Listening for God Through Creation
Published: July 26, 2026
Author: Dave Bell
During his 42 years on the faculty at Greenville University, biology professor William Ahern introduced countless students to the scientific wonders of God’s creation.
But at this year’s McAllaster Lecture, Ahern flipped the script, urging listeners to hear God through creation as well.
“A great way to hear God through creation is by reading the Psalms,” he said. “The psalmist expresses praise to God for the wonders of creation.”
To illustrate, Ahern read Psalm 104 in its entirety.
“The psalmist speaks not only of God’s creative power, but of his ongoing involvement in creation,” said Ahern, who taught at GU from 1966 to 2008. “From the beginning in Genesis, we see that part of God’s creative plan involved humans as stewards of his magnificent creation.
“He told us to fill the earth, take charge, be responsible stewards of creation, and work the garden to keep it in order,” Ahern continued.
He pointed to climate change as one example of a modern stewardship challenge.
“We have reached a place where we are deciding whether regions of the world will become uninhabitable because of changes in climate,” he said. “How do we respond as Christians and God’s representatives in this created order? Are we going to reject the science of climate change because we don’t like the political solutions? Or can we recognize that this issue legitimately requires governmental action?”
He also warned about a rising “science phobia” among some Christians.
“Too many people in the Christian community have dismissed valid scientific information out of fear that it might discredit their biblically based beliefs,” Ahern said. “But if all truth is God’s truth, then we should not worry about science discrediting the Bible.”
Following the lecture, Ahern answered questions from audience members gathered in Whitlock Chapel for the event, which was sponsored by the McAllaster Scholars Honors Program.
One attendee asked whether Ahern approaches controversial issues like climate change through a Christian or scientific lens.
“My faith impacts the way I think the world ought to be,” he said. “I don’t believe that science will be contrary to our faith. Similarly, I don’t believe that our faith can be contrary to science.”
The lecture invited students and guests into exactly the kind of thoughtful conversation the McAllaster series is designed to spark.
