Creation Astronomy
by Chris W. Ashcraft M.S., M.Ed., MTMS
Description:
Many of the founding fathers of astronomy, such as Nicolas Copernicus and Sir Isaac Newton, looked to the Word of God for special understanding. However, modern astronomers have adopted philosophical naturalism and seek to explain the origin of the cosmos and the celestial bodies through events that lie in stark contrast to the Bible.
This presentation provides a general introduction to astronomy from the Biblical worldview ("creation astronomy"). The origin and age of the cosmos and the celestial bodies are discussed, and important evidence of fine-tuning is illustrated.
Topics Include:
- Design and Purpose of the Celestial Bodies
- Big Bang vs. Biblical Creation
- Star Formation
- Age of the Cosmos
Files:
The latest files for this presentation are below, and are made freely available to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
| Student files | Teacher files |
About the Speaker:
Chris Ashcraft is a Christian educator employed as high school science teacher at Cedar Park Christian Schools and Adjunct Professor at NW University. Formerly, Chris was a biology research technician specialized in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation technology. He was employed at the Cotton Fiber Production Laboratory at Texas Tech University and the Plant Transformation Facility at Oklahoma State University, and lastly was the Plant Transformation Specialist for EDEN Bioscience in Bothell Washington.
He obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology from Wayland Baptist University in 1989, a Master of Science in biology from Texas Tech University in 1996, a Master of Education from the University of Washington in 2008, and a Master is Teaching Math and Science from Seattle Pacific University in 2012.
Chris moved from research science into the teaching profession to serve God in Christian education. His decision was motivated by the impact that secular science is having on people of faith. Today, close to 50% of Christian students lose their belief in God while attending secular schools. This tendency could be lessened if the Church was better equipped to defend the authority of Biblical teachings (1 Peter 3:15). To be prepared for these challenges, it is important that Churches provide regular educational programs on creation and other Bible apologetics.