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Ronald Cole-Turner

Ronald Cole-Turner

Ron Cole-Turner teaches theology and ethics at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Throughout his career, he has been fascinated by the religious significance of new developments in science and technology, especially when they challenge the way we see our own humanity. His recent work is framed by two questions--where have we come from and where are we going? In 2016, Ron published The End of Adam and Eve: Theology and the Science of Human Origins, exploring the latest developments in the science of human origins from the standpoint of Christian theology.

New Perspectives from Science on Human Origins: Three Challenges for Christian Theology

What are the Moral Limits of Embryo and Stem Cell Research?

No, Not Yet, Maybe, and Why Not: Protestant Ambivalence Or Moral Discretion?

Ron is one of the co-founders of the International Society for Science and Religion and currently serves as a vice president and as a member of the Executive Committee. Over the years he has served on the Advisory Committee of the John Templeton Foundation and of the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, a program unit of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He also served as an advisor to a AAAS project to help seminary faculty across the US give more attention to the natural sciences. Other recent books include

Transhumanism and Transcendence: Christian Hope in an Age of Technological Transcendence and Design and Destiny: Jewish and Christian Perspectives on Human Germline Modification. Recent articles and book chapters carry titles like "Christians and Other Transhumanists" and "Spiritual Enhancement." Of all his writings, Ron is probably best known for a baptism hymn, "Child of Blessing, Child of Promise," included in nearly every major new English-language Protestant hymnal worldwide from Scotland to New Zealand.

For more see his web site: Theology Plus

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Topic Sets Available

AAAS Report on Stem-Cells

AstroTheology: Religious Reflections on Extraterrestrial Life Forms

Agency: Human, Robotic and Divine
Becoming Human: Brain, Mind, Emergence
Big Bang Cosmology and Theology (GHC)
Cosmic Questions Interviews

Cosmos and Creator
Creativity, Spirituality and Computing Technologies
CTNS Content Home
Darwin: A Friend to Religion?
Demystifying Information Technology
Divine Action (GHC)
Dreams and Dreaming: Neuroscientific and Religious Visions'
E. Coli at the No Free Lunchroom
Engaging Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence: An Adventure in Astro-Ethics
Evangelical Atheism: a response to Richard Dawkins
Ecology and Christian Theology
Evolution: What Should We Teach Our Children in Our Schools?
Evolution and Providence
Evolution and Creation Survey
Evolution and Theology (GHC)
Evolution, Creation, and Semiotics

The Expelled Controversy
Faith and Reason: An Introduction
Faith in the Future: Religion, Aging, and Healthcare in the 21st Century

Francisco Ayala on Evolution

From Christian Passions to Scientific Emotions
Genetic Engineering and Food

Genetics and Ethics
Genetic Technologies - the Radical Revision of Human Existence and the Natural World

Genomics, Nanotechnology and Robotics
Getting Mind out of Meat
God and Creation: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives on Big Bang Cosmology
God, Humanity and the Cosmos: A Textbook in Science and Religion
God the Spirit - and Natural Science
Historical Examples of the Science and Religion Debate (GHC)
History of Creationism
Intelligent Design Coming Clean

Issues for the Millennium: Cloning and Genetic Technologies
Jean Vanier of L'Arche
Nano-Technology and Nano-ethics
Natural Science and Christian Theology - A Select Bibliography
Neuroscience and the Soul
Outlines of the Science and Religion Debate (GHC)

Perspectives on Evolution

Physics and Theology
Quantum Mechanics and Theology (GHC)
Questions that Shape Our Future
Reductionism (GHC)
Reintroducing Teleology Into Science
Science and Suffering

Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action (CTNS/Vatican Series)

Space Exploration and Positive Stewardship

Stem-Cell Debate: Ethical Questions
Stem-Cell Ethics: A Theological Brief

Stem-Cell Questions
Theistic Evolution: A Christian Alternative to Atheism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design...
Theology and Science: Current Issues and Future Directions
Unscientific America: How science illiteracy threatens our future
Will ET End Religion?

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