Author event with Francis Collins

Parnassus Books and Belmont University are thrilled to present an evening with Francis Collins, in conversation with Dr. Anderson Spickard, as they discusses Collins' new book, The Road to Wisdom: On Truth,, Science, Faith, and Trust.

This ticketed event will begin at 7:00 PM and will take place in McAfee Concert Hall at Belmont University. Doors will open at 6:00.

Tickets:

Each ticket is $33.00 and includes one general admission seat and one copy of The Road to Wisdom.

About the book:

From "national treasure" Francis Collins (Philip Yancey), the New York Times bestselling author of The Language of God and former director of the National Institutes of Health, comes a deeply thoughtful guidebook to get us beyond societal divisions and back to the sources of wisdom--"the sort that can save us before it is too late" (Jane Goodall).

As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, we have become not just a hyper-partisan society but also a deeply cynical one, distrustful of traditional sources of knowledge and wisdom. Skepticism about vaccines led to the needless deaths of at least 230,000 Americans. "Do your own research" is now a rallying cry in many online rabbit holes. Yet experts can make mistakes, and institutions can lose their moral compass. So how can we navigate through all this?

In The Road to Wisdom, Francis Collins reminds us of the four core sources of judgement and clear thinking: truth, science, faith, and trust. Drawing on his work from the Human Genome Project and heading the National Institutes of Health, as well as on ethics, philosophy, and Christian theology, Collins makes a robust, thoughtful case for each of these sources--their reliability, and their limits. Ultimately, he shows how they work together, not separately--and certainly not in conflict. It is only when we relink these four foundations of wisdom that we can begin to discern the best path forward in life.

​Thoughtful, accessible, winsome, and deeply wise, The Road to Wisdom leads us beyond current animosities to surer footing. Here is the moral, philosophical, and scientific framework with which to address the problems of our time--including distrust of public health, partisanship, racism, response to climate change, and threats to our democracy--but also to guide us in our daily lives. This is a book that will repay many readings, and resolve dilemmas that we all face every day.

About the author:

Francis S. Collins is a physician and geneticist. His groundbreaking work has led to the discovery of the cause of cystic fibrosis, among other diseases. In 1993 he was appointed director of the international Human Genome Project, which successfully sequenced all 3 billion letters of our DNA. He went on to serve three Presidents as the Director of the National Institutes of Health.

About Dr. Anderson Spickard:

Dr. Anderson Spickard serves as the dean at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine. His distinguished career spans nearly three decades in internal medicine, medical education, and medical education research. Dr. Spickard has led teams, mentored medical students, and guided residents in clinical care, dedicating his career to training the next generation of physicians. His commitment to science-based medical education and humanistic approaches to teaching and practice has profoundly influenced countless medical careers.

Host or Publisher Parnassus Books