7: Antiscience
Disconnection: “To be honest, I think that learning about science was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I knew from church that I couldn’t believe in both science and God, so that was it. I didn’t believe in God anymore.”
—Mike
Reconnection: “Students need a place to ask questions about science . . . we cannot expect them to ignore the issues of science all around us.”
—Richard
Millions of young Christians perceive Christianity to be in opposition to modern science. What does this mean? Two episodes will help define the contours of the problem.
The first comes from an experience I had while assisting in our church’s youth ministry a few years ago. Colleen, one of the students in the group, had just graduated from high school and asked the youth pastor what he thought about her becoming an egg donor to pay for college. She could donate some of her reproductive capacity for a surprisingly large payday.
Colleen had been told her entire life that going to college was a top priority for her long-term success, but her family could not afford to pay her way—so she was evaluating her options to make up the difference. If she could avoid saddling herself with a mountain of debt, she would. She had read on the Internet that fertility clinics and childless couples were willing to pay top dollar for eggs donated by healthy women under the age of twenty-five. Yet Colleen wondered if selling her eggs would be morally or spiritually questionable. Did the Bible say anything about it? Would God be angry with her?
In another incident, during a dinner party in the early months of 2011, I heard a prominent scientist lament his interactions with the next generation of believers.
“Every week, I am contacted by young Christians who tell me that their faith cannot survive their interest in science. They feel the church has forced them into an either-or decision—they can either stay true to the Christian faith or become an intellectually honest scientist.” This observation aligns closely with Barna Group’s findings, as we will see in this chapter.
He went on, “That’s a false choice, of course. And it’s heartbreaking that we aren’t helping young Christians pursue their calling in science in a way that affirms both science and faith. It’s not a simple task. Yet if we don’t take this job seriously, I am afraid we’re going to lose a generation of scientists and a generation of Christians.”
Then, whether or not it was intentional, the scientist demonstrated the remarkable coexistence of his passions. First, he captivated dinner guests with a fascinating description of his team’s discoveries, which may save the lives of thousands of people who suffer from a rare medical disorder. Then he brought the dinner to a worshipful close by playing the guitar and leading us in “How Great Thou Art.”
———
Issues of science are one of the significant points of disconnection between the next generation and Christianity. Many times churches are unprepared to help young adults navigate an increasingly complex world where scientific breakthroughs seem to happen every day. This lack of preparation is due in part to the perceived long-running culture war between science and religion that has been fought, on various battlegrounds, for centuries. Might it be that the church is so used to being science’s debate opponent that we’ve forgotten how to be anything else?
If so, we have a problem.
The two stories that open this chapter reveal two main areas in which we see the rift between science and faith undermining the church’s efforts to make disciples among the next generation. The first, illustrated by Colleen’s story, is the challenge facing all believers to live biblically in a culture immersed in science. The second area, shown in the scientist’s remarks, is the challenge of nurturing and supporting young science-minded Christians.
First, let’s look at the broader challenge.
CHRISTIANS LIVING IN A SCIENCE CULTURE
Science has come to dominate and define our collective culture. Digital and mechanical technology, medical research and treatment, survey and conservation of the environment, study of the human brain and mind, genetics, physics, and discoveries about our universe—these areas of scientific inquiry, and so many more, shape our reality. Tools and methods developed by science significantly impact our daily lives—our world would be all but unrecognizable to someone transplanted here from the early twentieth century. As we observed in the chapter on access, alienation, and authority, the pace of change has dramatically increased. The amount of information available, the connectedness of human cultures, and the ways we explore and understand our world are vastly different than at any point in human history.
Today’s teens and twentysomethings have been even more profoundly influenced by these developments than previous generations. From their earliest days, science and technology have had a hand in nearly every area of their lives—from food production and distribution to medical treatment, from computers at home and in the classroom to easy and affordable air travel. Think about this—American teens and young adults have always lived in a world with email, cell phones, fast food, plastic surgery, cars with airbags and antilock brakes, and digital music, video, and photography. I could go on, but you get the idea.
Not only do the sciences have incredible reach, but information about science is also more readily accessible than ever before. When I was a kid, our family subscribed to National Geographic magazine and our shelves held a set of rarely used encyclopedias. Now teens and young adults have this morning’s world-changing discovery at their fingertips, and have science entertainment, such as MythBusters and the Animal Planet cable channel, available to them 24-7. All this access to (loosely) science-related content gives many young adults the feeling that they are quite well-informed about scientific matters.
Popular Science
Another dimension of our scientific culture is the many scientists today who enjoy rock star status. Well-known scientists who promote atheism, such as Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Stephen Hawking, are front and center in our culture today. They have gained popular attention not only because of the post-Christian zeitgeist, but also because the Internet amplifies provocative voices, enabling them to reach devoted niche audiences and leverage their powers of persuasion to generate mainstream attention.
The popularization of science has several implications. First, as the previous paragraph suggests, it invites scientists to seek not only legitimacy within their own community—what is commonly called “peer review”—but also publicity in the mainstream. This is not inherently a bad thing, but it’s not too hard to imagine why the race for an audience could invite some scientists to rush responsible inquiry. We hear all the time about supposedly ironclad scientific knowledge overturned by a newer discovery. Gordon Pennington, a former marketing executive for Tommy Hilfiger’s clothing line, once observed that “science is also a fashion industry, with theories changing regularly, although not as often as hemlines.”[46] With so many contradictory “facts” flying around, it can be difficult for young adults to find out what is true. And with ubiquitous media constantly declaring “world-changing” and “revolutionary” news, it’s hard to sort out truth from the fashions that masquerade as legitimate scientific discoveries.
Second, the popularization of science has, in many ways, democratized science. In the introduction to Science Is Culture: Conversations at the New Intersection of Science and Society, Adam Bly, editor of Seed magazine, writes:
The burgeoning “citizen science” movement coupled with the rise of mobile devices and social media allows anyone to participate in the process of science. . . . Science is necessarily flat and open. Any idea can be overturned at anytime by anyone. . . . Although they must ultimately hold up to the other tenets of science—reproducibility and falsifiability among them—the best ideas can come from anywhere.[47]
Because anyone can participate in science, it’s sometimes hard to figure out who is worth listening to and who isn’t. A young Christian might watch a debate between a Bible professor and an evolutionary biologist on YouTube, read a series of blog posts on Intelligent Design, and then crack open her biology textbook to study for tomorrow’s exam—after which she’ll go to a local Bible study, where the leader may go on at length about how you can’t believe in evolution and the Bible at the same time. How can she know which of these sources is trustworthy? What makes someone an “authority”?
Although it may seem counterintuitive, the very fact that science invites participation lends its authority more weight than areas of inquiry that don’t. Dialogue, creative problem solving, living with questions and with ambiguity, group brainstorming, the opportunity to contribute—these are highly valued by the next generation. To the extent that we in the Christian community insist that young adults should just accept our “right” answers, we perpetuate a needless schism between science and faith.
Faith and Scientism
One reason young Christians feel acutely the antagonism between their religion and science is that there is animosity on both sides—Western science has often seen itself as an opponent of faith. We could call this opposition “scientism,” the assumption that science has cornered the market on knowledge, and something can only be true if it can be tested by scientific methods. Unfortunately, scientism’s epistemology (theory of knowledge) has come to dominate our culture. “True” has come to mean “verifiable in the lab.”[48] For scientism, what is reasonable just is what is scientific.
The number of atheists (many of whom affirm scientism) is disproportionately larger in higher education than in the culture at large, which means that many undergrads each year are unknowingly subjected to the false dichotomy of “faith versus reason.” Add to this the fact that “big science,” like “big business,” struggles with corruption; more than a handful of research scientists have admitted to falsifying or skewing data in their favor at some point in their career. To add insult to injury, it is not uncommon for those in the academy who question the scientific party line to be ostracized, denied tenure, or even fired. On these and other grounds, the church has reason to feel antagonized by the scientific establishment.
Still, if we are serious about living biblically in a science culture and about helping the next generation do the same, putting up our dukes or sticking our fingers in our ears are not viable options. Because science has come to play such a defining role in our broader culture, it is shaping young adults’ perceptions of the church. It is these perceptions that we must deal well with if we truly desire to make young disciples.
In our research among eighteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds with a Christian background, one-third (35 percent) suggested that Christians are too confident about knowing all the answers. In a related thread, one-fifth (20 percent) said they believe Christianity makes complex things too simple. Nearly three in ten (29 percent) said that churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in, while one-quarter (25 percent) described Christianity as antiscience. One-quarter of those surveyed report that they are turned off by the creation-versus-evolution debate (23 percent) and one-fifth are disillusioned with Christianity because it is anti-intellectual (18 percent). It may not surprise you to learn that many prodigals—those who no longer identify as Christian—hold these opinions. However, a significant number of nomads and exiles embrace these notions too. And while these are not majority views among young Christians, neither are they fringe perspectives that can be easily dismissed.
The ferocity with which some of the research respondents hold these views is likely influenced, at least in part, by the cultural power wielded by scientism. There is broad acceptance of the idea that science (or rather scientism) “tells it like it is.” Questioning this premise—as the church often does—is culturally hazardous. These factors do not negate the problem we are called to address, however, and they do not absolve God’s people from acknowledging where we have fallen short. The underlying sense of these perceptions is that many in the next generation do not see Christians as humble partners with today’s science-driven culture—and I believe there is some truth for us here.
Antiscience | In Their Own Words
Percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who have a Christian background
completely true of me
completely or mostly true of me
Christians are too confident that they know all the answers.
17%
35%
Churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in.
12%
29%
Christianity is antiscience.
9%
25%
I have been turned off by the creation-versus-evolution debate.
11%
23%
Christianity makes complex things too simple.
9%
20%
Christianity is anti-intellectual.
8%
18%
Barna Group | 2011 | N=1,296
THE LOSS OF SCIENCE-MINDED CHRISTIANS
There is a second challenge facing the Christian community as it relates to science—the disconnect between the faith and those who are particularly science-minded. The church is losing too many young scientists.
If the Christian community desires to equip young people to follow Jesus faithfully in the real world, we need to understand the challenges facing young science-minded individuals. Those who have specific gifts, abilities, and passions in the realm of science appear to be some of the most likely to struggle with their faith. They have a difficult time connecting the claims of Christianity with scientific evidence and methods.
Mike’s story is an example of a young science-minded prodigal. I met Mike in Vancouver, British Columbia, at a daylong seminar for pastors. He was raised in a Catholic home but is now an atheist. The seminar organizer, Norm, wanted to “get a real, live young person who doesn’t believe in God in front of these folks.” Mike, who fit the bill, was about two years out of high school and was joined by his pal Brandon. The plan was for Mike to spend the day, along with his still-Christian friend, trying to help Christian leaders understand why he does not believe in God.
That day in Vancouver, Mike ventured into a room packed with clergy. I sat in the front row, watching Mike’s body language as he spoke to that group of professional communicators. In the first few minutes of his soul-baring story, Mike looked understandably uptight. His confession was mixed with the discomfort of public speaking. But finally he put everyone at ease, including himself, with the comic relief highlight of the day: “Sheesh, I’m as nervous as an atheist at a pastors’ conference.”
After the laughter died down, his story came in spurts—but that made it no less compelling: “It was tenth grade. I started learning about evolution. It felt like my first window into the real world. To be honest, I think that learning about science was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I knew from church that I couldn’t believe in both science and God, so that was it. I didn’t believe in God anymore.”
Stories of Loss
I have interviewed scores of teens and young adults who are pursuing careers in science and I’ve also had occasion to meet many parents of students gifted in these areas. In the majority of cases, there is a deep sense of conflict within these young people—and sometimes with their parents—about staying faithful, given their interests and capabilities. In my observations, the nomad-scientist simply puts his or her faith involvement on the shelf, compartmentalizing spiritual pursuits away from career. The prodigal-scientist feels forced to choose his or her affinity for science over faith and may resent the church for “forcing” the choice. The exile-scientist attempts to reconcile competing narratives of a life of faith and the life of the mind.
A mother in Honolulu told me about her son. A formerly passionate Christian, this twentysomething is an engineering student at a prestigious Ivy League school. Recently he disavowed his faith in Christ—making a journey we could label as prodigal.
Another mother described her son, a twenty-three-year-old molecular biology student who is still interested in faith but hasn’t found a Christian community in his new college town. His faith, though not abandoned entirely, has been moved to the margins. This is classic nomadism.
Scientifically inclined exiles seem to be among the most common when it comes to feeling lost between science and faith. Remember that exiles are those whose calling and faith seem disjointed and irreconcilable. Their sense of being exiled cuts both ways: they feel that their faith commitments are disrespected by popular science and their scientific interests are marginalized by the Christian community. A young computer programmer who designs video games has not quite gotten used to raised eyebrows from fellow Christians. A young research assistant is called “superstitious” by her peers, and feels that her intellectual rigor is always on trial.
These tensions are not entirely unhealthy. Every person of faith must learn how to live the in-but-not-of discipleship that Christ calls us to. Managing the tensions between science and faith is part of that journey. We need to develop young leaders who can capably serve in science, but not be so habituated to scientism that faith becomes untenable.
Stewarding Young Scientists
Let me describe a significant gap in most faith communities. More than half of churchgoing thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds say they hope to train for a science-related career. This includes medical and health-related industries (23 percent), engineering and architecture (11 percent), research science (8 percent), technology (5 percent), and veterinary studies (5 percent).
Yet issues of science are a surprisingly rare topic in U.S. churches. Only 1 percent of youth pastors told us that they have addressed a subject related to science during the last year. I am not suggesting that churches should change their entire mission approach to address science, but if only 1 out of 100 youth workers are talking about issues of science, how can we possibly hope to prepare a generation to follow Jesus in our science-dominated culture?
As we described in chapter 6 (Shallow), the vast majority of young churchgoing Protestants and Catholics never received a sense of how the Bible applies to their calling or interests; only a small minority discovered a mentor in their faith community; and few ever had helpful coaching from religious leaders pertaining to their educational choices. In other words, young science-minded adults are not finding much guidance from the faith community in matters of vocation or calling. Neither are they likely to find meaningful support from older science-minded Christians. These are huge gaps and they significantly affect the ability of the Christian community to transfer faith to the next generation.
Let’s look specifically at college experiences. Is going to college—particularly to a secular or state school—an automatic faith killer? Our research suggests not. Yes, it is a challenge for many students, but the blame is often overstated. First, most students who are likely to experience loss of faith do so before college; they begin to feel disconnected from their faith or from the church even before high school ends. Second, those who lose their faith or wander during college do so for a variety of reasons, not merely because of intellectual challenges to their faith.
Millions of young Christians get through college with a flourishing faith. One of the marks of these individuals is a meaningful connection to some form of Christian community—whether a worshiping congregation, a Christian campus group, or a Christian-oriented college—which makes them less likely to become nomadic or prodigal. The key here is a meaningful connection, not merely showing up at religious activities.
Young adults who do find it difficult to keep their faith growing through college do so, I believe, because of relational, educational, and vocational gaps that were left unaddressed in the years prior to and during college. In other words, when students struggle in college, many times it is because the Christian community has not provided a sufficiently strong set of relationships, sense of purpose, or whole-life coaching. This is particularly true in the lives of science-minded students. We should not assume that the tough questions of a hostile professor are at the root of lost faith. Rather in many instances, I believe the Christian community has failed to disciple its science-inclined students to become responsible, intelligent, capable, resourceful, and faithful followers of Christ. We need to do a better job stewarding the intellect of this generation.
ANTISCIENCE TURNS TO STEWARDSHIP
The concept of stewardship permeates Scripture. According to God’s Word, our lives and our resources are gifts from God to be given back to him in service to others. I believe we need to see this generation as a gift to the church to be given to the world for God’s purposes. What are some ways we should care for these gifts so they are prepared for service in our science-obsessed culture?
To find out, we should look again at Daniel, the young Hebrew exile who is famous for being stuck in the lions’ den. Much earlier than his encounter with the beasts, we are told that he and his peers were taught “the language and literature of Babylon” (Dan. 1:4 NLT). “Literature” here encompasses the written literature of Babylon as well as the knowledge that lay behind it.[49] In fact the text actually describes a scientific inclination in their pursuit of such knowledge. It says that God gave them “an unusual aptitude for understanding” these skills and subjects (v. 17 NLT).
The first chapter of the book of Daniel gives some background on why and how Daniel was later able to speak prophetically in the throne room of the Babylonian king. As a young man he was apprenticed into the Babylonian way of seeing and communicating about the world. With his intellectual gift and knowledge, and applying himself to learn all he could in these arenas, he could eventually speak with authority on these subjects with colleagues and superiors in the king’s court.
Our modern economy, language, media, and society are dominated by science, whether we like it or not. If we are to be shapers of culture, rather than blind consumers of it, we must prepare our young people to be in-but-not-of science. What does this mean? Young Christians who are called into positions of scientific inquiry and pedagogy ought to be encouraged by the Christian community to follow their callings to the utmost of their abilities. We need to help them discover how their chosen field of study and work is closely connected to God’s design for the world and for them.
Rather than being encouraged by the Christian community to investigate God’s good creation with wonder and reverence, too many young science geeks, like Mike, have been told that their curiosity is dangerous. I recently heard a pastor declare that intellectual questions are a defense mechanism used by those who don’t want to accept Christ. That may be true in a few cases, but at its root, isn’t this pastor’s argument a rejection of God’s gift of human reason? Intellect should not be used to diminish our reverence for God, but subjugating intellect to avoid sticky questions about our world also steals from God’s creative glory.
We must do a better job challenging and training all young Christians—not just the science geeks—to think clearly, honestly, and comprehensively about matters of science. This includes understanding the various philosophies that undergird science, scientism, and knowledge. Teaching philosophy to teens and young adults is not easy, but if we don’t we may be asking too little of the next generation and setting our expectations of them too low.
Yet the first step is to take a hard look at our rhetoric. By no means are all Christians or Christian leaders openly antagonistic toward the scientific community, but the perceptions measured by our research indicate that the way the church takes its stand in our culture is as important as the stand itself.
If how the church has responded to and interacted with science is a problem, what needs to change? What should be the response of the Christian community to a science-dominated culture? I believe that people of faith have a responsibility and an opportunity to speak positively and prophetically to issues of science, rather than responding out of hostility or ignorance. We must work together to offer a viable, respectful Christian voice to our culture’s collective dialogue about stem cell research, cloning, animal testing, pharmaceuticals, technology’s impact on the human brain and soul, cosmetic and elective surgery and beauty enhancement, nutrition, agriculture, weapons and military technologies, and many other matters of science and ethics. This will not be easy—the learning curve will be steep for many of us—yet if we desire to steward the next generation for faithful service, we must tackle this complex challenge.
Here are some ways we might become credible, trustworthy partners in dialogue with the scientific community.
More Science, Not Less
Many students do not know how or where within the Christian community to bring up their questions about science. With some pastors making claims like the one above—that intellectual questions are the enemy of faith—it is easy to see why. I know some leaders who believe they are providing space for evenhanded, open dialogue on scientific issues. But that is not always how it appears to students, most of whom want to work together toward an answer, rather than being told what to believe.
One church in Oregon is creatively integrating science into their broader conversations about faith. An ornithologist (that’s a bird scientist) in the congregation serves as their director of apologetics. He specializes in the study of raptors and is a passionate advocate, as many in the Northwest are, for the environment—specifically for the natural habitats of birds of prey. He is also finishing his MA in theology and serves his faith community by leading online and in-person discussions about the intersection of science and faith. Richard commented in a telephone conversation, “I have come to recognize that students need a place to ask questions about science, that we cannot expect them to ignore the issues of science all around us.”
Not every church has an ornithologist in the second row, ready to dialogue about scientific questions that are out of the pastor’s league, but what about the high school biology teacher who goes to church down the road? Or the community college physics professor who sponsors an on-campus ministry? There are plenty of Christians in the scientific community who would love to serve the body of Christ with their gifts and knowledge, and there are many young adults who need a scientifically credible Christian mentor who will walk alongside them as they reason through competing truth claims.
Scientific Apprentices
While high school and college can be years of awkwardness and confusion for many students, they are also a season when young adults take steps toward becoming who they are meant to be. Many young people decide what they are going to do and be during these years. Unfortunately, many of these same young people have no meaningful interaction during high school and college with Christian adults who work in their field of choice. As a result, Christian twentysomethings often do not connect their career choices with a sense of calling or vocation; their faith and work decisions are bifurcated, rather than holistically entwined.
What if churches made a concerted effort to identify scientific and mathematical inclinations in young people (as well as other skills and gifts), and then connected young believers with older Christians who are living out their faith in related careers? This could provide a dramatically different understanding of science and technology, not as adversaries of or disconnected from faith, but as domains where faith compels us to make a difference.
Good Thinking
Our research suggests that students who see the world for themselves through a biblical lens are best prepared to face intellectual challenges. The best-prepared young Christians are encouraged to think for themselves, with Scripture as the viewfinder through which they interpret the world around them, including the world of science. And God’s natural revelation, interpreted through the lens of their scientific aptitudes, helps them expand their understanding of God as well. They are taught how to think well, not simply what to think.
In contrast, too many young believers are not given good intellectual tools with which to interact with science. Scientists and others who oppose what the faith community believes may be made into straw men whose arguments, whether made in good faith or not, are ignored or rejected rather than dealt with honestly. Sometimes this happens because Christian leaders lack the expertise needed to tackle the topic. How could the typical youth worker, for instance, be prepared to deal with every question that comes up, such as the ethical implications of egg donation?
This goes right to the issues of access and authority that we discussed in chapter 2. The fact is that no single pastor, youth worker, parent, or Christian teacher can begin to master every scientific or intellectual dilemma that presents itself to today’s young adults. This is the reason we must rethink our efforts to teach young people what to think about issues of science, ethics, politics, and even theology and consider how we can help them learn how to think. As stewards of their considerable gifts, we must prepare them for careful, prayerful, collaborative reasoning with Christians and non-Christians alike.
Humble Disagreement
Earlier I mentioned that the tone of our disagreements matters. We need to be models for the next generation not only of intellectual rigor, but also of humility and generosity of spirit. True wisdom is confident in knowledge yet humble in the awareness that there are limits to our knowledge. Only God is God—a fact that should lead us to trust in him rather than in our own rightness on any given topic.
A good place to start this endeavor is with fellow believers. Many sincere, passionate Christians disagree on matters of science. Collegial and vigorous debate is a good thing for the Christian community, as we seek a prophetic voice with which to speak into our broader culture. Yet over and above our debates, we should cultivate a spirit of Christian unity, purpose, and mission. This means assuming the best of each other and loving and praying for one another, even as we speak the truth. It also means taking care not to toss around emotionally charged words and phrases that escalate tensions and divide Christ’s body. For example, young-earth creationists may want to rethink accusations of apostasy when they talk with (or about) old-earth creationists or those who hold to theistic evolution. Likewise, Christians who believe evolution is God’s chosen mechanism for creation must be cautious of intellectual condescension toward their sisters and brothers who believe differently. The issues and debates are not unimportant, but the relationships in Christ are of paramount importance.
My point is that all kinds of Christians are hard at work trying to discern the mysteries of the universe—and we need each other. Refusing to sever the ties that bind us, even as we disagree, can help keep us all humble before our God, trusting him to guide us into all wisdom and truth.
The same is true for our engagement with the next generation. The fact is, many of them will not come to the same conclusions we have settled on—especially if we do a really great job equipping them to think well for themselves! Some of them may never find answers that are completely satisfying, and this is another area where we can help; we can teach them to understand and manage the unresolved tensions that are an inevitable reality in our modern world. (It turns out that unresolved tension is also a tool God can use to grow our trust in him.)
History Lessons
In 1687, when Sir Isaac Newton published Principia, his masterwork of classical mechanics that defined science’s understanding of the physical universe for the next three centuries, he did so as a devout Christian. While some of his religious beliefs were outside the mainstream of orthodoxy—some historians believe Newton was anti-Trinitarian, for instance—the Bible was his greatest passion, over and above science. He once said, “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”[50] His curiosity about the world was deeply entwined with his reverence for the Creator, whom he credited with the existence of the universe.
Newton’s mechanical model of the universe also helped to broaden the divide between the community of faith and the scientific community. The universe is held together by force of gravity, many later scientists came to believe, not by God. Yet Newton, along with many other fathers of the scientific revolution, was able to hold his discoveries in tension with his faith, rather than replacing God with natural laws.
I want to suggest that the same posture is possible for believers today—that a sense of wonder and thoughtful inquiry can lead us to worship, rather than to deny, God. We honor the Creator when we apply our God-given intellect to the investigation of the universe, and what we discover there invites us to give him glory. How can we recapture the curiosity and devotion that drove Newton—and so many other faith-filled scientists—and pass them on to the next generation?
MODELING A NEW MIND
In a way, my unlikely career path illustrates how the faith community can get things right. I am a scientist of sorts—a research geek—and a committed believer. I majored in psychology and thrived in my science-related classes, like statistics, measurement, social psychology, sociology, learning theory, and multivariate analysis. My father, a lifelong pastor, encouraged my pursuit of this field, even though it meant I was not going to follow his path into full-time church work. Today he remains incredibly supportive despite the times our research at the Barna Group generates findings that are not flattering to the Christian community.
My faith in Jesus is the lens through which I live out my career. I am able to participate in and contribute to my field in part because my dad was and is supportive. When I was growing up, he allowed my curiosity to flourish without questioning my faith and he gave me books to read that did not always conform to the worldview of my family and church. When I came home from youth group with rather simplistic views, he suggested that there might be other perspectives to consider.
I do not know where I would have ended up without his influence. To be candid, the church my father led did not always encourage students who were interested in science. I don’t remember learning anything about science in youth or college group. And while that faith community was generally neutral or silent on the subject, its skepticism was occasionally more overt. When I decided to major in psychology, some churchgoers wondered aloud how that fit with my faith: Why was I forsaking the “real” influence of congregational ministry?
It was about twenty years ago when I attended a youth group. Since then the influence of science and technology have grown exponentially, but still many faith communities operate with ambivalence or even enmity toward science. Young adults like Mike and Colleen, whom we met early in this chapter, need the community of faith to reconsider its posture toward science. If twentysomethings like them are to grow into prophetic people of faith who speak with authority and live wisely in our science-immersed culture, they need models of the Christians we pray they become.