The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)1 is a fellowship of men and women in science and related disciplines, whose stated goal is to share a common fidelity to the Bible and a commitment to integrity in the practice of science. Founded in 1941, the organization currently has a worldwide membership of around 1,500. 2 ASA's stated purpose is to investigate any area relating to Christian faith and science and to make known the results of such investigations for comment and critique by the Christian community and the scholarly community at large.
The ASA logo represents the convergence of two perspectives and commitments. The horizontal arrow represents knowledge obtained through empirical exploration of nature. The vertical arrow represents God’s revelation to us of the spiritual dimension. The juxtaposition of these two arrows creates a third diagonal arrow representing the integration of science and Christian faith.
As an organization, the ASA does not take a position when there is honest disagreement between Christians on an issue. It is committed to providing an open forum where controversies can be discussed without fear of unjust condemnation. Legitimate differences of opinion among Christians who have studied both the Bible and science are freely expressed within the Affiliation in a context of Christian love and concern for truth.
The ASA's platform of faith has four important planks:
Acceptance of the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and conduct.
Confession of the Triune God affirmed in the Nicene and Apostles' creeds which we accept as brief, faithful statements of Christian doctrine based upon Scripture.
Believe that in creating and preserving the universe God has endowed it with contingent order and intelligibility, the basis of scientific investigation.
Recognition of the human responsibility, as stewards of God's creation, to use science and technology for the good of humanity and the whole world.
These four statements of faith spell out the distinctive character of the ASA, and the Affiliation strives to uphold them in every activity and publication.
^ "The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA)"Who's Who in Theology and Science, 1996 The Continuum Publishing Company, New York, NY 1996. pp. 556-557.
^ US Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, American Scientific Affiliation, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith,57:4, December 2005. p. 300.
^ Members of the American Scientific Affiliation, Modern Science and Christian Faith: A Symposium on the Relationship of the Bible to Modern Science, Scripture Press, Wheaton, IL. 1948