Can a Christian be a Darwinist? A forum discussion hosted by the apologetics department will explore just that.

This forum, to be held today at 7 p.m. in the Sutherland auditorium, will feature Karl Giberson, author of “Saving Darwin,” and John West, author of “Darwin Day in America.” The topic will be “Christianity’s relationship to evolution and the possibility of their co-existence,” according to the apologetics department Web site.

The forum is a free kick-off event previewing a lecture series that will begin next week, the week of Charles Darwin’s birthday. This year marks Darwin’s 200th birthday, as well as the 150th anniversary of his best-known book, “The Origin of Species.”

The apologetics department sees the event as an outreach to the community, as well as an opportunity to continue to market Biola as a center for Christian thought, said Abigail Schilling, the events and planning coordinator.

“It is always important to discuss intelligent design and related issues, but is even more crucial this year, as efforts are being raised on the other side of the argument,” Schilling said.

John Bloom, director of Biola’s masters degree program in science and religion, knows each speaker and will moderate the debate. He said West and Giberson have different viewpoints on the scientific questions that will be posed during tonight’s debate.

“The issues that will be raised during Thursday’s debate are important for Christians in the sciences, and for the Christian culture at large,” he said.

These issues will include how much of Darwin’s theory of evolution a Christian can accept, and how much of the traditionally accepted understanding of the Genesis creation account Christians can maintain without discounting Darwin’s account of our origin, Bloom said.

Giberson is a professor at Eastern Nazarene College and the director of the Forum of Faith and Science at Gordon College. His book, “Saving Darwin,” was written in an effort to bridge the cultures of science and of American evangelicalism.

“I hope to illuminate the tension that divides these two communities and to contribute to improved communications,” he said in an interview with the publisher HarperCollins.

Giberson writes on his Web page that he does not side with speakers like Richard Dawkins or Carl Sagan, who see science as a type of religion. Instead, he intends to open up options to students who may be seeking compatibility between the current scientific beliefs and their own religious views.

Giberson’s reach extends far beyond the classroom. He has published over a hundred articles and essays, and is now working on a fourth book, “The Anointed: America’s Evangelical Experts.” He has also been the editor of two well-known magazines, one of which being Science and Spirit.

West is a Senior Fellow at Seattle’s Discovery Institute. He is the associate director of Discovery’s Center for science and culture, and vice president for public policy and legal affairs, researching the effects of Darwinian science on both public policy and contemporary culture.

In West’s book, “Darwin Day in America,” he examines the corruption of politics and culture due to Darwinian science and related ideologies.

“West’s narrative explores the far-reaching consequences for society when scientists and politicians deny the essential differences between human beings and the rest of nature,” reads the book’s Web site.

West believes that evolution issues have been misreported to the public, and has blogs and articles through the Discovery Institute to discuss such issues. He has taught political science and history courses at several universities, including Seattle Pacific, Azusa Pacific and California State University, San Bernardino.

He is a sought-after spokesperson for science educational policies. West’s comments regarding the issues have been cited in publications such as Time, Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times. Interviews with John West have been seen on Fox News and CNN, and his articles have been published in USA Today and Policy Review.