Faith and Science in the 21st Century: A Postmodern Primer for Youth and Adults

By Peter M. Wallace and Katharine Jefferts Schori

With contributions from eight noted theologians, this book builds on popular videos from the Day 1 radio.
Science or faith? The battle rages, from millennials and GenXers questioning the relevance of religion to older adults who doubt the validity of science (and vice versa), but these two are not mutually exclusive. They can, in fact, be mutually enriching and complimentary, once their proper domains are understood and respected. The Episcopal Church, with its tradition of the “via media,” offers an ideal setting for conversations seeking to bridge the often antagonistic perspectives on both sides. Faith and Science in the 21st Century presents a way to start that conversation.

Built on existing videos produced by the popular Day 1 program with assistance from a John Templeton Foundation grant, this series features notable faith leaders across the denominational spectrum in 3 to 5 minute video presentations on scientific topics in which they are experts. Intended for use in a variety of settings, including congregations, schools, and campus ministries, it can be presented as an eight-session series of studies, but each session can also stand on its own for a one-time formation offering. A single video download will offer all video presentations. This Leader Guide enables facilitators to foster fruitful discussions of each session topic. It includes an introduction about the program and how it can be used, and eight detailed session plans to utilize with a downloadable video sold separately on the Day 1 website.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Release date: Aug 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781640650480

Katharine Jefferts Schori

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori is the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. She became the Anglican Communion's first female primate in 2006. She is the author of The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything, Gathering at God's Table: The Meaning of Mission in the Feast of Faith (both SkyLight Paths) and other books.

Book preview

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Can Science and Faith

Inform Each Other?

Does the universe make any sense? Does the cosmos have purpose? And what about us human beings? Do we matter? Is there any way to know? Listen to some people these days, including some vocal scientists, and you will hear the answer loud and clear: No, not really. We don’t matter. We’re too small. The universe is pretty much pointless.

—The Rev. Scott Hoezee

img1 Background

The quarrel between religion and science has ancient roots. The first philosophers in Greece—such as Heraclitus and Parmenides—actively pursued what we would call scientific questions, thereby challenging the roles of the gods in their culture. They asked questions about the character of human nature, the role of nature in shaping human life, the beginning of human life, and the shape of life after death. Their answers to such questions didn’t involve the presence of supernatural forces; they focused instead on the natural world to provide explanations for the way humans interact with each other and the world.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the ongoing conversation between religion and science took on new dimensions with Charles Darwin’s writings about evolution. When many people of faith read his books—or heard about them from their pastors—they rejected the idea that human life developed randomly without the involvement of a divine Creator providing and sustaining human life. As the twentieth century brought new scientific advances, such as quantum physics and developments in medicine that could prolong life and intervene in the process of death, even more questions arose for people of faith.

The major questions with which people of faith often grapple—and that are raised by the various speakers in this Day1 Faith and Science series—involve the compatibility of faith and science. For example, can we reconcile creation and evolution? How do new medical technologies alter our understandings of life and death? What about the purpose of life? Do scientists and people of faith have anything meaningful to say to each other?

In this first session, Scott Hoezee, author of Proclaim the Wonder: Engaging Science on Sunday, encourages us to think about these questions, focusing on Paul’s approach to nature and God in Colossians.

img1 Before the Session

Participants may like to come to the session having reflected on the issues to be discussed. The following questions invite participants to engage rationally and spiritually with the topic, so share them in advance announcements of the group study. Encourage participants to jot down notes, questions, and reflections.

How does God reveal Godself to you through nature? Through the Bible? Through Jesus? Through the teachings of the Church? Through some other means?

What does God reveal to you through nature? Can you have faith in a God who is solely revealed through