Two renowned scholars and theologians to explore “Creation, Resurrection and Eschatology” during conference at Messiah College

	John Polkinghorne Click on image to download print-quality version
	Luke Timothy Johnson Click on image to download print-quality version

GRANTHAM, Pa. (Oct. 6, 2006) — The Christian concepts of creation, resurrection and eschatology – the branch of theology concerned with the end of the world – will be dissected by renowned theologians and scholars John Polkinghorne and Luke Timothy Johnson during a conference at Messiah College on Oct. 27 and 28.  Johnson and Polkinghorne will each address the conference’s themes of creation, resurrection and eschatology in individual sessions. The conference, sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science and the college’s department of Biblical and religious studies, will be held at Hostetter Chapel on the college’s Grantham campus.  The event is open to the public; tickets are required. Visit www.messiah.edu/godandscience for registration forms and ticket prices.  Questions about the event can be directed to Ted Davis, professor of the history of science and director of the Central Pennsylvania Forum for Religion and Science, at (717) 766-2511, extension 6840.

About scholars John Polkinghorne and Luke Timothy Johnson

As a Fellow of the Royal Society, John Polkinghorne has received the highest honor in science in the United Kingdom.  Before resigning to devote himself full-time to the Anglican priesthood, Polkinghorne worked as a theoretical elementary particle physicist.  He is a former president of Queens College, Cambridge University and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.  Recipient of the 2002 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, Polkinghorne is considered the most widely-read author on religion and science in the world.  He is the author of more than a dozen books, the latest of which is “Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion.”

Polkinghorne will kick off the conference Oct. 27 with an opening lecture on creation at 7 p.m. Then, he will speak about resurrection and eschatology on Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.  Each 50-minute lecture will be followed by a time for audience questions.

Biblical scholar and theologian Luke Timothy Johnson is Robert W. Woodruff Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Christian origins in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Johnson is a former Benedictine monk and layman in the Sacred Heart Parish in Atlanta.  He has published several hundred articles and reviews, has won multiple awards for excellence in teaching and has written more than 20 books, including “The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels” and “The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation.”

Johnson will speak three times on Oct. 28. He will lecture about creation at 9 a.m., resurrection at 2 p.m. and eschatology at 7 p.m. Each 50-minute lecture will be followed by a time for audience questions.

About Messiah College

Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,800 undergraduate students in 50 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.

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