Intellectual Engagement
Christian Union Hosts Dr. James Tour
A Scientific Challenge to the Proposals on Life's Origin
By Erin conner, Writer and communications associate
"I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher." -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
On a warm Friday evening in a packed lecture hall in one of Princeton's prestigious science buildings, Dr. James Tour began his presentation with a picture of his family.
He explained how much he loved them, and he acknowledged the support of his wife in the audience, who had traveled with him to four universities—Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, and Princeton—for speaking engagements that week hosted by Christian Union. In a world that uses people and values things, this man stood before his audience illustrating in a simple yet profound way that relationships are the meaning and reason for it all.
Dr. Tour is a world-renowned chemist, nanotechnologist, and professor at Rice University, known globally for his groundbreaking research in graphene, nanomedicine, and carbon nanomaterials. With over 700 research publications, 150 patents, and decades of pioneering contributions, he has been recognized as one of the foremost scientific minds of our time. During his presentation, he reviewed some of the projects that he and his team are working on in his research lab. All projects shared one trait in common: from traumatic brain injury research to more efficient ways of recycling expensive materials—all hold the potential to give life by better stewarding resources and by solving meaningful problems.
Slide by slide of his presentation, Tour, an expert chemist, poked holes in the origin of life researchers' claims about the scientific likelihood of a cell arising from random molecular processes. Exploring the nature of molecules, Tour shared, in part, that molecules never move toward life unless an organism is acting upon them. Simply stated, molecules have no propensity to evolve toward life.
As a professor, Tour used examples from the college classroom to illustrate concepts and explained that science is very good at examining the characteristics of life but not the meaning of it. He suggested we look in the Bible for that. So after explaining some principles upon which God designed the physical world to work, Dr. Tour began to explore the principles upon which God designed the metaphysical world.
Right in the middle of a chemistry lecture, Tour put up a slide that read, "If you declare with your mouth that 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
His audience of 150 people at Princeton that night, whether professors, science majors, PhD candidates, or non-science undergraduates, sat face-to-face with the truth of salvation—a significant part of the meaning of life. Tour explained the Bible can be "tested" by historians and still stand. He shared evidence of why.
The audience was given an opportunity to then ask questions. Dr. Tour answered them all, staying long past the 90 minutes assigned to this event.
Dr. Tour's talk revealed to his audience that we all have faith. We all believe in something. In the classroom that night, spiritually speaking, Tour tore down the idol of human achievement or accomplishment. As one of the most accomplished chemists in the world, he shared the powerful, countercultural idea that scientists are just mere men and women; they have flaws, insecurities, and issues like everyone else. They have temptations to take the easy way out, to do the wrong thing, or to be motivated for the wrong reasons, just like anyone else. They are not God. The people who do research, write articles, and peer review them are flawed human beings who do not know all things, nor do they always do everything with perfect motives and methods.
The part of the question-and-answer session in which Tour problematized a culture of exaltation of scientists and asked the scientists in the room to push back on research by challenging it in meaningful ways to lead to a deeper understanding of truth was arguably one of the most powerful parts of the lecture. What if scientists are wrong about something we all believe to be true? What if people are wrong about who Jesus is? Do we have faith in mere men or faith in God?
We all are placing our faith in something. This is the reality that Tour implicitly had his audience face, not just at Princeton, but at Harvard, Yale, and Dartmouth as well. Following Tour's presentation at Dartmouth College, a doctor who attended, shared, "I can't recall a presentation so enlightening."
Every spring, for over two decades, Christian Union has proclaimed the gospel in a comprehensive way: through scientists, street evangelism campaigns, and other methods of outreach because, in a culture of deception and despair, there is nothing more logical and loving than sharing the truth of God's metaphysical love through the physical revelation of Jesus Christ.
Do Miracles Violate the Laws of Nature?
published by Christian Union
Science and faith are always in opposition, right? It’s a basic assumption that arguably most people believe, but is it true? Dr. Craig Keener, in a 2022 article for Christianity Today, dives into one of the most misunderstood assumptions of our time—that science and faith are contradictory.
Christian Union Publishes New Bible Study
A Powerful Bible Study on the Book of Job
By Erin conner, Writer and communications associate
Christian Union seeks a spiritually vibrant nation marked by Christian values permeating every corner of society. This vision is being advanced through the publication of Christian Union Bible Studies that are available to anyone who seeks to know the Lord and His word better.
Christian Union's latest Bible study on the Book of Job was released April 1st on Amazon.
Based on the Bible course model that has been developed and implemented in the Christian Union Universities ministries, CU Bible Studies will empower you to learn Scripture as never before. These guides are more exegetically focused and academic than a devotional book, yet more accessible and application-oriented than a commentary.
Christian Union Bible Studies empower you to grow in your relationship with God by feasting on His word. These guides provide more substantive, exegetical teaching than a typical devotional book yet remain more accessible and application-oriented than an academic commentary. Proven effective at the schools where Christian Union serves, these Bible studies facilitate a diligent pursuit of God with heart and mind, consistently delving into three essential questions: 1) What does the Scripture say? 2) What does it reveal to us about God—what He is like, what He loves and values, and what He hates? And 3) What shall we do with that information?
Notes on translation, historical background, literary genres, and the meanings of Hebrew and Greek words will help you gain clarity about what exactly the text is and is not saying. These studies draw from the best biblical scholarship available, presenting it in an accessible and concise format, along with observations drawn from the author's devout meditation on the text at hand and the Scriptures as a whole. Application questions throughout will challenge and encourage you to be a doer of the word, not merely a hearer. In ten lessons, this study will help you dive deeply into the book of Job, either on your own or in a group context.
The first Bible studies published by Christian Union in 2022 are available here: Psalms 1-41, Psalms 42-89, and Psalms 90-150.
Christian Union's newly released Bible study on the Book of Job is available here.
The Power of Humility
A Closer Look at Humility: The Beauty of Holiness
By christian union; first published in 2014, edited and revised in 2025
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."- Psalm 51:17, ESV
In Andrew Murray’s book, Humility: The Beauty of Holiness, published in 1895, he observes that there are three great motivations to seek humility. They are our status as a creature, as a sinner, and as a saint. Humble dependence, then, is the proper posture for creatures before their Creator, sinners before a holy God, and the saved before their Savior.
Prayer that Brought Revival
Movement Must Be Concerted, United, and Sustained
by christian union; first published in 2021; republished 2025
The following article, by the late scholar and preacher of revival Dr. J. Edwin Orr (1912-1987), was reprinted with permission from www.jedwinorr.com.Dr. A. T. Pierson once said, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.” Let me recount what God has done through concerted, united, sustained prayer.
The Spiritual Climate at Yale University
Christian Union Asks Student Body, "What is the Purpose of Your Life?"
By Erin conner, Writer and communications associate
"God is moving mightily at Yale, and we are seeing students boldly proclaim the gospel like never before," said Jeffrey Walsh, the ministry director of Christian Union Lux.
Night after night this semester, 20-25 students are walking across campus, sharing the good news of Jesus and praying with their peers. Just before Christian Union Lux's evangelism prayer and worship event at Battell Chapel on February 21-22, an email titled “What is the Purpose of Your Life?” was sent out to every student on campus. This email ignited a firestorm of discussion, going viral on Yale’s internal social media platform, Fizz, with 2,100 comments in a single day. "The curiosity and spiritual hunger this initiative sparked is overwhelming," Walsh said.
Christian Union Helps to Host "Give Me an Answer" Ministry
Evangelism Campaigns at Some of Our Nation's Most Secular Schools
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
On March 3, Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle from the Give Me An Answer Ministry visited Stanford, boldly proclaiming Christ and engaging students in deep conversations about difficult questions of faith. The crowd grew to nearly 250 students toward the end, with still more stopping by throughout the four-hour event in White Plaza.
"In the days since, I’ve heard several testimonies of how students have had many conversations with their non-believing friends about Christ, the gospel, and faith. Cliffe and Stuart’s example emboldened students in their faith, and we see clear evidence that God is at work in hearts on our campus," shared Justin Woyak, the ministry director at Christian Union Caritas, one of the ministries that helped to host this outreach event. Christian Union Caritas was honored to partner with other Christian ministries at Stanford to help proclaim the gospel in such a bold way.
Uniting in Extraordinary Prayer
Seeking a Spiritual Awakening in America
By christian union, first published in 2021; revised 2025
The following article by David Bryant is adapted from his essay in the 2004 updated edition of Jonathan Edwards’ influential book on prayer marked by a thirty-six word title that began with three famous words: An Humble Attempt. The modern version’s title is “A Call to United, Extraordinary Prayer…An Humble Attempt.”
Signs and Wonders
Christian Union Hosts Ken Fish at Recent Biannual Conference in NYC
By christian union
God is not simply a concept or theory. So often in the Western Church, Christians read the stories of the Bible and assume that signs and wonders were events that occurred in biblical times and simply don’t happen today. Ken Fish is one Christian leader in America who is here to explain otherwise. His 2023 book, On the Road with The Holy Spirit: A Modern Day Diary of Signs and Wonders, is based on a diary he kept over the course of five years while he was traveling extensively around the world. Fish spent time almost daily writing down the healings and miracles that the Lord was doing through hundreds of journal entries.
Is a Christian Worldview Archaic?
University Leadership Ministry Helps Students Develop a Robust Christian Worldview
written by christian union; edited By erin conner
As the Judeo-Christian worldview has receded in modern Western society, nihilism, atheism, secularism, post-modernism, and a resurgent paganism now present competing paradigms for explaining the meaning of life and our purpose here on earth. Bifurcation of facts from values has contributed to the identity dysphoria endemic to the dislocation of self in society that troubles many young people today. Issues related to sexual "empowerment" and individual gratification dominate public policy debate, even as our nation’s values related to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness find new definition in the reshaping of longstanding positions on private and public morality.
Faith-Based Movie Hits Theaters Across America
A Film Recently Released about Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
After 12 years in the making, Bonhoeffer opened in 2,000 theaters across the country starting on November 22. Faith-based films like this one raise thought-provoking questions that lead viewers to explore their own faith and actions in their spheres of influence, as well as the implications of their actions in shaping the contours of culture and history.
Preview the trailer of this film here: https://youtu.be/eK2sPrMlsQs
Faith & Mental Health: A Testimony of Freedom
Christian Leader in Media Shares Life-Giving Message in a Culture of Despair
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
Carrie Sheffield, a renowned columnist and broadcaster in Washington DC, released a memoir this past spring entitled Motorhome Prophesiesthat proclaims liberty is possible for the captives of trauma. Sheffield is a Harvard alumna, a member of Christian Union America, and serves in an advisory role for the Christian Union Washington DC board of advisors.
Sheffield shares insights with millions of Americans on networks like CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS News, CNBC, BBC, and more. From ABC’s Good Morning America to HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, PBS,and C-SPAN, she brings a voice of virtue to the American communications and media industry through boundless interviews, articles, appearances on television shows and podcasts, and at forums across the nation.
A Movement to Transform Culture for Christ
Christian Union Provides Support and Resources for Spiritual Strengthening
By erin conner, writer and communications associate
Your spiritual vitality is a matter of national importance. Perhaps that sounds dramatic, but consider it–our culture is shaped by the daily decisions of industry leaders who either embrace secular values or who embrace biblical values, many of whom may not know how to integrate their faith and their profession. How well are American believers equipped to bring Christian faith and values into their spheres of influence? And what are the implications if they don't? Dartmouth Receives the Only Green Light of All the Ivies
Intellectual Freedom Under Attack at American Educational Institutions
by erin conner, writer and communications associate
On September 16th, 2024, Dartmouth College aligned its written policies of free speech with First Amendment principles. Consequently, Dartmouth officially reclaimed the overall “green light” speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
According to a recent article published by FIRE, Dartmouth is the only green light school in the Ivy League, one of four in New Hampshire, and one of 68 nationwide. FIRE awards green light ratings to institutions with no written policies that seriously imperil student free speech rights.
“Say something controversial at most elite colleges and you’re liable to get shouted down, canceled, reported, and disciplined,” said FIRE Director of Policy Reform Laura Beltz. “But Dartmouth has shown it aims to foster a better environment for free speech through adopting these policies and encouraging dialogue across difference.”
Two Reasons Our Faith Must Be Bold
Speaking and Living Boldly for the Lord in a Pluralistic Society
by erin conner, writer and communications associate
The Book of Acts shows a people living boldly.
In regard to the church in the Book of Acts, Author Jonathan Parnell in his article, "Why Boldness Matters Now" writes, "The bewildering reality at work in Peter’s and John’s testimony in Acts 4 is what they say about Jesus. These two fishermen had become messengers of God’s salvation, heralds for a new age in human history. They were now spokesmen of the risen and reigning Lord over all. So yes, they spoke with passion. But the point Luke drives home is not their style, but their substance. Not their homiletics, but their hermeneutics. It was all centered on Christ — how he is the One to whom the whole Old Testament points, how his work has changed the world forever. The heart of Peter’s and John’s boldness was how they spoke clearly about the identity and significance of Jesus. The picture Luke gives us of the early Christian mission is that the church was not without words when it came to the question of their King."
Three Lessons on the Soul
How Does Jesus Teach Us to Compute?
by Erin conner, writer & communications associate
In a recent article entitled "To Gain the World and Lose Your Soul," published by Desiring God, writer Greg Morse powerfully illustrates the problem of ignoring the soul as a result of the distractions and deceptions of our modern world.
Morse writes, "One great feature of modernity, from Satan’s standpoint, is the sheer rejection of the soul. We live in a world stupefied by the material. Ask ten people on the street about their souls — if they don’t wonder aloud, 'What does this babbler wish to say?' (Acts 17:18), they will tell you that if they do have a soul, they have not thought much about it. Even ancient pagan philosophers wrote dense treatises on the soul, but the mass of men today live as though they are soulless. And yet these same people investigate the silliest things under the sun. If anything is worth thought, is it not your soul? 'Claiming to be wise, they became fools'” (Romans 1:22).
Shepherds for Sale: The Bennett Broadcast's Recent Book Review
A Closer Look at Episodes 2 and 3 of a Newly Launched Christian Podcast
By Erin conner, writer and communications associate
51 million Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month, making it a powerful platform for Matt Bennett, Founder and President of Christian Union and the Heritage Pastors Association, to use to deliver messages about national revival and reformation.
In two episodes of his newly launched podcast, Bennett explores ideas in Megan Basham's best selling book Shepherds for Sale; a book that investigates how deeply secular billionaires have infiltrated America’s churches. Shepherds for Sale "documents how progressive powerbrokers set out to change the American church… and warns of what happens when the church trusts the world’s wisdom instead of Scripture" (Amazon.com). In review of the book, Os Guinness shares, "Some will quibble over details, but no one should miss the powerful warning in this book. We face a gathering storm, as Winston Churchill warned a century ago, but this time the enemy is inside as well as outside the gates. Every convinced and unashamed Evangelical should read, ponder, and pray over this important book."
Culture and Current Religious Affiliation
Is Culture Reshaping Religious Affiliation and Freedom in America?
by Christian union, first published in 2021; edited and revised 2024
Religious freedom is an expectation and reality in our country, but with a major shift in the cultural understanding of identity, some experts argue that religious freedom may be evaporating before our eyes. In an article from Gospel Coalition Australia entitled "Has Religious Freedom Had Its Day," writer Akos Balogh examines the cultural changes that are quickly reshaping the freedom of the Church in the west.
What was the Azusa Street Revival?
Exploring an Impactful Revival
by Christian union america
The Azusa Street Revival is not commonly considered one of America’s great revivals like the First (1730-1755) and Second (1790-1840) Great Awakenings because it did not affect the nation on a broad scale. However, Azusa Street may have had the largest worldwide impact of any revival that began in the United States.
The catalyst to the Azusa Street Revival was a determined desire to receive “the baptism of the Holy Spirit,” as understood by some. The idea of “the baptism of the Holy Spirit” comes from Acts 1:5 (cf. Luke 3:16) when Jesus told the apostles, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Jesus’ words about being baptized with the Spirit were fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4 when “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” There are a variety of interpretations among Christians as to “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
When was the Last Nationwide Revival in America?
The Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58
by Christian union america
It was the “Great Century,” according to eminent church historian, Kenneth Scott Latourette, because of the unprecedented global growth of Christianity from 1800-1899. The gospel spread forcefully across the earth, and America was probably the greatest recipient and participant in God’s Kingdom advancement during that time. The “Great Century” began with the new country’s Second Great Awakening that lasted until approximately 1840. In the second half of the 1800s, the US was blessed with another nationwide move of God’s Spirit, the Businessmen's Revival of 1857-58.
