Phillip A. Bishop

I am professor of Kinesiology (that’s fizz ed) where I teach and do research in the area of Exercise Science.  I have been teaching here since 1984.  I have been associated with Faculty Commons (formerly CLM) for my entire career.  I have made numerous short-term mission trips with Faculty Commons including visits to Afghanistan, Panama, Costa Rica, England, Switzerland, Jordan, Mexico (multiple visits), and Jamaica.  I am a member of Grace Church, a nondenominational church where I frequently teach.  I am active in our campus Christian Faculty/Staff Fellowship, and lead a weekly prayer meeting on campus.
I have been married to my wonderful wife since 1972 and have 5 children, the oldest was born in 1977 and the youngest was born in 1989.  All five are UA alumni.
My professional expertise is in the physiology of encapsulating protective clothing, especially for work in hot conditions.  I have done research for NASA, the US Army, the US Air Force, and numerous private companies on issues relating to firefighter clothing, chemical protective clothing, hydration, hydration strategies, personal cooling, and various aspects of sports and exercise.
I have written a textbook, Measurement and Evaluation in Physical Activity Applications: Physical Education, Coaching, Athletic Training, Allied Health, and Life.  Textbook, Holcomb Hathaway Publishing.

Biographical Sketch

Prof. Biographical Summary
Phillip A. Bishop, Professor
Professional:
Presently- Professor, Joined University of Alabama Faculty, 1984, named first Paul W Bryant Professor of Education, 2006-2007.

Graduated with Distinction, US Naval Academy, 1972- Oceanography
Masters Degree in Physical Education and Higher Education- James Madison University, 1979
Doctor of Education in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology- University of Georgia, 1983
Visiting Scientist, Johnson Space Center 1993-ting Professor, Dept of Physical Education, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, 1997-98; Visiting Professor, New Chalcedonia (formerly The Queen’s) College, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K 1992-94.
Research in Environmental Physiology including Microgravity Physiology, Chemical Protective Clothing, Rehydration, Hot Work, Micro-Climate Cooling, Physiological Measurement, Resistance Exercise.
Published over 120 articles and many more abstracts in professional journals including: Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine, Ergonomics, The International Journal of Ergonomics, The American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, European Journal of Applied Physiology, The National Strength Coaches Association Journal, Sports Medicine, The Physician and Sports Medicine, Military Medicine, The Occupational Environment- Its Evaluation and Control, The Proceedings of the Human Factors Society and Advances in Industry, Ergonomics and Safety.  Also a frequent contributor to Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine.
Received over 1,000,000 in funded research support, including a $300,000 grant from National Institutes for Occupational Safety and Health.  Support from Gatorade Sport Science Institute, NASA, USAF, Kimberly Clark Corp. among others.
Consultant to:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Life Sciences Program, Johnson Space Center; US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine- Chemical Defense Branch; US Army Biomedical Research and Development Laboratory, and numerous private corporations.  Expert witness in the areas of protective clothing, measurement and deer hunting.
Chaired 27 Doctoral dissertations and 15 Master’s theses.
Referee for numerous professional journals, International Standards Documents, and books.

My Personal Story

Science Reinforces my Christianity and
Christianity Reinforces my Science
by Phillip Bishop

I am a skeptic.  I am also a scientist, a profession very appropriate for skeptics.  I am also a Christian, a philosophy many people think inappropriate for a skeptic.  Perhaps surprisingly to some, I have found my skepticism and my training and research as a scientist actually strengthens my belief in Christianity.  And Christianity in turn makes me properly skeptical of science.
Because the term is used often and vaguely, I need to operationally define what I mean by Christianity. In “Christianity” I include all who embrace the following key points:
1) Man in his natural birth state is separated from God, is naturally disobedient to God, and rebels against God’s plan for man.
2) Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is God, and the Savior of the world, who came to earth as a man and who died at a young age to provide a means of reuniting God and man.
3) That Christ’s death on the cross is totally sufficient to reconcile man to God in that HE totally paid for our shortcomings. There is nothing I can do to supplement Christ’s work.  My deeds may have direct and indirect rewards, but have nothing to do with God’s unconditional love for me and HIS relationship with me through Christ.
4) That because of what Christ has already done, because of our thankfulness, our actions and attitudes should align with Christ’s teachings.
I became a Christian as a young man embracing these four basic points. As a teenager, I went to the US Naval Academy where I studied engineering and science.  After 8 years as a US Naval officer, I went to graduate school and earned a doctoral degree in Physical Education with specialty in Exercise Physiology.
I have published over 120 papers, many abstracts and acquired over $1,000,000 in grant funding.  As my expertise in science has grown, so has my belief in Christianity.  For example, an understanding of statistical design has given me an insight into the philosophical aspects of Type I and Type II statistical errors.  If I do not believe in God and that’s an error, I may suffer eternally.  If I do believe in God and that’s an error, I may be deluded but happy none-the-less.  Which is the more serious error?
As I have studied, my comprehension of the breadth of our ignorance has humbled me.  For all our study of the human body, I am amazed at how little we really understand.  When someone argues they don’t believe in God because they can’t understand everything about God or because they have not seen experimental proof, I ask them to apply the same standards to science. We believe a great deal in physiology that we neither understand fully nor can demonstrate with conclusive proof.  If we know so very little about the physical body which is so much more easily studied, how can we expect to have full knowledge of spiritual and philosophical issues?  Another common argument for atheism is the suffering in the world.  “If God exists, then He would not allow so much pain and suffering.”  But that is a straw-man argument based on an over-estimation of our own intelligence.  The falleness of mankind has temporarily caused pain and suffering.  If life is short, temporal, there may well be a higher calling and something beyond this brief life.
But what about you?  Are you content?  Are you willing to take the risk that God doesn’t exist because we can’t prove him with our weak knowledge and methods?  Don’t graduate without considering the BIG QUESTIONS in life.  Why are we here?  What are we to do with our lives?  How can we be truly successful?  To be truly educated, you need to seek out these answers.  I’d be happy to help you start your search for answers.
God speed!