Exploring the ways faith and science are complementary, and how God has woven faith and science together in beautiful and creative ways, is the focus of the inaugural Sachtleben-Throckmorton Faith & Science Symposium that begins Friday, April 26 with a presentation on campus, followed by events on Sunday, April 28 at First Presbyterian Church of Hastings.
The speaker for the symposium is Rev. Dr. Robert von Trebra, who earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1984 and worked as a research scientist before entering the Chicago Theological Seminary and being ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1996.
His talk at Hastings College is Friday at 2:10 p.m. in the lower level auditorium of the Wilson Center (814 N. Turner Avenue).
Then on Sunday, von Trebra will participate in several events at First Presbyterian Church (621 N. Lincoln Avenue) in Hastings. From 9:15-10:15 a.m. is an adult Sunday school panel discussion, followed by worship service at 10:30 a.m. Concluding the symposium is a public lecture in the sanctuary at 3:00 p.m.
All events are free and open to the public.
The symposium is inspired and funded by Dr. Clyde Sachtleben, Hastings College emeritus professor of physics, and named after Sachtleben and his colleague, the late Dr. Carl Throckmorton, who taught mathematics and physics at Hastings College from 1963 to 1995.
When Sachtleben was teaching physics and astronomy, he would teach about the big bang theory and the origins of the universe. Students would sometimes question how he reconciles the scientific consensus of the age of the earth being 4.5 billion years old with creation stories in the Bible.
Sachtleben said he took great joy in explaining how he perceives that faith and science are complimentary, and the marvelous way that God placed the planet earth at just the right distance from the sun to sustain human life, and then endowed humanity with the wisdom to study and learn about these things.
About von Trebra
Originally from Wisconsin, Rev. Dr. Robert von Trebra earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1984. He worked as a research scientist at Hoechst Celanese Corp., and earned a number of patents. He was called to enter the Chicago Theological Seminary and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1996. He served as pastor of a church in the Chicago suburbs for 19 years, then began interim ministry. In his spare time, von Trebra enjoys skiing, golf, bicycling, and traveling with his wife Jill.
The steering committee for the inaugural symposium includes:
- Dr. Clyde Sachtleben, professor emeritus of physics, Hastings College
- Dr. Amanda Solem, professor of biology, Hastings College
- Dr. Dorothy Dean, professor of religion, Hastings College
- Rev. Damen Jensen-Heitmann, associate pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Hastings
- Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett, senior pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Hastings
- Dr. Dan Deffenbaugh, associate dean of arts and sciences at Central Community College and Scholar in Residence at First Presbyterian Church of Hastings
- Dr. Rich Lloyd, president of Hastings College
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
