|TOP|A conference on the relationships between Christian values and science and technology will take place this summer at Calvin College in Michigan, U.S. Titled "Embedding Christian Values in Science and Technology," the conference will take place July 28-31, 2006 as the 61st annual meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA).

Among the keynote speakers will be U.S. Congressman Vern Ehlers, a former professor of physics at Calvin, and Celia Deane-Drummond from the University of Chester in the U.K.

"We'll be looking at everything from the ethics of human stem cells to evolution and how life began to the proper role of biotechnology in growing our food," said Hessel Bouma III, Calvin professor of biology and programme chair. "These are the issues that are the fodder for the nation's biggest and best newspapers, for the country's broadcast networks and for a growing number of blogs and websites that examine science and religion."

|AD|Bouma says that the ASA, and its counterpart the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation, are the premier organizations of Christian scientists, theologians, philosophers and historians interested in the interesections and interactions between science and the Christian faith in North America.

"As such," he says, "our annual meeting is always a place for people to come together and talk about the important scientific and technological issues of the day."

Confirmed keynote speakers include Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute at MIT, Karen Lebacqz of the Yale University Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, and Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

"It's an amazing line-up of plenary speakers," says Bouma, who expects some 300 people to attend the conference.

In addition to the plenary talks, the conference will provide a number of interesting seminars, workshops and panel discussions.