Why is this a Great Time to Be a Science-Loving Christian?
Photo by NASA
This is a great time to be a science-loving person. First of all, the tools of modern science are really cool; the pros have access to huge telescopes, particle colliders, super-microscopes, satellites, and God knows somebody somewhere probably has a time machine or teleporter by now. And even amateurs like myself can get our hands on some excellent stuff: drones, telescopes and microscopes, computers, cameras, and GPS devices. We’ve got toys and tools for learning about the world.
Secondly, we live in a culture that respects what science can do and embraces it. Science is part of the stories of our culture - many documentaries and science shows have been popular in recent years (Planet Earth, Mythbusters, children’s shows like The Octonauts and Wildkratts) and movies about science or scientists (The Martian, Jurassic Park, Twister). There are many fantastic science books, magazines, and websites. We can satisfy our curiosity on scientific topics more easily than ever before. Google is helpful. A good library is better.
That’s not to say that there is no downside to our moment. Our society often trusts science too much or asks too much of it. The CSI television shows distorted what people expect from our justice system. Scientists who know little philosophy are taken seriously as philosophers because people trust them so much. Scientific studies as a whole have been shown to have strong biases according to who conducts and pays for them. And some people use science and technology to do awful things, from create new chemical weapons to distribute pornography on a mass scale, to clone sheep (aren’t there enough sheep in the world?). Things aren’t all good in the scientific ‘hood, but there is plenty to be excited about.
Christians and Science
This is also a fantastic time to be a Christian who loves science. Not only do we enjoy the benefits of modern tools and the advantages of living in a science-respecting culture, but the Christian Church has fascinating things going on in the scientific vein as well. Let’s explore a few.
Origins Studies- Christians have access to many resources about the history of the universe and Christian perspectives on it. Reasons to Believe and the Discovery Institute promote the philosophy of Intelligent Design. Answers in Genesis presents the Young-Earth Creationism view. BioLogos makes the case that the Christian worldview (and their Evolutionary Creationism) doesn’t conflict with mainstream science as many people think. These organizations are great resources for exploring what it means that God created the universe.
Magazines - Both Christianity Today and World magazines, major Christian publications, regularly feature science articles of interest to believers. Christianity Today even started a digital magazine called The Behemoth specifically to explore the wonder of God’s creation. It didn’t last long (I think it might have done better as a print magazine), but perhaps someday they’ll bring it back. There are magazines about the history of Christianity such as Biblical Archeology Review, and new niche magazines are popping up all the time. Christians are learning to keep current with how faith intersects with science, and magazines are a part of that.
Apologetics - Christian apologists like Lee Strobel (The Case for a Creator), Tim Keller (The Reason for God), William Lane Craig (Reasonable Faith), and many others engage with science, scientific discoveries, and science culture to explain the world through the Gospel lens. They sometimes debate Atheists and Agnostics on specific issues, and they promote the understanding that science and faith are compatible. Apologists are removing the intellectual roadblocks for people exploring faith in Jesus.
Books - Christians write plenty of books about faith and science, and many of them are worth reading. There are books about the origins debate, the history of Christians in science, the role of Christianity in a science-obsessed culture, how Christianity informs the ethics of science, and all kinds of faith and science topics. If you’re curious about what Christianity says about science or vice-versa, you can study this topic for a lifetime or two.
Organizations - Christians in science are learning to network. There are national and international organizations such as The Christian Scientific Society, and Christians in Science and Technology. There are Christian clubs and Bible study groups in large scientific organizations, such as NASA. Christians in science careers are seeking out other Christians for networking, encouragement, and discussion. And they are finding that they are not alone.
This truly is a great time to be a Christian who loves science, or a scientist who is curious about Christianity. There is an abundance of books, magazines, movies, television shows, organizations, and information for anyone interested in these topics. And while most of the face-to-face opportunities are found in cities, the Internet is bringing a lot of this material to people wherever they are.
So, get out there, learn and do awesome stuff, and do it all for God’s glory, God’s Kingdom, and the joy and good of the world He made. (Just don’t clone sheep; DNA is for resurrecting dinosaurs.)