Best of: Faith, science, and the call to hospitality with Dr. James Tour

Note: This episode was originally published on October 8, 2025 and was one of our most popular conversations over the last 12 months. We're currently taking a summer break for the month of July, but we will be back with new episodes starting on August 5th.Dr. Mark Turman sits down with world-renowned scientist Dr. James Tour for a conversation that bridges faith and science in remarkable ways. Dr. Tour shares his story of coming to faith in Jesus—how a secular Jewish student became a passionate follower of Christ—and what that journey has taught him about truth, reason, and grace.Together, they talk about the mysteries of life’s origin, the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence, and how Christian hospitality can open hearts to the gospel. Dr. Tour also reflects on his pioneering work in nanotechnology at Rice University and offers wisdom for students and parents seeking to hold onto faith in the world of higher education.It’s a thoughtful, hope-filled dialogue about what it means to follow Jesus with both mind and heart.Topics(0:00) Introduction(1:48) Meet Dr. James Tour(3:20) From Judaism to Jesus(12:28) Discipleship and church(27:28) Hospitality as ministry(34:29) Science meets faith(42:42) Nanomachines vs. superbugs(45:41) Origin of life debate(49:10) Evolution and fossils(57:56) AI jobs and society(1:11:18) ConclusionResourcesJesus and Science FoundationPersonal Website: https://jmtour.com Dr. James Tour – YouTubeDr James Tour- FacebookDr James Tour (@drjamestour) • Instagram photos and videosDr James Tour (@DrJamesTour) / XDr James Tour : DiscordApple PodcastsSpotifyDr. Tour’s weekly email newsletterAsk Us Anything: info@denisonforum.orgSign-up for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribeAbout Dr. James TourProfessor James Tour is the T. T. and W. F. Chao Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Computer Science, and Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Professor Tour has over 800 research publications, over 140 granted patents, and over 100 pending patents. His h-index is 178, with total citations over 150,000. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His research group works in materials science, energy, medicine, electronics, and single-molecule nanomachines. He founded 17 companies based on his academic research, three of which are now public companies.In addition to this, he has an active social media presence, @drjamestour, spanning YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Rumble, Facebook, and X. In 2024, on YouTube alone, there were 24 million views of his content for over 2 million viewed hours, which spans topics on science, faith, and the origin of life. For 10 years, Professor Tour led weekly Bible studies in the living units of maximum-security prisons. He has been teaching a weekly Bible study to college students for the past 26 years, and he and his wife, Shireen, have served about 75 meals to students per week in their home for that entire time. They also distribute dozens of weekly meals to local cancer patients residing in church facilities and elderly shut-ins in Houston.About Dr. Mark TurmanDr. Mark Turman serves as the Executive Director of Denison Forum, where he leads with a passion for equipping believers to navigat