Breaking Barriers, Ministering in Relationships, and Exemplifying the Gospel: Tips for Using Science-Faith Dialogue as an Opportunity to Promote Discipleship and Strengthen Local Churches

by Stephen Contakes, et al.**

One of the dangers in discussing science-faith issues in scientifically-educated and more academically-minded communities like the ASA is the tendency to treat such issues as an intellectual exercise. This can be helpful since scientific advances have occasioned much helpful theological reflection and the tensions Christians might experience over issues like evolution, human origins, and the age of the Earth can be to some extent be corrected by the education and rethinking of beliefs that takes place through conversation and debate. However, for many Christians the science-faith conversation is much more than an issue of right thinking. Indeed, Christianity itself cannot be reduced to a set of ideas about either God or science that can be catalogued, set over and against the propositional doctrines of those we disagree with, argued for, and defended against objections.   

One essential element of Christianity that can sometimes be neglected in purely intellectual discussions is that Christianity involves life together in community. Christians are called to come together to worship, engage in mutual edification, and minister to each other’s spiritual and physical needs. Seen from this standpoint, the faith-science conversation is a theatre for worship, an opportunity to grow in faith and Christian understanding, and an occasion to live out God’s call to minister to those who are experiencing doubt and questioning over science’s success and its picture of the world. In order to better explore these aspects of the faith-science conversation, the Southern California local section recently hosted a conference on Science-Faith Dialogue for Christian Vocation, Discipleship, and Witness. We hoped the resulting discussion would help us to better understand how science-faith dialogue can inform Christian worship and discipleship as well as equip us to more effectively minister to those in our faith communities who may be struggling over apparent tensions between science and faith. 

The conference concluded with a panel discussion between scientists active in ministry and pastors committed to seriously engaging science.[i] The panelists were asked to explore science’s impact on the life of church communities, particularly in terms of how these communities might better obey Christ’s command to make and teach disciples. Many of the comments shared focused on the importance of creating an atmosphere of gentle humility, dialogue, and care for others’ spiritual wellbeing. Herein we summarize a few of the insights shared and give a selection of illustrative excerpts in the hope that others might find them helpful.

1.     The warfare model of science vs. religion can be a serious detriment to the health of any church. 

Although it is important for churches to think rightly about science and engage science responsibly, the spiritual health of a congregation is not in itself dependent on its stance about particular scientific issues. It does, however, involve the cultivation of healthy relationships of love in which congregants are gracious, patient, and caring towards one another. In this respect perhaps the main danger in thinking that science and religion are necessarily opposed to one another is that such thinking can contribute to or reinforce an unhealthy church culture. Specifically, churches which pit Christianity against the genuine insights of secular learning run the risk of becoming unhospitable places for the sort of questioning, learning, and grace-filled dialogue that makes for healthy church life. Indeed, the conflict approach does not eliminate science-faith questions and any challenges they might pose for believers; it just pushes conversation over those questions outside the church, leaving congregants to work through science-faith issues on their own or with the aid or resources which may or may not be sensitive to their faith and spiritual needs. Herein we are conscious that our panel only included the voices of those who were successfully able to navigate any apparent questions, doubts, or tensions between faith and science.

      “I grew up in a tradition where science and faith were often described in battle language. My 4th or 5th grade Christian school teacher told us to tear the chapters on the metric system out of our schoolbooks since we would only need to use metric when the antichrist took over. Later, in high school I realized that science teachers weren’t just trying to indoctrinate me into a scientific and mathematical reality that was taking over the world in some kind of Evil way. Thankfully, my high school AP physics teacher, who is not a person of faith, was very generous with me in answering the questions that I arose in the course of my studies, such as, for instance, over the existence of astronomical objects that were more than ten thousand light years away and thus older than the six thousand year age of the Earth according to Bishop Ussher’s chronology.”

      “I learned that it can be damaging to view science and faith as pitted against one another as diametrically opposed realities. Instead, we should seek to see science-faith dialogue as not just all or nothing but a spectrum of potential options, even among Christians. “

      ”The first thing that I as a scientist think that pastors and churches should consider is that science and faith are not an either-or; you can practice both well. In fact, science and faith to some extent represent dual explanations that can coexist and be equally valid – perhaps with one to some extent focused on the why question and the other functioning as a mechanistic one oriented towards answering the how. For example, if someone asked “why were you born?” I can give the answer that my parents might give – “we wanted another child” - or I can that which my doctor might give, involving a sperm and ovum coming together and a fetus developing.”

      “Scientists value logical coherence and want to see how the teachings of Christianity and science are compatible and how Christian teachings are internally consistent. Pastors should not be afraid to help their congregants seek intellectual coherence since God is the most brilliant, logical Person and we can have confidence that His messages are logically cohesive.”

2.     Scientists and pastors who want to help their churches work through science-faith issues should focus on building relationships between scientists and the congregation.   

Perhaps the most tragic consequence of the warfare mentality is that it can function as a sort of cancer to Christian discipleship; congregations caught within its grasp can find themselves subtly turned away from their original calling to serve others and instead nurture a Spirit-stifling culture of insularity and fear. As Christians we are called to love and minister the gospel to all men and women, including scientists and the scientifically literate, and to be willing to receive them and their knowledge as gifts within the church. One way to welcome scientists as gifts to the church is to celebrate their faith and value them as fellow-travelers on the Christian journey. Churches which do so may need to find creative ways to leverage scientists’ gifts but are likely to find scientist-congregants a blessing and resource, particularly as they work thorough various issues associated with the structure and workings of God’s universe.

      “Occasionally I was treated as suspect because I’m a scientist or haven’t felt welcomed because my views weren’t in line with the congregation at large. I like to be involved in churches where I can be fully myself and valued as both a congregant and a scientist – not just one or the other.”

      “Scientists can bring a sense of awe and wonder and imagination and creativity to a congregation that can be a real blessing to worship.”

      “Opportunities for addressing science-faith issues don’t necessarily mean dedicated workshops or talks; with these the people who come are already interested and you tend to miss the bulk of the congregation. Interviews with scientists during the main service can help break down congregations’ misconceptions about scientists as necessarily opposed to Christianity and help them understand that scientists are people just like everybody else.”

      “Scientists can be a resource to help congregations work through seemingly controversial scientific issues. The church I currently attend has given me the honorary title of director of science and research and offered me multiple opportunities to give talks and try to help people understand how science and faith can go together.”

      “Scientists who want to help their congregations work through science-faith issues should know that to just jump into a contentious debate without the background will probably not yield a lot of fruit. For instance, a presentation on creation and evolution would attract some people in our church but it wouldn’t really be a conversation that would really engage the whole body. There are a lot of building blocks that would need to be in place first. However, one of the things scientists in the congregation can help us with is to identify and think through those building block issues.”

      “With regards to some scientists’ introverted personalities, in contemporary evangelical churches extrovert personalities tend to be lauded and there is not much a time for the quiet reflection and more intimate conversations that are comfortable for different personality styles. The onus is on the pastoral leadership to do a kind of asset assessment of the knowledge in their congregations and find the best way to create activities and events where people who can help others are comfortable sharing. Ministers should know there congregants well enough to realize that when there is a person who has a lot to share but not extroverted enough to get up in front of the whole group, it might be better to put people into contact over coffee rather than in a large group event.”

3.     Helping churches to responsibly engage science-faith issues is to some extent a matter of teaching and modeling healthy Christian thinking and healthy Christian relationships. 

All members of the congregation have a role in this.  Pastors can promote this by the way they encourage their congregations to think about the process of Christian inquiry and the role of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience in making sense of Christianity in relation to the world of everyday things. Scientist-congregants can promote this in how they raise and address science-faith issues in their congregations. Above all, however, every Christian is called to be an example of the faith in this regard, both in terms of promoting healthy Christian attitudes towards creation and by handling difficult questions, engaging new knowledge, and addressing gaps in others’ scientific or theological knowledge with humility, patience, and grace.

      “I grew up in a Christian home where my dad would take us outside to look at the heavens through his telescope and it was always understood that God had made everything. Thus when my junior high science teacher who was a very serious atheist challenged my faith it did not destroy my faith so much as spur a lifelong quest to see how science and faith relate and can be fit together.”

      “One of the best things pastors can do is to help congregations think about how Biblical authority and science interact. This can help equip them to faithfully engage all kinds of issues which loom large in our society and churches, including sustainability and sexuality.”

      “Pastors can help let congregants know what things are essential to Christianity and where we can have some flexibility and try to be gracious toward people whose views differ from ours.”

      “As a pastor I can add that having a good handle on the essential and non-essential parts of faith is also important for creating communities that can minister to those in seasons of life like adolescence and young adulthood where people are questioning and pushing boundaries.”

      “Scientists who wish to help congregations work through science-faith issues should keep in mind that people are more likely to listen to you if they feel some kind of connection with you. If your pastor or clergy gives you an opportunity to share, set aside your science language and share the human side of your spiritual walk, including how you have integrated your study of science with your faith. Be sure to keep a humble spirit and be hospitable in the way you converse, trying your best to make scientific issues understandable in a way that isn’t condescending.”

4.     Scientists who want to raise science-faith issues in their congregations should be patient and stay focused on caring for others’ faith. There is a place for science faith-dialogue in the church but it is important to keep science-faith dialogue in that place. 

It is important to remember that Jesus primarily calls us to be His disciples, learn from Him, and grow in our faith both individually and as part of the community of believers.  Science-faith dialogue can be a part of this but only if it operates in the broader context of building up the church spiritually and nurturing others’ faith – in short if it operates as part of a broader relationship in love that is focused on other people’s needs.

Stephen Contakes is an assistant professor of Chemistry at Westmont College in Santa Barbara where he teaches courses in analytical, inorganic, physical, and nonmajors chemistry, along with a senior seminar focusing on issues of science and faith.   His research interests span synthetic inorganic, bioinorganic, and environmental chemistry although he is also has interests in exploring the present and historical connections between chemistry and Christian faith.  He has been active in the ASA's Southern California local section since its inception in 2010 and currently serves the chapter as its secretary.    When not engaged in teaching or scholarly pursuits he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

**Co-authors and contributors to the conference and this essay:

·       Audrey Chen, postdoctoral scholar in biology at Caltech who also served on the staff of both Hill Community Church and Caltech’s Encounter Jesus Fellowship.

·       Robert Duke, chair of Azusa Pacific University’s department of biblical studies and an active participant in science-faith dialogue on its campus.

·       Alan Claasen Thrush, associate pastor at Upland Brethren in Christ, who previously taught theology and conflict studies with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Nicaragua.

·       David Vosburg, organic chemist at Harvey Mudd College who has been actively involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for over 20 years and is currently writing a discussion guide to help groups wrestle through issues of science and faith.

·       Leslie Wickman, an earth and space scientist who facilitates science-faith dialogue on the Azusa Pacific University campus.