In this video Conversation, Joel Hunter articulates the importance of raising a child that can garner knowledge from a variety of sources and to be able to study science with integrity—that is, to be able to pursue the truth to where it leads. Hunter alludes to the danger of letting one’s intellectual inquiry of science be governed by fear instead of by faith that one will ultimately be led to our Creator.

Hunter points out that the directive mankind is given in Genesis 2:15—that we would cultivate the earth and keep it—does not have an expiration date. That is, an attentiveness to God’s creation and its natural processes is something to which all Christians should aspire.

When we honor God’s mandate and begin more deliberately studying and preserving our natural environment, Hunter asserts, we will be attending to broader moral expectations. For example, development of green energy sources will translate into good stewardship and reducing pollution will help us better care for the vulnerable by protecting the environmental health of children. These are just two instances where venerating God’s command will allow us to be obedient in other ways.

“Christians must be good at science so we can carry out the moral mandates we’ve been given by God,” says Hunter.

Editor's note: first posted July 21, 2010. If you'd like to see other great posts like this, go to the BioLogos Navigator topic Education.

Showing Christian schoolteachers that one can be a believer who embraces the Bible as God’s inspired Word and evolution as His creative process has always been a mission of BioLogy by the Sea, the accomplishment of which is never guaranteed. During the first few days, several participants expressed doubt that their faith could be compatible with evolutionary creation. However, as the week came to a close, some of those who had previously denied compatibility seemed to be much more considerate of the notion—if not fully accepting of the idea altogether. If you’ve ever doubted evolution yourself, then you know that such acceptance is no small feat. There are numerous theological and philosophical barriers that must be dealt with, and to think that this could occur in the span of just one week is pretty amazing. Then again, the program had some pretty amazing guest speakers and activities—the most significant of which occurred throughout the week: prayer and worship to the One we all serve, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

While these times served to glorify God and nurture participants’ souls, the week was also filled with activities designed to nurture participants’ minds through the study of biblical passages and biological content. In addition to graduate level courses and accompanying labs in either biodiversity or developmental biology, participants went on field trips to the intertidal zone, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the La Brea Tar Pits, and the Gaslamp Quarter. Furthermore, presentations given by Dr. Gregg Davidson, professor of geology and geological engineering from the University of Mississippi, and Dr. Mary Schweitzer, paleontologist and associate professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences from North Carolina State University, offered key insights into their fields and demonstrated how the tenants of both are based on evidence rather than conjecture.

In short, this year’s BioLogy by the Sea offered another comprehensive look at what it means to be a Christian who accepts the conclusions of mainstream science—not at the expense of our faith in God or His Word, but in light of it. We can only hope that these teachers, who spent an entire week of their summer break with us, left with not only a greater sense of oneness as the body of Christ, but also found new ways to engage their students in matters of science and faith—another facet of the program’s mission. After all, the first step in protecting the next generation from the faith crisis that many seem to experience after they learn about evolution from a secular perspective is showing that it need not be an either-or situation. It’s also an important part of ensuring that Christian young people can rise to the forefront of global scientific research.

What are the best ways to spark productive conversations about science and faith? Certainly there are books, articles, blogs (like this one), and podcasts. Or we can host major events with a prominent speaker or panel. These are all good things, to be sure. But there are particular advantages to using film. Unlike books, articles, blogs, or podcasts, videos engage with both sight and sound. A single DVD is much less expensive than a dozen copies of a book for a group to read through together. A film is portable, flexible, quick, and easy to use. Participants don't need to prepare between sessions, nor do they require internet access. And you don't need to find a big-name speaker or organize a large-scale event.

Test of Faith

Unlike years ago, there are now high-quality and stimulating science-faith documentaries that are well-suited for engaging groups and stimulating conversations. The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, based in Cambridge, UK, has put together an award-winning documentary, Test of Faith: Does Science Threaten Belief in God? This 2009 film is divided into three distinct 30-minute sessions, which can be further divided if desired. A wide range of topics are considered, including the age and origin of the universe, the possibility of other universes, evolution, care for the environment, the brain, free will, and bioethics. The trailer can be seen above. This film is a good choice if you are not looking to focus primarily on issues around biological evolution. It is also particularly well-suited for groups that include both skeptics and Christians, as one could imagine it being shown on a public television station such as PBS or BBC. Faraday now has quite a range of supporting materials around the film, including bonus footage, a rich website, a leader’s guide, a study guide for participants, and a book with autobiographical contributions from scientist-believers, Test of Faith: Spiritual Journeys with Scientists. Contributors to the film and book include Francis Collins, Alister McGrath, Ard Louis, Jennifer Wiseman, Bill Newsome, John Polkinghorne, Alasdair Coles, Rosalind Picard, and John Bryant.

From the Dust

Just this year, BioLogos partnered with Highway Media to produce a new documentary, From the Dust: Conversations in Creation. This film is just over an hour long, and is divided into four sections of similar length: “Faith and Science,” “Divinely Inspired,” “The Conversation,” and “Truly Human.” Some early clips from the film (prior to the final round of editing) and additional footage can be found in the multimedia resources section of the BioLogos website, and the trailer is above. From the Dust has a firm focus on Genesis, creation, and evolution, probably the area of the most significant tension in our society today related to science and faith. Unlike Test of Faith, there is no narrative voice in From the Dust, and contrasting views are held in tension. It also focuses on theology more than science, so From the Dust may be a better choice than Test of Faith for some groups of Christians. While the Test of Faith film has a very modern and logical structure to it, From the Dust has more of a personal and emotional feel, and you feel that the people in the film are talking with you more than just talking to you. You see the cost that divisive positions on creation and evolution can have on Christians, even in the college classroom. While the film has a strong leaning towards evolutionary creationism and features N. T. Wright, John Walton, John Polkinghorne, Alister McGrath, Peter Enns, Jeff Schloss and Rick Colling, there are also significant contrasting voices from Answers in Genesis and Canopy Ministries. In my opinion, From the Dust is a good choice for many churches, small group Bible studies, or Christian student groups (e.g., InterVarsity, Navigators) to use. There are fewer supporting materials around From the Dust, due both to its new release and also its more inductive approach than that of the Faraday project. In addition to bonus footage, there is a website, a list of sample discussion questions, and a group study guide that I developed.

Next Steps

As you decide which film to use for starting conversations and how to use it, there are several things to consider. Will you show the whole film at once, or will you spread it out over several sessions? Will you provide additional structure or just have an open discussion after each viewing? How many days do you have available? How much time at each session? What are the worldviews of your audience? What is their level of biblical, theological, and scientific knowledge? How big is the group, and what is their age? What is their willingness to do homework and their level of interest in the topic? Is this a new group specifically convened to explore science and faith issues together, or is this a preexisting group that has been doing other things together and has varying levels of commitment to this new topic? What sort of expertise does the leader of the group have, or are there multiple leaders? All of these can affect the group dynamic and may influence the choices you make.

The groups I have worked with have been Christian students from secular colleges, Christian faculty and staff from secular colleges, a small group Bible study, and a general audience. I have found that Test of Faith worked well over three weeks with my Bible study group and with the faculty and staff group, though in these exclusively Christian groups I needed to add a bit of scripture, song or prayer in those settings (as is also recommended in the Faraday materials). The film was particularly good for a 30-minute screening at the general audience event, which also featured a panel for Q&A afterwards. It could likely be used in a college classroom, too, even at a secular institution. I had been considering strategies for using Test of Faith at my church as well, until I found From the Dust.

As I began thinking about ways to use From the Dust while it was still in the final editing stages, I screened it in two parts to three of the four audiences mentioned above (not the general audience). I asked several dozen undergraduates from local InterVarsity groups to give me their responses to the film and to tell me what questions it makes them want to explore more. I did the same with the Christian faculty and staff, and with my home Bible study group. Then I assembled a six-week curriculum (plus an opening session on setting expectations and sharing my vision), primarily aimed at Christian undergraduates. My students this summer loved it so much that we followed it with three-weeks on Test of Faith! Now I keep getting asked when I’ll do it next. But I am hoping that others, even my own students, will want to lead discussion groups like this. You don’t have to be an expert to start a conversation, and sometimes being a leader is the best way to learn.

In this video, Daniel Harrell affirms that science is not the only way to pursue truth. Rather, truth happens in a variety of different ways and each one ultimately leads to an understanding of God.

In our society, science is a very credible pursuit which lends intellectual weight to any discussion. Whatever we mean by truth, however, Harrell emphasizes that it happens in a variety of ways. What the scientist knows from the pursuit of science is different than what the poet, the theologian, or the businessman knows. If all of these voices could work together in celebration of the reality that is God, then significant change would actually take place.

Looking back at history, Harrell notes that at one time Christian faith did in fact permeate everything, including science. Returning Christianity to that position is an enormous challenge, and, as Harrell admits, may not even be the right thing to do.

Harrell concludes by claiming that searching for truth, whether it is through poetry, science, or art, will eventually bring us to God. As Christians, then, we should be confident in encouraging the pursuit of truth in any route or form.

In this video, Pastor Daniel Harrell encourages the Christian community to embrace science as an element which can harmonize and strengthen, rather than attack and undermine their understanding of theology.

Science, Harrell says, helps us daily to understand our identity as biological beings. We are reminded frequently of our dependence on science: for example, when we have to visit the doctor or when we begin the aging process. Most of us, however, are sorely unaware of how the philosophical side of science affects our lives as believers. Many Christians are even afraid of science.

Harrell explains that he stopped fearing science when he began to study it. He realized that, while science is persuasive as an explanation for life, it cannot describe things like theological reality, psychological behavior, and other variables. It is a separate entity which can converge with the theological narrative that we already have and begin to strengthen our faith. In fact, since we believe as Christians that God created and redeemed the material world, we already have a convenient interface between scientific and theological camps.

Harrell wraps up this brief narrative by encouraging Christians to investigate science on their own. While there are, he admits, problems with this unconventional marriage of science and faith, there are also problems with theology in the absence of science. Understanding how the two different camps work together and strengthen each other is an important part of our faith journey.

In this video “Conversation,” three faculty members from Christian colleges share thoughts on teaching evolutionary science to Christian undergraduates.

Professor Dorothy Boorse, Biology, Gordon College

“There’s an age when you think about your faith and you become a thinking whole person who begins to think about the world and how it relates to your faith, or you choose not to think deeply about those things,” says Boorse. “The world will ask you questions and they will not always be easy to answer. If you think they are easy to answer, then you probably aren’t really looking at them.”

Professor Jim Nichols, Biology, Abilene Christian University

Regarding the instruction of evolutionary science, Nichols suggests that the best approach might be to try and defuse this topic by presenting the science and some opinions—while advising students not to fixate on evolution as a faith issue. Nichols reminds that if people are asked what the most important faith issue is, “[Nobody] is going to say creation and evolution…People instead care about other things that are more fundamental to their growth.” He also emphasizes to students that atheism and belief in evolution are not the same thing.

Provost Claudia Beversluis, Calvin College

Beversluis notes that while Christian parents want their children to emerge from college with a strong belief in Christ, they also want their children to be truth seekers, intellectually honest, competent and credentialed—perhaps even in the sciences. This is possible, suggests Beversluis—but both sides of the equation are important—keeping faith intact and the spirit of inquiry and truth seeking intact.

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In this video, pastor Daniel Harrell looks at how we can worship God by understanding the world around us as revelations of God’s nature. Harrell notes that, to him, faith must correspond to how things are, not merely how we wish they could be. Thus, exploring nature can be seen as a way to also explore our faith.

Harrell also notes that the idea of God revealing himself through creation is “very, very old indeed.” Scripture acknowledges it, and a long history of theologians and thinking Christians have held this perspective. Just as David marvels at creation in the Psalms and considers how his understanding of nature can influence his understanding of God, so too we can marvel at the complexity of DNA or the diversity of life or the majesty of the universe and consider how these are also manifestations of God’s character.

For more videos with Joel Hunter, visit our "Conversations" collection.

In this video Conversation, Joel Hunter again addresses the concept of fear—this time from a different angle. “I believe that all truth is God’s truth,” says Hunter, “so I am never afraid of truth—no matter who it comes from.” He offers the analogy of being hungry and accepting food from a non-Christian—just as we should accept truth, regardless of the source.

Hunter remarks that he is not afraid of science and notes that in fact, many of the great scientists in western civilization were Christians themselves, who were discovering how God worked in the world. He offers a famous quote from Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler, who viewed careful study of the universe as “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” Like many scientists that have followed him, Kepler believed that the architecture of the world was accessible through reason and inquiry.

Concurring with this philosophy, Hunter remarks, “Atheists are not teaching us theology, they are teaching us things in science…Good science will ultimately lead more people to God than away from Him.” Thus, if scientists make accurate discoveries, ultimately believers and non-believers alike will be led to these truths, which will allow them to more fully appreciate the wonder of God’s creation.

In this video Conversation, Os Guinness discusses the need for bridging the gap between science and faith for a group that he calls the “missing middle”.  Guinness notes that this “missing middle” group needs intelligible, thoughtful, and practical ways to integrate their understanding of science and Christian faith.

Guinness notes that Christians should relate their faith to all sorts of issues, including science, and should have no fear of doing so.  Guinness quotes George Whitfield, who said, “[I’m] never better than when I’m on the full stretch for God.”  In the same way, Christians should feel confident when they find themselves "on the full stretch" in reconciling their understanding of science-and-faith issues, even if doing so appears at first to pose a threat their faith.     

Instead of being fearful of how to reconcile two seemingly disparate worldviews, believers must be confident in truths—scientific or otherwise—because all truth is God’s truth.