So. Clearly in a moment of weakness and poor judgment, the fine bloggers at ThinkChristian.net asked me to become a regular contributor, and so I’ve agreed to do my best to add to what is already a stimulating and challenging conversation. Here’s a little more about me and the kinds of things I’ll tend to write about.

I’m Stephen Matheson, better known as Steve, associate professor of biology at Calvin College and a permanent visiting scientist  at the Van Andel Research Institute. Both are in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Which is unfortunate, because I’m originally from Arizona and came to Grand Rapids from Boston. (My Ph.D. is in neuroscience from the University of Arizona and I was a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hosptial/Harvard Medical School before coming to Calvin.) My research is best described as developmental cell biology with an emphasis on nerve cells. My wife Susan is a writer and editor and we have clinched evolutionary success for our genes by contributing four offspring to the population. Calvin is far from perfect, but I love my work and my students and our Reformed mission as a college. I often wonder what I did to deserve such riches; of course, being a good Calvinist I conclude that the answer is ‘nothing’ and instead conclude (with trepidation) that much will be expected in return.

I run a blog called Quintessence of Dust where I discuss topics in biology that are of particular interest to Christians, and posts from that blog have been featured in the last two editions of a science blogging anthology. You may have guessed that evolutionary biology is a prominent focus there, and it is, but I’m interested in all aspects of the interaction between science and Christian faith. More specifically, I’m eager to encourage Christians to have a more healthy regard for – and understanding of – the natural world. I am a strident critic of the Intelligent Design movement and other forms of creationism, but I tend to focus on problems of integrity and coherence rather than issues of hermeneutics or even theology. As a developmental biologist, I am naturally interested in the kinds of questions that surround reproduction and genetics.

So, what shall we talk about? One thing I’ll start with is a series on stem cells. It’s an area of personal professional expertise which should interest TC readers. I’m sure I’ll discuss evolution and related topics on a regular basis. My interest in neuroscience will lead me to consider consciousness and questions in that neighborhood. But I would enjoy conversation about anything even remotely biological, not to mention galaxies and quarks and colliders and stuff about which I probably know less than you do.

Don’t hesitate to suggest questions or topics, and don’t hesitate to disagree or criticize. Scientific discourse depends on criticism, after all. And knowledge is not the same as wisdom.

Thanks for having me. It’ll be great. But one last thing. Please address me as ‘Steve.’ I don’t answer to ‘Professor.’ An explanation for this might make a nice post someday.