August 2023 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following seventeen items:
- Religion and Science Weekend 2024: We Have a (Good) Problem;
- Astrobiology News for August 2023: Astrobiology at the Parliament of the World’s Religions;
- Intelligent Design Chemistry;
- Climate Change and Evangelical Christians;
- Jesus Is Too Liberal;
- Remembering Ron Numbers;
- Neurotheology: Making Sense of the Brain and Religious Experiences;
- More on Neurotheology with Andrew Newberg;
- The Bible and Science – Clickbait;
- Fires in Canada – The Data;
- Disagreeing Better;
- Science and Torah – Some Common Ground;
- Theo-photography by Tom Oord;
- Introducing Your Church to the Religion and Faith Dialogue;
- Antarctic Sea Ice is Shrinking Dramatically;
- The Summer Issue of Covalence; and
- Wild Mysticism.
1. Religion and Science Weekend 2024: We Have a (Good) Problem
Thanks to all of you who voted for a theme for Religion and Science Weekend 2024. It turns out that two of our prospective themes were tied for first place, so we’ll have to have a run-off election! (Based on comments offered, I’ve slightly modified the wording of our first contestant.)
Please take a moment to think about these two options and vote for your favorite by replying to this e-mail.
_____ Religion, Science and the Common Good_____ Religion and Science: Stronger Together
This would also be a good time to sign up to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2024 (9-11 February 2024).
_____ Yes, I plan to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2024.
Name of Congregation (or other group):
Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology News for August 2023: Astrobiology at the Parliament of the World’s Religions
In this month’s Astrobiology News essay, Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, discusses the program of The Parliament of the World’s Religions.
The Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR) cultivates harmony among the world’s spiritual traditions and fosters their engagement with guiding institutions in order to achieve a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.(1) Its origins are rooted in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where the historic first convening of the World Parliament of Religions created a global platform for engagement of religions of the east and west. After one hundred years, the PoWR was back, also in Chicago, and has been convening every few years at different locations around the world since 1993. This year, it’s back in Chicago from August 14 - 18.(2)
More than 200 religious and spiritual traditions around the world will have representatives at the PoWR, with many thousands of participants attending diverse sessions. My fellow Lutherans may be interested to know that our Presiding Bishop, The Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, will be among the Opening Ceremony speakers. The Sikh community will provide a beautiful Langar lunch (vegetarian, of course) every day for those who are interested in partaking.(3)
The Institute on Religion in an Age of Science(4) has organized a Science & Religion track that consists of about a dozen sessions exploring science & religion in various ways, including the importance of science to everyone. I'll be kicking off the first session in this track, Empowering Diverse Faith Communities through Engagement in People-Powered Research,(5) on Monday (8/14) with Katy Hinman, Director of the Dialog on Science, Ethics, and Religion at the AAAS,(6) and I’ll also be serving on a panel that will be moderated by Susan Barreto, editor of the online Covalence newsletter of the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology,(7) during the last session in this track, Hyde Park: Home of the Chicago School of Religion and Science, on Friday (8/18). This session will be a discussion of how Chicago’s Hyde Park became a bellwether in science & religion, and has served as a critical hub for interdisciplinary discussions between scientists, religious thinkers, and philosophers for many decades.
A major highlight of the Science & Religion track will be a special event at the Adler Planetarium on Wednesday evening (8/16), when NASA scientist Dr. Jim Spann((8) will give a presentation on Searching for Life with a Time Machine (hence the connection to Astrobiology!) This presentation will be followed by a response from multidisciplinary scientist Dr. Michael Summers,(9) leading into a discussion about this fascinating topic between Spann, Summers, and yours truly.
Finally, we'll have an exhibit booth (#608) throughout the week that will highlight the work of the Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS),(10) IRAS, and our relationship with other organizations and the Zygon Journal of Religion & Science,(11) As a special bonus, our booth will be just around the corner from that of Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union (#509), which is associated with the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, where CLP signatory and University of Chicago alumnus Rev. Dr. Ted Peters(12) has, among other things, been doing some incredible work in the field of Astrotheology!(13)
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (she/her/hers) (gwolfchase@gmail.com)
Senior Scientist & Senior Education & Communication Specialist, Planetary Science Institute (www.psi.edu/about/staffpage/gwchase)
Vice President, Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS: www.casiras.org)
1. https://parliamentofreligions.org/history/about/
2. https://parliamentofreligions.org/2023-chicago/
3. https://parliamentofreligions.org/2023-chicago/langar-at-the-2023-parliament-of-the-worlds-religions/
4. https://www.iras.org/
5. https://sciencereligiondialogue.org/resources/engaging-communities-through-zooniverse-summary/
6. https://www.aaas.org/membership/member-spotlight/aaas-doser-program-makes-inroads-communities-faith-help-citizen
7. https://www.luthscitech.org/
8. https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-spann-25717811/
9. https://science.gmu.edu/directory/michael-summers
10. https://www.casiras.org/
11. https://www.zygonjournal.org/
12. https://www.gtu.edu/faculty/ted-f-peters
13. https://www.ctns.org/publications/books/astrotheology-science-and-theology-meet-extraterrestrial-life
3. Intelligent Design Chemistry
The Discovery Institute, the organization that is most responsible for pushing the scientifically debunked anti-evolution idea of intelligent design, is launching a new product line! They’re offering a two-semester, on-line high school chemistry course for home-schooled students. The centerpiece of this course, according to advertising material, is that it will provide evidence of intelligent design in chemistry. You can read more about this unwelcome “educational” offering here.
4. Climate Change and Evangelical Christians
Paul Braterman, retired professor of chemistry and a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, has written a piece that explores the relationship between climate change and Evangelical Christianity. As usual, his work is thoughtful, incisive, and well worth reading.
5. Jesus Is Too Liberal
When religion and politics butt heads, odd things can happen. What we seem to be seeing now is the growing sentiment among Evangelicals and MAGA Republicans that Jesus was far too liberal. As this article from Newsweek notes, “An evangelical leader is warning that conservative Christians are now rejecting the teachings of Jesus as "liberal talking points."
And this piece from the Insider expands on this point reporting that multiple pastors have related that “after their preachings on the Sermon on the Mount,” they were approached by numerous congregants who demanded to know where they got “those liberal talking points.”
6. Remembering Ron Numbers
Dr. Ronald Numbers, a professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, the author of The Creationists, perhaps the best book ever published on the creationist movement, and a long-time friend of The Clergy Letter Project, passed away on 23 July 2023 at the age of 81. You can read more about him and his important work in this obituary published by the National Center for Science Education.
7. Neurotheology: Making Sense of the Brain and Religious Experiences
Our friends at Biologos have just posted an interesting essay by Dr. Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist who is the Research Director at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia. His piece is entitled “Neurotheology: Making Sense of the Brain and Religious Experiences.”
8. More on Neurotheology with Andrew Newberg
In case the essay in the previous item interested you, please be sure to note that Dr. Andrew Newberg will be the keynote speaker at a “Faith and Science Symposium” sponsored by the Virginia United Methodist Foundation. The symposium will be held on 23 September 2023 from 9 am to 3 pm (eastern) and you can sign up to participate via Zoom here.
9. The Bible and Science – Clickbait
Yes, I can recognize clickbait when I see it – and this link is a good example of it. But I’m sharing it with you nonetheless because it provides a perspective on what members of the general public might be seeing about the intersection of religion and science. Enjoy!
10. Fires in Canada – The Data
As you’ve no doubt seen, this fire season has included epic fires in Canada. While some are saying that fires are normal and this year is no different than others, the data indicate otherwise. Take a look at this graph showing the number of hectares burned in Canada so far this year (through mid-July) relative to the past seven years. The pattern is so dramatically different that it seems undeniable that we must take corrective action. If you’ve not yet signed our Climate Crisis Letter, please do so now by replying to this e-mail and telling me how you’d like your signature block to appear.
11. Disagreeing Better
One of the main goals of The Clergy Letter Project is attempting to find ways for people to discuss complex and seemingly controversial idea in a constructive manner – or, more simply, to figure out how to disagree better. With this goal in mind, I want to share a short video featuring Governor Jared Polis (D-Colorado) and Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah) on this exact point. The video is only 1.5 minutes long and is worth your time.
12. Science and Torah – Some Common Ground
The title of this blog post ("Science and Torah – Some Common Ground") on the Sinai and Synapses site says it all. I hope you find the message interesting.
13. Theo-photography by Tom Oord
Tom Oord is the director of a doctoral program at Northwind Theological Seminary and the head of the Center for Open and Relational Theology. As he notes on his blog, “Once or twice a year, I set aside words and do theology with images.” Regardless of what you might think of this entry into theology, I suspect you’ll find his images fully engaging.
14. Introducing Your Church to the Religion and Faith Dialogue
The Science for the Church blog just posted an essay by Ed Rosado that I suspect you’ll find interesting. It’s entitled “Introducing Your Church to the Religion and Faith Dialogue,” and its title explains what the piece is about.
15. Antarctic Sea Ice is Shrinking Dramatically
The data showing that increased temperatures are causing a dramatic reduction in Antarctic sea ice are frightening. Take a look at this graph and think about what it portends for the Antarctic ice sheet and sea level rise.
16. The Summer Issue of Covalence
I’m delighted to point you to the July/August issue of Covalence magazine, a publication of the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology. This issue focuses on The Parliament of the World’s Religions as well as some fascinating insights arising from the world of physics.
17. Wild Mysticism
The Rev. Rex Hunt, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, has written a thoughtful, challenging, and provocative essay entitled “A Wild Mysticism? Courtship of the Paricular…” Take a look at it, savor it – you won’t be disappointed!
Concluding Thoughts
Our thoughts are with all who are suffering because of the Maui fires. If you’re wondering what can be done, let me mention two things. First, President Obama has urged people to donate to help provide “urgent relief and essential services to the people affected by this natural disaster.” He lists several organizations that do good work and have earned your attention. Second, many are hoping that the magnitude of this disaster will wake enough people up to the dangers associated with climate change. Unfortunately, without prodding and continued attention, I fear that this will simply be another environmental disaster that is soon forgotten. So, I urge you to speak up, let others know of your concerns, and, together, perhaps we can encourage politicians and business leaders to take serious action.
Finally, as I do every month, I urge you to take one simple action. Please share this month’s Newsletter with a colleague or two (or post a link via any social media platform you use) and ask them to add their voices to those promoting a deep and meaningful understanding between religion and science. They can add their signatures to one of our Clergy Letters simply by dropping me a note at mz@theclergyletterproject.org. Spread the word; change the world. Together we are making a difference.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org