PRESS RELEASE:

The Joint Board of Publication for the Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science announces the retirement of its distinguished long-time editor Professor Philip Hefner. Hefner has been editor of Zygon since 1990. His retirement will become effective June 30, 2009.

Zygon is a leading journal exploring the relations of science and religion which began publication over forty one years ago in 1966 and is currently printed and distributed by Wiley Blackwell. Overall in a time of increasingly contentious relation between science and religion, Zygon is dedicated to investigating the ways of bringing together what in modern times has been disconnected–values from knowledge, goodness from truth, religion from science.

Under Hefner's leadership, the journal has grown significantly in its circulation, number of articles published in each issue, and range of contributing authors now coming from many fields of science as well as philosophy, theology, and the humanities. During his tenure, the journal has doubled in size and presently is read in over 50 countries and available in over 3000 libraries in the United States and abroad.

Hefner is emeritus professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago where he taught from 1967 to 2001. He is a leading scholar who contributes to both the field of Christian theology and the dialogue between religion and science. He is the author of over 150 scholarly articles and many books in Christian theology and on the relation of science and religion. Among his widely read books are The Promise of Teilhard (1970), The Human Factor (1993), and Technology and Human Becoming (2003).

The Joint Publications Board also wants to take this opportunity to express its enormous appreciation for the many creative and outstanding contributions Philip Hefner has made to the success of the journal in achieving its position of preeminence in the field of religion and science.

In order to begin a vigorous process of selecting the next editor a complete description of the duties and responsibilities of the position along with materials for potential candidates will be posted no later than September 1 on this website.

SOLOMON H. KATZ (co-chair), KARL E. PETERS, and ROBERT C. SORENSEN representing the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science. And

DON BROWNING (co-chair), MICHAEL RUSE, and WILLIAM E. LESHER. representing the Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science.