Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Engineering Through The Eyes Of Faith, David C. Che

Christian Engineering Conference

What is a biblical perspective of engineering? This paper seeks to answer some key questions related to the integration of faith and engineering. It is the second paper in a three paper sequel on this topic. It attempts to build from some initial concepts presented in a paper at the 2013 Christian Engineering Education Society (CEES) conference [1] and deepen the analysis on common grace and use new examples and present some new ideas on dominion mandate and its application to engineering and engineering education.

God is the Master Engineer. As an architect of His creation God presents wisdom as …

Shalom Seeking: Foundations Of Flourishing, Kevin Jay Timmer

Christian Engineering Conference

Jesus instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is no small task. It is a process of striving to show God’s love in every situation by showing love to our neighbors and to the rest of the creation. It is serving in a way that enables them to flourish. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is striving for true progress in all its wholeness; it is seeking shalom [1]. Shalom is an Old Testament word which refers to the restfulness, contentment, beauty, and harmony of a life lived in perfect obedience to …

Safety And Its Ethical Challenges For The Christian Engineer In A Technological Society, Anthony C. Comer

Christian Engineering Conference

In every major corporation safety is a high priority and corporate policy statements stress the company’s commitment to keep people and the environment safe. However, safety comes at a cost. Corporations are in business to make profits by providing quality products and services for consumers at affordable prices. Engineers play a critical role in the design, construction, and operation of corporations across the globe and are constantly challenged to find new ways of doing things in order to reduce operating expenses in a competitive global economy. Companies must keep pace with the latest technological innovation or face the prospects of …

Observations On Things Measured In The Bible, John S. Tixier Jr.

Christian Engineering Conference

As a new engineering professor at a Christian university that allows an extra five minutes in each class for spiritual and devotional instruction, I thought it would be interesting in the Engineering Technology Measurements Laboratory classroom sessions to focus our devotions on the topic of Measurements in the Bible. This included terms of measurement, things that are or can be measured, and insights into measureable subjects. In general, observations were made systematically based on daily Bible reading, starting with the first words “In the beginning…” and continuing through the Pentateuch during the semester. However, general observations from New Testament …

Engineering Analysis Of The Fire Miracle On Mount Carmel, Charles Baukal

Christian Engineering Conference

The fire miracle on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 is one of the most spectacular in the Bible. Elijah called fire down from heaven which consumed not only a bull on an altar but also the altar itself made of twelve stones and twelve pots of water poured on the offering. The bull was probably one year old (Lev. 9:3) and likely weighed approximately 250 kg assuming it was similar to the breeds currently common in Palestine. The stones were likely made of limestone because Mount Carmel is in a limestone ridge and were probably the size that could …

A Brief Survey Of The Biblical Integration Of Engineering And Missions With Emphasis On Appropriate Technologies, Frederick G. Harmon

Christian Engineering Conference

A Biblical foundation for the integration of engineering and missions, an overview of appropriate technology in a Christian context, a survey of projects at other Christian engineering programs, and proposed engineering projects are discussed for remote areas and developing countries. At the core of the Biblical integration of engineering and missions is the desire to use engineering skills and resources to assist others, especially those in the Christian family, improve their lives, help them obtain Biblical information, and encourage personal responsibility. Engineering topics are proposed that will help people gain access to information, improve agricultural methods, improve their health, and …

How Developing Electrical Technologies Can Meet Human Needs With Christian Compassion, Harold R. Underwood

Christian Engineering Conference

Having students work on service-oriented projects that meet basic human needs has become a popular strategy in engineering education; such active learning motivates students and prepares them for professional practice. While conventional engineering service project teams often implement a solution that meets human needs on the spot, exploratory technology development service projects, such as I address here, take time to reach proof of concept maturity, before wider application may occur. Whether implementing or developing, a Christian Engineer following Jesus finds solid ground by establishing links between objectives of a service-oriented project and the counsel of Scripture. Hebrews (13:3) calls Christian …

Beyond Voluntourism: Examining The Motivations And Roles Of Engineering Student Groups In International Development, Thomas S. Soerens

Christian Engineering Conference

Each year, nearly 300,000 US college students study abroad and many more go on short-term service trips. The ethic of using engineering skills to serve developing communities abroad is strong in the engineering field. For Christian students and Christian colleges, this service can also integrate with their mission to serve God by serving and evangelizing others, whether motivated by charity, philanthropy, or scriptural mandate. These service programs have impacted students profoundly, often changing the life course of a student. But do they positively impact the targeted communities? Is it efficient to spend $30,000 in travel money to send an unskilled …

Theology And Engineering Practice: Models Of Reality, William M. Jordan

Christian Engineering Conference

To a Christian engineer both faith and engineering practice are very important. As we work through what we believe about God and how we practice engineering, we find that they have something important in common. Both systematic theology and engineering practice are approximations in our attempts to understand reality.

When theologians attempt to systematize the faith, they are coming up with human models of how they see God acting in human history. When engineers design a new product, they use models of how materials act when they have various forces applied to them.

For example, in discussing end times theologians …

Twenty-Five Years Of Christian Engineering: A Literature Survey, Steven H. Vanderleest

Christian Engineering Conference

This paper surveys the complete set of over one hundred published papers that have appeared in the previous proceedings of this Christian engineering conference, identifying the themes, questions, and issues that have been explored thus far. Major themes include Biblical principles and virtues, design norms, the great Biblical directives, vocation/calling, and attributes of God. Next, a taxonomy is proposed to organize the concepts into an overall structure. Finally, the paper identifies open questions and topics that deserve further discussion.

On The Significance Of The Biography And Thought Of Pilgram Marpeck For A Responsible Engineering Perspective, Karl Heinz Kienitz

Christian Engineering Conference

In the general scope of an aspirational approach to engineering practice and ethics, this article follows the paradigm of learning from biography and presents Pilgram Marpeck, an engineer and Anabaptist reformer of the 16th century, as a possible early role model for the engineering professional. A biographical review of his life and all-encompassing participation in the society of his time is followed by a self-contained summary of his thought on selected topics. When considering the bearing of these on engineering ethics and practice, Marpeck's thought and several of his concerns are found of current relevance.