REDLANDS, Calif., May 10, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will be speaking on the topic, "Bios Through Logos: Seeing God in the Human Genome," at the C.S. Lewis Foundation Summer Institute this July 7 - 16 at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.
The Human Genome Research project is considered by many to be one of the largest undertakings in the history of science. Dr. Collins led the successful completion of the 13-year-long project, and developed techniques to map and identify genes responsible for the diseases of cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, Huntington's disease and Hutchison-Gilford progeria syndrome.
Dr. Collins' talk at the C.S. Lewis Summer Institute befits the conference theme: "Love Among the Ruins: the Renewal of Character and Culture."
In addition to Collins, the Institute -- making its first appearance in the U.S. after convening triennially in Oxford and Cambridge over the past eighteen years -- will feature several other notable academics, writers, artists, and clergy. Speakers include Malcom Guite, chaplain and fellow of Girton College in Cambridge, England; James Como, professor of rhetoric at York College, City University of New York and author of C.S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table; Joseph Pearce, professor of literature at Ave Maria University and biographer of modern Christian literary figures; James Emery White, president-elect and professor of Theology and Culture at Gordon-Conwell Seminary; Atessa Afshar, one of few Iranian women working in fulltime Christian ministry; and many more.
In addition to seminars on subjects ranging from popular culture to the Great Books, there will be workshops in the visual arts, dance, theatre, and creative writing. There will also be a Narnia-themed Children's Track and a "College Briefing" for college-bound high school juniors and seniors. The theme of the conference will also be developed through several artistic performances, including an evening with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood featuring the acclaimed pianist, Emanual Ax, as well as performances by the Shakespeare & Co. (Merry Wives of Windsor), Williamstown Theatre (Cole Porter's Anything Goes), songwriter Michael Kelly Blanchard, and actor Tony Lawton, performing his renowned one-man interpretation of C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce.
For more information or to register, please visit the Foundation's website at www.cslewis.org, or call toll free 1-888-CSLEWIS.
About the C.S. Lewis Foundation: Founded in 1986 by Christian scholars who were inspired by the life and legacy of renowned English professor, author and speaker C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and, by extension, the culture at large. The Foundation owns and maintains "The Kilns," Lewis' long time residence in Oxford, England, now home to the C.S. Lewis Study Centre.