10): The philosophy of Scientism vs. True Science
• (24:57): Exploring the book: A Meaningful World
• (33:27): The Periodic Table and the search for order
• (37:52): The genius in nature and art
• (45:30): Mathematics: The language of genius
• (52:06): Theological reflections on suffering and genius
• (57:31): Conclusion and further resources

Resources

• Ask Us Anything: info@denisonforum.org
• Read the prologue to A Meaningful World.
• A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature, Dr. Jonathan Witt
• The Discovery Institute Center for Science & Culture
• Your Designed Body, Steve Laufmann and Howard Glicksman
• The Wonder of Water, Michael Denton
• How has Denison Forum impacted your faith?
• Subscribe to The Daily Article by Dr. Jim Denison
• Stand. Engage. Transform. summer campaign.

About Dr. Jonathan Witt

Jonathan Witt, PhD, is Executive Editor of Discovery Institute Press and a senior fellow and senior project manager with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. His latest book is Heretic: One Scientist’s Journey from Darwin to Design (DI Press, 2018) written with Finnish bioengineer Matti Leisola. Witt also authored Intelligent Design Uncensored (IVP, 2010) with William Dembski, and A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature (IVP, 2006) with Benjamin Wiker.

He is also the author of The Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom That Tolkien Got, and the West Forgot (Ignatius, 2014), written with Jay Richards.

Witt is also the lead writer and associate producer for Poverty, Inc., winner of the $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award and recipient of over 50 international film festival honors.

He also scripted three other documentaries that aired widely on PBS and were translated into multiple languages for airing in countries around the globe: The Privileged Planet (written with Lad Allen), The Birth of Freedom, and The Call of the Entrepreneur.

Additionally, he scripted two Acton Media DVD curricula carried by Zondervan, including Effective Stewardship, and he served as the lead writer for The PovertyCure DVD Series and the PovertyCure initiative, which includes a content-rich website, more than a million Facebook followers, and a network of 400+ poverty-fighting organizations from around the world.

Witt also has provided editing or deep editing work for several successful books, including three New York Times bestsellers.

Before returning to work full time again with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, Witt served as the managing editor for the news and commentary site The Stream, and as a research fellow for the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Witt’s academic essays have appeared in various periodicals and he has been interviewed by numerous regional and national radio programs. He is a regular annual speaker for Discovery Institute’s summer seminar on science and culture and has spoken at universities on a range of topics connected to political and economic freedom, cultural renewal, and the arts.

Witt previously served as a tenured professor of literature and writing at Lubbock Christian University. He has a Ph.D., with honors, in English and Literary Theory from the University of Kansas.

About Dr. Mark Turman

Mark Turman, DMin, serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigate today’s complex culture with biblical truth. He is best known as the host of The Denison Forum Podcast and the lead pastor of the Possum Kingdom Chapel, the in-person congregation of Denison Ministries.

Dr. Turman is the coauthor of Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design and Who Am I? What the Bible Says About Identity and Why it Matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, and received his Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He later completed his Doctor of Ministry at George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University in Waco.

Before joining Denison Forum, Mark served as a pastor for 35 years, including 25 years as the founding pastor of Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas.

Mark and his high school sweetheart, Judi, married in 1986. They are proud parents of two adult children and grandparents to three grandchildren.

About Denison Forum

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.