Last July, one of my blog postings focused on the appointment of Dr. Frances Collins as the new director of the National Institutes of Health. My principal purpose was to raise concern about how Dr. Collins, a professing Christian whose appointment to this new post has been hailed by many Christians, reconciles his Christian faith with his clear commitment to Darwinian evolution. I questioned the biblical adequacy of his approach, and encouraged believers who hold to the authority and sufficiency of the Bible to look elsewhere.

A major concern regarding evolution among Christians has been the possibility – or, as some would argue, the inevitability – of ethical implications and consequences which contradict biblical truth regarding the dignity and sanctity of human life. God’s direct and special creation of Adam and Eve, our historical first parents, in his own image provides a major biblical ground for the unique nature of human being and an important moral mandate for its protection. Give that up, as Dr. Collins is explicitly willing to do, and this most significant theological/ethical foundation for the protection of human life is more likely to fall.

One might wonder, then, what Dr. Collins’s views of the sanctity of human life are, given his dual profession of Christian faith and evolution. We are beginning to find out. On behalf of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Collins has given us some insight into how his “reconciliation” of Christianity and evolution may work out in public policy and practice: In December, he announced the release of the first thirteen lines of embryonic stem cells for use by the research community, and, calling this “the first down payment,” raised the prospect of more lines to be released in the future.

For someone of Christian faith, knowing as he must the ethical concerns that other Christians have about embryonic stem cell research, Dr. Collins might have been expected to offer some moral, if not theological, justification. In fact, his only reference of an ethical nature was his statement that the embryos had been donated “under ethically sound informed consent processes.” Other than that, he provides no moral reflection on how he reconciles the biblically grounded sanctity of the life of the human embryo with the purposeful destruction of these embryos for scientific use. Nor has he made clear, so far as I know, in what ways, if any, his leadership in the advance of embryonic stem cell research connects with his convictions about Darwinian evolution.

This nexus of Christian faith, biblical truth, evolution, and ethics is even more noteworthy for those of us in Christian higher education when we consider the work of the BioLogos Foundation, which Dr. Collins founded. The BioLogos Foundation is sponsoring two major projects focused on changing the nature of the discussion of evolution at Christian institutions of higher education. First, a series of workshops for Christian college faculty will consider issues related to evolution and how it can be taught at Christian colleges. Second, a series of books with the same focus, written by BioLogos authors, will be published by InterVarsity Press.

There is certainly need for thoughtful engagement among Christians with the very best of contemporary science and scientific theories, including evolution. Christians who oppose evolution are often under-informed or confused about it, and excellent education requires careful and comprehensive study of this very complex subject. For reference, see Tim Keller’s essay, published on the BioLogos website, addressing some of the concerns about evolution shared by Christians committed to biblical fidelity.

But let’s recognize not only the crucial issue of biblical authority, which I believe is at stake in how Dr. Collins goes about the matter of reconciling Christian faith and science, but also the undeniable fact that ideas have consequences. As I said earlier, it is not clear whether or not Dr. Collins’s support for embryonic stem cell research is an intentional consequence of his views on faith and evolution. Respect for his competence as a scholar and thinker would make it reasonable to assume that it is. Given his increasing influence among Christians and on Christian college campuses, it will be important for those of us committed to the sanctity of human life from conception to stay tuned.