INTRODUCTION
        Biology is usually referred to as the study of life. Life in all its manifestations is a gift of God and, though the nature of life remains mysterious in many ways, God has graciously revealed much about living organisms through human investigation.  It is only fitting that those who love the God who rules the Universe would take a deep interest in His living works and that this God would call some of His children to an intensive study of living systems. In the biology department, as we engage in serious study, we find joy in our callings as faculty and students together and encourage one another in our biological service to the Lord of all.

APPROACH TO BIOLOGY
        We believe that a faithful response to God’s living world requires breadth and depth in the academic discipline of biology as well as consideration of various aspects of the discipline as a human endeavor. Our freshman and sophomore courses are typically broad in coverage while our upper division offerings focus more deeply on sub-disciplines within biology. The program is designed so that students are as aware of cutting-edge challenges in the discipline as they are of areas that are well understood. We are convinced that it’s as important to know what you don’t know as it is to know what you know. We have developed several specific courses and various course components to ensure that our students gain confidence in their ability to handle the discipline from a distinctively Christian perspective. We believe that our students ought to be able to understand the nuances of contemporary scientific culture and they should be equipped to participate in that culture at a significant level. The requirements in the major ensure that our students gain confidence in their ability to engage and understand relevant areas of the scientific literature and that they are able to make clear oral presentations of scientific work. Our lab courses are designed to reinforce biological principles and to give students practical experience with major techniques used in their areas of biology. Thus we engage in critical analysis of how biology is done and how it is represented in our culture, noting both the positive and negative elements based on our Christian perspectives.