BELIEF SYSTEM—Dr. Joel “Jody” Martin of Oak Park will speak about evolution and Christianity at Barnes and Noble in Thousand Oaks at 2 p.m. Sun., May 23 . Martin wrote the book “The Prism and the Rainbow: A Christian Explains Why Evolution is Not a Threat.” Oak Park resident Joel “Jody” Martin is a world renowned professor, author, marine biologist and a devout Christian who wants to set the record straight about the theory of evolution.

Martin, the 54-year-old curator curator at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and a professor at UCLA and USC, has written a 192-page book, “The Prism and the Rainbow: A Christian Explains Why Evolution is Not a Threat.” He hopes the book will help readers bridge the gap between science and their culture and faith.

Martin will host a talk and book signing at Barnes & Noble in Thousand Oaks at 2 p.m. Sun., May 23.

While the divide between some Christians and accepted scientific precepts has been debated since Charles Darwin published his seminal book, “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,” more than 150 years ago, Martin hopes his treatment of the subject will show that the teaching of evolution has never been anti-Christian.

Science, Martin said, “doesn’t invent the world around us; it reveals the world around us.”

Martin believes that some Christians have trouble blending their Christian beliefs with science because of fear. “People are terrified that their faith might be questioned, that they might be wrong,” he said. “When you’re scared it’s always easier to lash out rather than slow down and learn something.”

The book, which is being published by The Johns Hopkins University Press later this month, is Martin’s first book written for nonscientists.

“Many people feel, or rather are told, that automatically rejecting the tenets of evolutionary biology is ‘the Christian thing to do,’” Martin said. “It’s not. Most Christians actually have no problem whatsoever in accepting all of modern science, including evolution, and many mainstream denominations have stated that evolution even helps strengthen and enrich their faiths, not the oppo site.”

Martin said he doesn’t expect to dislodge e n trenched Christian views from many people but hopes that his book will help in the fight against teaching creationism in public schools.

“What gets lost in all the battles is the kids,” Martin said about the long-standing divide between faith and science.

Martin wears many hats, working as a scientist by day and as a youth adviser on the weekends at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village.

Some people, he said, think that his dual roles present a conflict of interests, but Martin sees his work as an opportunity to enlighten people, specifically young people, to the wonders of both science and God.

The argument that Martin must explain most frequently is that evolution is “just a theory” or is somehow flawed because gaps exist in scientific knowledge.

“Well, the word ‘theory’ as used in science is quite different from how we use it in everyday language,” Martin said. “A scientific theory, like germ theory or gravitational theory or cell theory, is a large, interconnected body of explanatory statements, not a good guess, as we use it in everyday speech.”

As for the expected gaps in human understanding, Martin said that “incomplete knowledge is a hallmark of all the sciences, not a criticism of them.”

“We don’t know everything about any of the sciences,” he said. “Evolution is no more controversial among scientists than electricity, gravity, geology or any of the other sciences.”

Martin says that the push to teach creationism in public schools “waxes and wanes” depending sometimes on the focus of the country. “It’s related to our interest in science,” he said. “When we were behind in the space race, we put more effort and money into science. When we do that, creationism goes away for a while, but it always resurfaces.”

Martin admits that the arguments he presents in his book are not new to the debate. What makes his book different than other books on the general topic of evolution and creationism is that his book is more concise and is written for both teens and adults to absorb the material quickly.

“Additionally, because it’s written from the perspective of an active scientist who is also a Christian, it attempts to be more respectful to readers who might otherwise feel that their faith is being threatened,” Martin said. “A lot of students, as well as their parents, struggle with the concept of reconciling their faith with an understanding of modern science, and my hope is that this will help them.”

Most Christians, Martin said, are “cool with evolution.” Catholics, who represent the majority of Christians with 1.2 billion congregants, and mainstream Protestants are fully accepting of evolution. Only a small percentage of Christians don’t accept the theory of evolution, he said.

While Martin does not expect his book to put to rest all the questions on the subject, he hopes to make a dent with students who might have questions, especially children who are being told that they must make a choice between science and faith.

“It’s a tragic thing happening in our country,” he said.