Arnold E. Sikkema, PhD

Professor of Physics; Chair, Department of Mathematical Sciences; Chair, University Senate; Coordinator, Physics; Coordinator, Pre-Engineering

Dr. Sikkema has been a physics professor at TWU since 2005. Prior to that, he taught physics at Dordt University in Iowa for eight years and was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Florida’s Institute for Fundamental Theory. He has been the the Executive Director  of the Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation since 2018, and prior to that served on its executive council since 2011, and is a Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation of which he has been a member since 1996.

 

  • PhD (University of British Columbia)
  • BSc (University of Waterloo)

Expertise

Science & Christianity, Philosophy of Physics, Theoretical Physics, Phase Transitions, Emergence, and Physics Education Research.

Awards & Honors

Areas of Research

  • Reformational Philosophy of Biophysics
  • Reductionism & Emergence
  • Science & Christianity
  • Quantum Physics & Christianity

Recent Publications

Representative publications & presentations:

  • The Calling of the Christian Student of Physics (Dunedin, New Zealand: Thumbwidth Press, 2024); www.thumbwidthpress.net/shop (available free in PDF, Kindle, and EPub formats).
  • "Modern Physics and the Human Person", presented at the American Scientific Affiliation Annual Meeting, Point Loma University, San Diego, CA, 29 July-1 August 2022.
  • "Wisdom in Physics", in Edward Paul Meadors, ed., Where Wisdom May Be Found: The Eternal Purpose of Christian Higher Education (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2019), pp. 202-213. www.wipfandstock.com/where-wisdom-may-be-found.html
  • "Nuancing Emergentist Claims: Lessons from Physics", in Gerrit Glas & Jeroen de Ridder, eds., The Future of Creation Order: Vol. 1, Philosophical, Scientific, and Religious Perspectives on Order and Emergence (Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2017), pp. 135-149. link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-70881-2_7 
  • "Religion and the Science Classroom", in Matthew Etherington, ed., Foundations of Education: A Christian Vision (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014).

Affiliations & Memberships

  • Fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation (elected 2012)
  • Chair, TWU Senate (2020-25)