The Rt Revd David Atkinson reflects on this what Michael’s message.

“Michael Reiss describes himself as an evolutionary biologist, and as a ‘fairly orthodox Christian’.   He discussed why he disagrees with Young Earth Creationists - though surprisingly 40% of the adult population of the UK believes the earth is only a few thousand years old.    He gave his reasons for holding to an evolutionary understanding of the world as good science.   But he also wanted to speak of God’s action in the world as Creator and Upholder of all that is.  
Why suffering?  is a common question  -  maybe because to have the sort of world in which love and goodness,  music and creativity can grow needs the sort of world in which there is the possibility for hatred,  evil and apparent waste.  From Darwin’s time onwards there have been many Christian theologians who have thought evolution to be the best scientific description we have of how the world we know has come to be, just as there have been critics of Darwin from within the sciences.”  

Michael Reiss is Professor of Science Education in London, and (as chairman Bishop David Atkinson put it) was ‘shamefully forced to resign’ from being Director of Education at the Royal Society.” Adding, “I suspect what some of Professor Reiss’s critics did not like is that he is not only a Professor of Science but also a priest in the Church of England”.

The event was sponsored by three groups:  Science and Faith in Norfolk;   Christians in Science; and the Norwich Cathedral Institute.

Professor Derek Burke, formerly vice-Chancellor at the UEA chaired a question and answer session.