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April Maskiewicz Cordero

Biology Professor and Speaker

 San Diego, California

 
 
 
 
 
 

I consider it my calling to help change the cultural narrative that
biological evolution and Christian faith are not compatible.

 

Vocation

“I am passionate about and highly invested in the faith and evolution dialogue. One reason is because I want all Christians to be fully informed about the science of evolution so that we can make wise and informed decisions about how we think about and talk about evolution. And second, I want to motivate young Christians to study biology and evolution, and not to fear it. I hope for and envision a time when Christian youth pastors and parents encourage young people to study biology because we have so much we can learn about God’s processes and mechanisms of creation. Third, I want to ensure science students and other scientists that they don’t have to reject Christianity to accept evolution. I want labs to be filled with Christians that are searching for truth knowing that whatever they find, it will always reveal the magnificence of God’s power. So my dream is to change the cultural narrative that evolution and Christian faith are not compatible.”
— April Maskiewicz Cordero

Presentations

 

"The E Word"

Can Evolution and Christianity co-exist? As we move deeper into the scientific age, the conflict narrative between evolution and Christian faith continues to be a challenge. April describes her journey from atheism back to Christianity, and how she reconciles evolution with her faith. She then describes three common misunderstandings people have about evolution and the Christian faith.  (17 minutes)

 

"Nosing Around the Genome"

Is there evidence for evolution? Yes! In this talk April provides an overview of the evidence for both small scale evolution and large scale evolution. She then discusses the importance of having transparent and intellectually honest engagement with the findings from the sciences because if we do not, we are forcing young people into an unnecessary choice between well-confirmed science and their faith in Christ. (24 min)

 

"Bishops Convocation"

After discussing her journey from atheism back to Christianity, April shares stories of her interactions with college students and adults to show how we might help Christians to courageously explore what evolution and mainstream science tell us. The premise is that viewing creation through the lens that God was and is the creator allows us to appreciate the incredibly complex, intricate, and elegant mechanisms that create the biological diversity we have on Earth. (35 min)

ABOUT ME

I am a professor of biology and Dean at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, a Christian university. I have the pleasure and challenge of teaching evolution to college undergraduates. Many of my students are coming into my course having been told the same thing I heard in the 1980’s: that one must choose between evolution and faith. I have come to really enjoy helping these students understand that their faith and the biology do not need to conflict. I embrace the fact that it is my vocation to help shepherd Christian students as they learn about evolution.

I have two wonderful sons and two fabulous daughter-in-laws. I travel quite a bit and really enjoy meeting new people and visiting new places.

I received my biology degree and my PhD from University of California, San Diego. When I entered college, I was a Christian, but in one of my first biology courses, my biology professor told the class that a person cannot believe in God and accept evolution. The basic argument was that evolution proved that there was no God. I found this puzzling and I met with a couple of different pastors who told me the same story -- that one must choose: either faith or evolution.

The more I learned in biology courses, the more evidence pointed toward the reality of evolution, and since both sides were telling me that they were mutually exclusive, I made the conscious decision to give up my faith and any belief in a God and I became atheist. It wasn’t until a couple years after college, when I was teaching English in Japan, that I came back to Christ, and then I spent the next decade working through the philosophical and theological issues until I could reconcile my Christian faith with my acceptance of evolution. Now I consider it a privilege to speak at universities and churches about the compatibility of evolution and faith.