Science and Faith: Student Questions Explored
4/5
()
About this ebook
Chosen from InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network blog, each chapter addresses common faith- and science-related questions. In part one, Science and Faith delves into why Christians should pursue scientific discovery, as well as the Bible’s viewpoint on scientific method and inquiry. Part two begins the conversation on the direct relevance of science to faith and how Christian scientists can talk to their colleagues about their faith, while part three discusses how conversations about science can take place between Christians. Finally, part four explores the history of science and the church and the question “How can the history of science encourage the church?”
While ideal for graduate students who are exploring their faith and their chosen scientific fields, this book can also be used in church settings or as a personal resource. The book provides questions to launch small group conversation about faith/science, whether you’re a science PhD, a ministry leader, or an interested layperson. Since each reading is based on questions from real students, it may also be a resource for Christian faculty teaching the sciences.
Contributors include Ruth Bancewicz, Gerald Rau, Greg Cootsona, Andy Walsh, and more.
Related to Science and Faith
Related ebooks
Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Natural Sciences: A Student's Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRelational Apologetics: Defending the Christian Faith with Holiness, Respect, and Truth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Science and Faith: Student Questions Explored Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristianity and the Nature of Science Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Not Just Science: Questions Where Christian Faith and Natural Science Intersect Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5God's Physical Record of Creation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinding Your Place in God's Great Story: A Book About the Bible and You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Case for Life (Second edition): Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Devotion - Men in the Bible: Journey to Rediscover God, the Bible and Yourself as a Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReconciling Genesis & Science: Unlocking the Theories of Creation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsResurrected--Experience Freedom from the Fear of Death Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod's Word: A Guide to Holy Scripture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Garden to Glory: How Understanding God's Story Changes Yours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWomen of Vision: Sixteen Founders of the International Grail Movement Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Can Give An Answer: A Study in Christian Apologetics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Joy for the World: How Christianity Lost Its Cultural Influence and Can Begin Rebuilding It Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming A Worthy Reader: How to Read and Study the Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuffering Well: Job’S Stubborn Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsScience and the Bible Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInnocent Blood: Challenging the Powers of Death with the Gospel of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions Based on Insights from Old Testament Hebrew Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Faith of Scientists: In Their Own Words Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMake It Last: Proven Principles for Effective Student Ministry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Foundational Beliefs: Essential Christian Beliefs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLost Virtue of Happiness: Discovering the Disciplines of the Good Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Glory Of The Redeemer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Does Nature Teach Us about God? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Religion & Science For You
Ifa the key to its' understanding full Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wormwood Prophecy: NASA, Donald Trump, and a Cosmic Cover-up of End-Time Proportions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bible, Dimensions, and the Spiritual Realm: Are Heaven, Angels, and God Closer than We Think? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Flip: Epiphanies of Mind and the Future of Knowledge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Tome: A Book of Modern Satanic Ritual Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Great Is Our God Educator's Guide: 100 Indescribable Devotions About God and Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Designed to the Core Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of the Little Flower Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wonder of Creation: 100 More Devotions About God and Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Physics of God: How the Deepest Theories of Science Explain Religion and How the Deepest Truths of Religion Explain Science Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Revealer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Beginning... We Misunderstood: Interpreting Genesis 1 in Its Original Context Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/52084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everyday Zen: Love and Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Activation of Energy: Enlightening Reflections on Spiritual Energy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God Speaks Science: What Neurons, Giant Squid, and Supernovae Reveal About Our Creator Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRational Mysticism: Spirituality Meets Science in the Search for Enlightenment Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Science and Faith
1 rating0 reviews
Book preview
Science and Faith - Hannah Eagleson
Science and Faith: Student Questions Explored (ebook edition)
© 2019 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA = Emerging Scholars Network
Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC
P. O. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473
www.hendrickson.com
ebook ISBN 978-1-68307-292-8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Scripture quotations are taken from several versions. The version for each quotation is noted in the text of the book. Copyright permissions for each version used appear below in alphabetical order:
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV
and New International Version
are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission.
Due to technical issues, this eBook may not contain all of the images or diagrams in the original print edition of the work. In addition, adapting the print edition to the eBook format may require some other layout and feature changes to be made.
First eBook edition — November 2019
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Foreword
How to Use This Book
Acknowledgments
Part One: Getting Started
1. Sharing My Questions about Faith and Science
Joshua Ho
2. Does the Bible Support Discovery of God’s Creation through Scientific Method and Inquiry? (Part 1)
Greg Cootsona
3. Does the Bible Support Discovery of God’s Creation through Scientific Method and Inquiry? (Part 2)
Garrett League
4. How Is the Way We Understand Faith and God Different from the Way We Understand the Natural World? How Is It Similar?
Ciara Reyes-Ton
Part Two: Building a Good Conversation among Scientists about Faith
5. How Does Science Enhance Faith?
Ruth M. Bancewicz
6. Is God Relevant in an Age of Science?
Andy Walsh
7. How Can Christians in Science Respond to Claims That Faith Is Irrational, and/or That Scientists Shouldn’t Believe in the Supernatural at All?
Neil Shenvi
8. How Do You Talk about Faith with Secular Colleagues?
Robert Kaita
Part Three: Building Good Conversation among Christians about Origins
9. How Can We Engage Origins Questions Well?
David Vosburg
10. How Did God Create? Views Christians Hold
Gerald Rau
11. Adam, Where Are You?
Gerald Rau
Part Four: Exploring Further within Science and Christian Communities
12. How Can Christians in Science Support Science Literacy among Believers?
Royce Francis
13. What Are Some Starting Points for Christians Thinking about Science and Epistemology?
James Stump
14. How Can the History of Science Encourage the Church? (Part 1: Early Christianity)
James C. Ungureanu
15. How Can the History of Science Encourage the Church? (Part 2: Medieval Christianity)
James C. Ungureanu
16. How Can the History of Science Encourage the Church? (Part 3: Modern Christianity)
James C. Ungureanu
To Thomas Grosh IV, former Associate Director of InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network and now Area Director of Christian Medical and Dental Association in South Central Pennsylvania, and Don Paul Gross, InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Ministries South Central Regional Ministries Director, who have done so much to support this project and broader conversations on faith and science.
Foreword
I first fell in love with science as a child while looking at the moon, stars, and planets through my dad’s telescope in our backyard in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, I’ve continued to pursue science professionally as an aerospace researcher, corporate astronaut, and college professor. I also serve as executive director of the American Scientific Affiliation, a professional society for Christians in the sciences. I’m delighted that you are gathering with others to study and discuss faith and science issues! This is a necessary endeavor for those of us with inquisitive and analytical minds who seek to reconcile Christianity’s claims of truth with the evidence from science. I’d like to share some words of encouragement with those who are using this study guide.
I urge you to genuinely contemplate the ways faith and science can productively inform each other. In my own experience, I find great fulfillment in working as both a science professional and educator. These roles afford me opportunities to learn more as I encounter the vastness, beauty, and intricate synergies of creation. If you find yourself drawn to the sciences, I pray that this study will be an opportunity for you to further explore that calling.
Alternatively, perhaps you are a believer interested in learning more about faith and science, and in that case I’m glad that you’re participating in this conversation as well. In a time and place where science provides so much of both the intellectual and physical infrastructure of our everyday experience, it’s important that Christians in all vocations grow in their understanding of how science and Christian faith engage each other.
Perhaps you’re not sure what you think about Christianity, but you’re interested in learning about what faith and science have to say to one another. Welcome! I hope this study will be a chance for you to marvel at the wondrous workings of nature, to hear from thoughtful believers, and to grow in your own exploration of the questions raised by both science and faith.
If you are a small group leader, perhaps at a church or in a college or university setting, thank you for leading this study. So many of the most important discoveries we make about our beliefs take place in conversation. I hope leading a study group through this guide will be a rich and joyful experience for you.
Coming full circle from looking through my dad’s telescope as a kid, one of my favorite things to do with my students is to go outside on a clear, starry night and gaze at the heavens. Inspired by the beauty of the night sky, the vast expanse of the universe, and the sheer numbers of galaxies, stars, and possible other worlds, someone inevitably wonders out loud about life’s big questions: Where did all this come from?
Is there anyone else out there?
Why are we here?
All these questions are great starting points for deep discussions of both science and faith.
Whatever your background or interest in science and faith issues, by taking time to meet and discuss them, you are embarking on a great adventure to learn from the wisdom of faith and the experimentation of science. I wish you all the best in this important endeavor.
LESLIE WICKMAN
Leslie (Rocket Girl
) Wickman is an internationally respected research scientist, engineering consultant, author, and speaker. For more than a decade, she was an engineer for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, where she worked on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station programs, receiving commendations from NASA for her contributions and being designated as Lockheed’s Corporate Astronaut (hence the nickname Rocket Girl
). She now divides her time between serving as the Executive Director of the ASA and as a professor of engineering at California Baptist University. She also works as a research scientist on technical and policy aspects of national aerospace and defense issues. She holds a master’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and a doctorate in human factors and biomechanics, both from Stanford University.
How to Use This Book
This book is designed to make it easy to lead a small group discussion on faith and science. We crafted it primarily for Christians and especially with young adults in mind, but we welcome anyone who is interested in learning about Christian faith and science, whatever your age or beliefs may be. Our main goal is to provide an easy-to-use study guide that explores some key questions about faith and science, and makes it easier to launch a small group discussing these topics.
I help to lead InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network, a digital network supporting Christian academics in their callings and work for the common good across the fifteen-year arc of their early careers. In 2016, aided by a generous grant from Fuller Seminary’s program Science and Theology for Emerging Adult Ministries (STEAM), we decided to create this curriculum on our blog and then revise it into book form.
In conversation with a colleague who is a leader in InterVarsity graduate ministry, we realized that many ministries want to provide opportunities to explore questions relating to faith and science, but feel daunted. The world is full of excellent books on faith and science, but there are few easy-to-use study guides for small group discussion on the topic. This guide is designed to be approachable. We built it around student questions, commissioned experts to address them in a thoughtful and accessible way, and provided discussion questions to launch small group conversation. Our hope is that you can use Science and Faith to help begin or strengthen a faith/science small group in your own community, whether you’re a science PhD, a ministry leader, or an interested layperson.
How We Designed This Book
I’m excited about this book for several reasons:
1. It’s built around actual questions and small group experiences shared with us by students and campus ministry leaders.
In my role as editor for InterVarsity’s Emerging Scholars Network (ESN), I frequently find myself trying to figure out what our 4,000+ members actually want to know about a topic. Thanks to a collaboration with my colleagues at InterVarsity and the generous grant from Fuller Seminary’s STEAM project, we were able to work with local small groups of graduate students and campus ministers to figure out what their questions about science and faith were. Then we asked thoughtful Christians in science and theology to write articles exploring possible