why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy Why Study? Exploring the Face of God in the Academy Copyright 2017 by Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Singapore Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) 420 North Bridge Road, #05-05 North Bridge Centre Singapore 188727 Email: fes@fessingapore.org Website: www.fessingapore.org All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed by the contributors to this publication may not necessarily represent the official position of FES Singapore. Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ISBN 978-981-11-4065-5 Publication team: Coordinator: Adrian Nugroho Advisers: Vinoth Ramachandra, Lisman Komaladi Copyediting and proofreading: Yun-Mei Chong, Jian-Wen Lok, Esther Yixuan Yap Design and Layout: Yanti Agustin, Wei Lin Images: unsplash.com, stocksnap.io, pixabay.com Printed in Singapore 2
Contents Preface...5 1. Introduction...10 God s Call and the University Vinoth Ramachandra 2. Biology...24 Exploring God s Living World: Serving God in Biology Denis R. Alexander 3. Business...36 The Christian and Business Education Wee-Liang Tan 4. Education...48 Called to Be a Teacher: A Christian and Personal Viewpoint Ruth Wong 5. Engineering...60 Thinking Christianly About Engineering Priyan Dias 3
why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy 6. History...72 The Past and the Christian Faith: Reflections on Writing History Joy L. K. Pachuau 7. Law...86 Building on Studies in Law Kiem-Kiok Kwa 8. Literature...96 Faith and Literature: A Journey Maithrie White 9. Medicine...108 Medicine and Christianity Linus Chua 10. Physics...120 Living as a Christian and a Physicist Ross McKenzie 11. social work...136 From Classroom to Client: A Journey into Social Work Grace Koh Recommended Resources...149 Acknowledgements...159 4
Preface The idea of coming up with this book arose during an informal conversation over dinner at the IFES East Asia Graduate Conference in Petchaburi, Thailand last year. More precisely, the idea was conceived when some of us from Singapore were having discussions with Vinoth Ramachandra over spearheading an area of ministry that should very much characterise student movements in the university, but one that FES Singapore has not delved much into: academics and faith. There were several different titles the publication team came up with that depicted the content of this book well. The chosen title, however, was deliberately picked because it conveys some messages and foundational convictions the team aspire to get across. First, we believe Christian students must take their studies seriously; hence the first part of the title Why Study?. Although the chapters in this book have been written for Christian students entering the university, we believe that this book will also be of value to university students who are more senior, as well as Christian academics and practitioners in different fields of study and vocations. Secondly, we believe that all truth is God s truth, no matter where we find them, even within the different academic subjects, and that each truth reveals, to differing degrees, a certain character 5
why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy of the Triune God, that is, a certain aspect of the Face of God. Last but not least, we are deeply convinced that not only is the academy or university a very suitable place and setting for Christian students to explore the Face of God in their studies, this very exploration is also one of the most, if not the most, important aspect of Christian students spiritual growth as well as of their calling as witnesses of Christ on campus. In the pages of this book you will find writings and stories of people who are brilliant. Many of them hail from world-renowned universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Imperial College London, Princeton, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their brilliance and academic qualifications, however, are neither the focus of this book nor as interesting in and of themselves. Instead it is their journey in encountering the different facets of the Face of God in their research, studies, and practices from early on in their lives, as well as their conscious and consistent worship of the Triune God through these fields of study and vocation that form the heart of this book. Last but not least, I wish to thank the different people involved in the publication of this book. Vinoth, as mentioned earlier, has been instrumental in this project from the very beginning, including connecting us worldwide to some of the contributors of this book. Furthermore, he has graciously dispensed himself as an adviser to us throughout the writing of this book until its publication. Therefore special thanks and appreciation are due to him, without whom this project could hardly have been accomplished within 6
preface a year. Much thanks and appreciation are also due to each and every professor, lecturer, teacher, and practitioner who has contributed to this book, as they have sacrificially given their precious time and labour to share their life stories, often with heartfelt sincerity, blunt honesty, and unquenchable passion for the lordship of Christ over their academic and vocational fields, as well as over their lives. The FES Singapore General Secretary, Lisman Komaladi, my colleagues who are in the editorial/design team (especially Yun Mei) as well as our volunteer copyeditors, deserve a special mention too for their tireless efforts, especially in covering the loose ends when the going got tough. Without them, I cannot imagine how the work could have been completed. Above all, we thank God for who he is, from whom and through whom and to whom are all things, as will be evident in the pages of this book. Indeed, To him be glory forever! (Rom. 11:36). It is hoped that the true life stories in this book will inspire us to begin our own journey, a journey that commences and is sustained by the conviction that: We re pilgrims on the journey Of the narrow road And those who ve gone before us line the way Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary Their lives a stirring testament to God s sustaining grace Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us run the race not only for the prize 7
why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy But as those who ve gone before us Let us leave to those behind us The heritage of faithfulness Passed on through godly lives Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful May the fire of our devotion light their way May the footprints that we leave Lead them to believe And the lives we live inspire them to obey Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful 1 On behalf of the publication team, Adrian Nugroho Academics and Faith Ministry Coordinator, FES Singapore June 2017 1 The lyrics of the song Find Us Faithful by Jon Mohr, popularised by Steve Green. http://stevegreenministries.org/product/find-us-faithful-5/, accessed 19 June 2017. 8
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love. Bernard of Clairvaux
why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy introduction 10
1 God s Call and the University Vinoth Ramachandra Do not be shaped by the pressures of the present age; but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you can work out God s good, acceptable and complete will. Romans 12:2, my translation What would I say to Christian students beginning their university studies? The question is a daunting one, not least because so much depends on social and cultural context. In a country such as South Korea, almost every high school graduate ends up in university; and so there is little reflection on what distinctive role, if any, universities may play vis-à-vis the nation, church, or the individual s own flourishing. In most parts of Asia, however, a tertiary education is still a privilege enjoyed by few, and a degree is seen as a passport to secure 11
why study? Exploring the face of God in the academy employment, upward social mobility, and financial provision for parents and less fortunate siblings. Such expectations are met less frequently compared to the past. Given the rising costs of education, even in state-funded institutions, more and more students support themselves through part-time employment and spend little time in the university outside of compulsory lectures or lab work. So, while appreciating the different academic contexts, even within a single country, and the financial pressures that students face today in comparison with their parents generation, I would want to encourage Christian students to reflect on the following: 1. Remember You Are, First and Foremost, a Christian This implies, negatively, being alert to the way the university as an institution shapes us inducting us (usually unconsciously) into beliefs, values and practices that may be profoundly unchristian. For instance, in divorcing knowledge from personal responsibility; promoting intellectual snobbery and one-upmanship; exalting utility and pragmatism over truth, justice and beauty; being blind to the non-academic staff (often from poor economic backgrounds) without whom the university would cease to function; being indifferent to the needs and concerns of the vast majority of humanity, and so on. We need to remember that developing a Christian mind is not primarily an intellectual exercise but, rather, the cultivation of a Christlike disposition or character. In 12