Todd's Blog

Yesterday's announcement garnered some concerned reaction, and I would like to clarify a few things.  After Bryan College dropped the Center for Origins Research, we had numerous opportunities that we could pursue.  Among those were institutional adoption and retiring to teaching positions, but in the back of our minds, we always dreamed of spinning off as a new nonprofit organization.  That's what  Core Academy of Science  is all about (notice the Core is just a word, not an acronym).  While we pursued all the other options, we continued to develop plans to launch Core Academy .  That's why you haven't heard from me very much over the past month or so.  I've been busy (very busy) with ministry plans, incorporation, and product development, while at the same time talking to people about other possibilities for CORE. On Sunday, someone at church asked me specifically what to pray for, and I said without hesitation, DIRECTION.  There are too many possibilities right

About two months ago, we sent off five proposals for the adoption of the Center for Origins Research.  We were hoping that some Christian college or university might be interested in taking over CORE.  Three of those institutions turned us down, but we had several meetings with one.  Unfortunately, we just got word that they won't be able to adopt us either.  We're still waiting for word from one other institution, but they're also undergoing a budget shortfall (like our old sponsor Bryan College), so I'm not optimistic. Since CORE will not be adopted, the time has come for us to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves. To keep up to date on these new efforts, please visit our new internet home . Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com.

It's been a while since I posted, and we've been quite busy driving hither and yon meeting with folks and talking about the importance of CORE.  Once again, I wish I had a concrete update to give you, but I can only tell you that within a month, we should have a solid plan for the future.  We've managed to narrow our options down to two, and we're trying to decide which one we will pursue.  Both options are pretty exciting, and we've had some very encouraging meetings in the past month as we've pursued these options.  Neither option is really ideal, however, and there are some important drawbacks that we'll have to consider carefully.  Please pray for a clear direction for us as we try to decide what to do.  Or maybe we'll shoot for the moon and try to do both! Meanwhile, there's a new Neandertal genome available .  I wish I had more time for such things... Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com.

Why bother with science?  Here's Matthew Hale's answer from his 1677 Primitive Originations of Mankind : The first qualification in the choice of Object [of contemplation and study] is, that it be noble and worthy of the Faculty that is employed about it. ... I do not blame the pursuit of the Works of Nature, even in the Contemplation of the smallest Works thereof; for though the things themselves are comparatively low, and inconsiderable, yet even in the smallest Vegetable or Animal, even in the very little Insects, there appears the excellent Work of the Divine Wisdom, and therefore there is a worth and excellency in the Contemplation of them .... Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com.

A week ago I announced our need of $2000 to attend a meeting in California with a potential donor.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but in two days we already had $1500.  By Saturday, we got the full $2000.  We even got a donations from Charles Darwin's hometown of Shrewsbury.  Oh sweet irony. In other news, the meeting in California has been delayed and switched to Colorado.  Thanks to our donors, we're definitely going, and I'll be sure to post updates on this meeting as we learn more. Again, thanks to all who contributed. Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com.

Some of you probably remember that the Center for Origins Research at Bryan College publishes a monograph series in cooperation with Wipf and Stock publishers.  The last volume in the series was volume 5 , from the 2009 Genesis Kinds conference.  That was four years ago, and today, I am extremely pleased to announce the publication of the newest title in the series: A Critical Realist's Theological Method: Returning the Bible and Biblical Theology to be the Framer for Theology and Science Douglas Kennard Houston Graduate School of Theology Abstract A Critical Realist’s Theological Method explores a systematic theology method that is grounded in a critical realist epistemology in the wake of Roy Sellars, A. H. Strong, Stuart Hackett, Alister McGrath, Imre Lakatos, and Nancey Murphy that will justify the nesting of science within its methodological branches. Kennard surveys each philosophical and traditional theology approach for their precise contributions and their lim

Hello, friends. As most of you know, CORE is being shut down, and Roger Sanders and I are working on various projects that would hopefully "save CORE."  While we continue to pray that CORE will be adopted by another institution, we're also looking for research grants and donations that would provide partial salary support, in case we have to endure prolonged unemployment.  In a miraculous "coincidence," a potential donor already came forward with interest in one of Roger's research projects.  We learned of this donor just before the Bryan administration informed us of their decision to eliminate the college's support for CORE.  We like to think of the timing as providential. In our ongoing discussions with this donor, we have come to the point where we need to meet with him in person to make our pitch.  To make a long story short, I need to send Roger to Los Angeles, California in two weeks (March 19) to meet with our collaborators and this potential

Final papers for the International Conference on Creationism were due yesterday, and I was literally rewriting papers almost to the last minute.  CORE faculty will be presenting six papers, and we definitely plan to go.  I have no idea how we can afford to go, but we're not going to cancel our work for a little thing like unemployment!  According to the current ICC schedule, we'll be giving the following talks: Monday, August 5 8:00 am - "Mitochondrial DNA analysis of three terrestrial mammal baramins (Equidae, Felidae, and Canidae) implies an accelerated mutation rate near the time of the Flood," Todd Wood 10:00 am - "The fossil record of angiosperm families in relation to baraminology," Roger Sanders Tuesday, August 6 10:00 am - "The biology of Vibrio cholera and origin of bacterial toxin-induced pathogenesis," Joe Francis and Todd Wood Wednesday, August 7 1:15 pm - "A Review of the Last Decade of Creation Biology Research on