Images of God in the Bible, Art and in our Scientific Work
Dr. Eric Ferm
On the sixth day of creation as reported in the first chapter of Genesis, God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; . . .”. Why does the Bible have God speaking in the plural case (“us” and “our”)? What insight into Gods’ image do we find by examining who we are and the self-images we gift to the world? What glimpse of each of our beings enlightens our image of God? Biblical scholars categorized these views in three general categories: views that serve to resemble God, views that our interpersonal relationships reflect divine images, and views that Gods’ divine image is manifested in our representation of God in our actions in this world. We will review how artists and authors have portrayed Gods’ Image and how they fit into these categories. One mathematician’s introspective view of his image of God in the modern world will be presented, before we break into small groups to discuss Images that resonate with members of each group.
Eric Ferm, PhD
Eric is an applied mathematician specializing in fluid mechanics and shock physics. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics and Chemistry from Boise State University in 1976 and earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Washington State University in 1981. For 31 years he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory on fluids problems and design and analysis of dynamic experiments. He worked in many groups at the Lab involved in explosive applications, safety, and design, as well as working for several years in the Proton Radiography Program. He retired in 2012. Eric has used his free time since retirement for traveling around the world, barbershop and chorus singing, enjoying being a grandfather and other family gatherings. Eric was raised in the Episcopal church and was a member of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (BELC) for the 35 years until he relocated to Fort Collins in 2016 where he is now attending Plymouth Congregational Church (UCC). He was trained as a Stephen Minister and Stephen Leader at BELC and has worked over the last two years to help create a Stephen Ministry team at Plymouth. Eric was a founding member of the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum until he resigned in 2016 having relocated to Fort Collins. Covid protocol has allowed him to rejoin the Forum via zoom and he has been involved in the Forum for the last two years. Eric has always enjoyed science and finds enjoyment in reading and studying topics on the history and philosophy of science and religion and the intersection between them.