January 2023 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following eighteen items:
- Religion and Science Weekend 2023 Is Upon Us;
- Astrobiology News for January 2023: On Mystery, Awe, Wonder, & JWST;
- An Essay for Religion and Science Weekend;
- Ecotheology and the Climate Crisis;
- Grants to Help Pastors Preach Better;
- Awe and Wonder;
- Anti-Science and Anti-Semitism;
- Top 14 Discoveries in Human Evolution;
- We’re Living in the End Times;
- Intelligent Design and Dis-Education;
- Scientists in Synagogues: Apply Now;
- The Importance of Teaching Human Evolution;
- Evolution and Creationism in Canada;
- The Failures of Mathematical Anti-Evolutionism;
- A Trove of Articles from Covalence Magazine;
- The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe;
- Religion and Science Volunteer Opportunity Available; and
- Know Your Opposition.
1. Religion and Science Weekend 2023 Is Upon Us
Religion and Science Weekend 2023 (10-12 February 2023) is just around the corner! I KNOW that a fair number of you who are planning to participate have not yet been added to our growing list of participants. The problem is, I don’t know who you are, just that you exist! How do I know this? I know it because it happens every year; congregations participate (which is fabulous) but they don’t tell me about doing so and they’re left off our list. Please don’t let that be you this year. Check our list of participants and if you’re not yet on it, let me know and I’ll immediately get you added. As you know, our message about the compatibility of religion and science grows as a function of the number of congregations who are seen as participating.
A couple of quick reminders. First, here’s the theme selected by membership this year:
Mystery, Awe and Wonder in Religion and Science
Second, participation can take any form you deem appropriate – large or small. A sermon or a note in a weekly bulletin, a guest speaker or a lunch discussion, an adult education class or a fun project for kids. As long as you promote the compatibility of religion and science in a productive manner, in keeping with our specific theme or not, you should be added to our list.
Third, although 10-12 February 2023 are the official dates for Religion and Science Weekend this year, we recognize that conflicts arise. You may participate and be included on our list regardless of when you participate. Just let me know.
Fourth, as I mentioned last month Reverend Bruce Booher, a retired ELCA pastor, a member of The Clergy Letter Project and the person who nominated this year’s theme, has created a web page with a host of resources designed to help you prepare for Religion and Science Weekend 2023. As he notes on the page, the work is ongoing, and he plans to add resources each week until Religion and Science Weekend arrives. Please take a look at his efforts now and return regularly to see what he adds.
Fifth, this month’s newsletter is well populated with items that I believe you’ll find helpful as you prepare for Religion and Science Weekend. I hope you agree.
Thanks to those of you who have already signed up, to those of you who will sign up now, to those of you who are thinking about signing up, and to those of you, for whatever reason, won’t be signing up but who continue to support our efforts. Together we are making a difference.
_______ I plan to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2023 (10-12 February 2023). Please add my congregation (or other group) to the list of participants.
Congregation or similar group:Location:
Your Name:
2. Astrobiology News for January 2023: On Mystery, Awe, Wonder, & JWST
Grace is back!!! And she needs no introduction. In addition to fascinating information about a new Earth-like exo-planet, Grace offers ideas for Religion and Science Weekend.
Dear Friends - I’m finally back after a far more protracted absence than I anticipated when I wrote my last CLP column in May 2022. Last year was particularly difficult for my family and me in many ways, and during July, I underwent two very long spinal surgeries to mitigate the effects of worsening scoliosis. Recuperation has been excruciatingly painful, and I’m afraid that beginning 2023 with a nasty bout of Covid hasn’t done wonders for my ongoing recovery. Many thanks to Michael for keeping Astrobiology News alive in my absence, and for remembering me each month!
This month, I want to lift up the theme of this year’s Religion and Science weekend. NASA’s JWST(1) has been providing many awe-inspiring images,(2) and its ‘Other Worlds’ theme includes a focus on astrobiology. Just this month, researchers at Johns Hopkins University announced JWST’s first confirmed detection of an exoplanet that happens to be about the same size as Earth.(3) This detection is a great example of how new instruments enable us to build on previous results.
While data obtained by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite hinted at the existence of an exoplanet now known as LHS 475 b, JWST easily confirmed its existence, and discovered some interesting things about its atmosphere, too. JWST is, in fact, the only currently operating telescope capable of characterizing the atmospheres of Earth-sized exoplanets. Although the research team can’t draw definite conclusions about the composition of LHS 475 b’s atmosphere, they can rule out some types of atmospheres.
Using JWST’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph and a technique called transmission spectroscopy, the team measured the size of LHS 475 b at different wavelengths as it passed in front of its star. Different molecules absorb light at different wavelengths, so specific molecules can be identified by the amount of starlight absorbed by the exoplanet at these wavelengths. The data indicate that LHS 475 b cannot have a thick methane-dominated atmosphere similar to Saturn’s moon Titan; however, the current data can’t distinguish between no atmosphere and, for example, a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere like Venus.
The JWST results for LHS 475 b were announced at the American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in Seattle on January 11th. Unfortunately, we don’t have actual images of the exoplanet – JWST can do many amazing things, but providing resolved images of Earth-sized exoplanets is beyond the scope of this instrument and current technology. Still, this discovery is another important step in the search for habitable worlds and life beyond Earth.
Finally, I want to add my voice to Michael’s and Susan Barreto’s(4) by highly recommending that you check out the resources provided on Rev. Bruce Booher’s Mystery and Awe page(5) for your Religion and Science Weekend event. Another excellent resource is the short film, Awe and Wonder: Scientists Reflect on Their Vocations,(6) produced by the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion. If you want a participatory experience for your event, check out the awesome people-powered research options on Zooniverse.(7) At the time of this writing, there are 100 active projects from which to choose, so if you need some help making a choice, feel free to email me with your particular science interests and I might be able to help you narrow the field.
Glad to be back!
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (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. I have chosen to use the acronym rather than the full name of the mission to stand in solidarity with the reasons expressed in this post by the President of the American Astronomical Society: https://aas.org/posts/news/2022/12/response-nasas-james-webb-history-report
2. https://webbtelescope.org/resource-gallery/images
3. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-confirms-its-first-exoplanet
4. https://www.luthscitech.org/mystery-awe-and-wonder-the-theme-for-religion-and-science-weekend/
5. https://mysteryandawe.com/
6. https://sciencereligiondialogue.org/resources/awe-wonder-scientists-reflect-on-their-vocations-2/
7. https://www.zooniverse.org/projects
3. An Essay for Religion and Science Weekend
I’ve just published a short essay announcing Religion and Science Weekend that I trust you’ll find interesting. Please share it widely and help expand our reach.
4. Ecotheology and the Climate Crisis
Philip Clayton, the Ingraham Chair at Claremont School of Theology, recently presented a talk entitled “Ecotheology, or Why Climate Crisis and Eco-Anxiety Require a Radically Different Kind of Theology.” Our good friends at WesleyNexus described his talk as follows:
If anything has been scientifically established, it’s anthropogenic climate change. As we learned this last summer, climate disruption means floods, droughts, and fires - levels of social and economic disruption we could hardly have imagined a few decades ago.
The result is eco-anxiety and a pervasive sense of hopelessness, especially in younger people. What resources are available in the Christian tradition for addressing these challenges? Perhaps there is no other contemporary topic where theology and the natural (and social) sciences come together in more profound and important ways - and certainly none on which the fate of the world’s ecosystems more urgently depend.
You can watch his presentation on Youtube here.
_______ This item convinces me that I want to add my signature to the Climate Crisis Letter.
Name and Title:
Congregation/Denomination/Religion (optional):
City, State, Country
5. Grants to Help Pastors Preach Better
As reported by Religion Unplugged, the Lilly Endowment will be awarding approximately 60 grants of up to $1.25 million to organizations through their Compelling Preaching Initiative. A preliminary interest form must be filled out by 1 March 2023.
6. Awe and Wonder
In honor of this year’s theme for Religion and Science Weekend, I’m sharing the twitter and mastodon addresses for an organization called Wonder of Science. If you click either link, you’ll find some amazing photos and short videos of the natural world. This appropriate quotation from Albert Einstein heads their site: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." Enjoy!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wonderofscience
Mastodon: https://t.co/bTnl4q0pl4an article
7. Anti-Science and Anti-Semitism
Moment magazine published an interesting interview with Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and professor of pediatrics and molecular virology & microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston as well as the primary developer of a low-cost, patent-free Covid-19 vaccine that is being distributed widely in the developing world. Hotez is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Jewish service organization B’nai B’rith International.
Among other issues, the interview explores “the antisemitism that’s now a virulent strain of anti-science ideology.”
8. Top 14 Discoveries in Human Evolution
Briana Probiner, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian and a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, is the coauthor of an article published by PLOS SciComm entitled “Top 14 Discoveries in Human Evolution, 2022 Edition.” I suspect you’ll find some fascinating material in it.
9. We’re Living in the End Times
A recent Pew study found that 47 percent of US Christians believe that we are” living in the end times” while 39 percent of the adult US population, regardless of religious belief, feels similarly. This might play a significant role in explaining why it is so difficult to get politicians and religious leaders to take environmental issues seriously. In addition to reading the Pew report, you might find the way Newsmax presented the story to be interesting.
10. Intelligent Design and Dis-Education
Paul Braterman, retired professor of chemistry and a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, has written another informative piece published on The Panda’s Thumb web page. In this piece, he deftly explains how molecular genetics is used to construct phylogenetic trees and then discusses how “intelligent” design creationists have purposefully misused the data in their attempt to fool students into believing that evolution hasn’t occurred. The short piece is well worth reading.
11. Scientists in Synagogues: Apply Now
Sinai and Synapses has just announced that it has opened applications for its exciting program: Scientists in Synagogues. This highly successful program, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, is recruiting its fourth round of congregations. They describe the program clearly and succinctly as follows: “Scientists in Synagogues provides communities a $5000 grant, along with mentorship, guidance and connections, in order to run grass-roots programs that offer Jews opportunities to explore the most interesting and pressing questions surrounding Judaism and science. Its aim is to share how some of the most thoughtful Jewish scientists integrate their Judaism and their scientific work so that they can be role models and ambassadors for productive conversations surrounding Judaism and science.” Applications will be accepted until 24 March 2023.
I’m proud to say that I’ve long been associated with the Scientists in Synagogues program as a resource person and I’ve been impressed by many of the events participating congregations have put on. I hasten to add that many of the participating congregations have been led by rabbis who are members of The Clergy Letter Project. I encourage you to read more about the program here and to think about applying.
12. The Importance of Teaching Human Evolution
Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education and a good friend of The Clergy Letter Project, recently published an article entitled “The Importance of Teaching Human Evolution” in American Scientist. The piece discusses the Nobel Prize-winning research by Svante Pääbo in which he sequenced the Neanderthal genome and explains why presenting such information to students is both critical and exciting.
13. Evolution and Creationism in Canada
The National Center for Science Education reported on a recent poll conducted in Canada which showed relatively low levels of support for creationism. Only 18 percent of the respondents indicated their belief that "Humans were created by God within the last 10,000 years." Interestingly, creationism was most common among non-college educated individuals and those who had conservative political leanings.
14. The Failures of Mathematical Anti-Evolutionism
The latest issue of Reports of the National Center for Science Education, the quarterly publication of the National Center for Science Education, has been posted on-line and it is filled with fascinating material, but I want to highlight two books reviewed in this issue. The first is The Failures of Mathematical Anti-Evolutionism by Jason Rosenhouse. Despite the book’s cumbersome title, it is an important work that, as reviewer David H. Bailey notes, “respectfully but firmly explains why various anti-evolution arguments based on probability and information theory are without merit.” Rosenhouse’s argument is presented in a manner that should make it readily accessible to those even without a strong mathematical background.
The second book is The Nature of the Religious Right: The Struggle Between Conservative Evangelicals and the Environmental Movement by Neall W. Pogue. Reviewer Glenn Branch notes that “Of particular interest is Pogue’s focus on the content of textbooks aimed at students in conservative evangelical classrooms,” books which “shifted from reflecting a modicum of concern for the environment to disseminating doubt or even denial about the relevant science.” Interesting reading here!
15. A Trove of Articles from Covalence Magazine
As usual, the latest issue of Covalence Magazine is filled with interesting pieces including an announcement of Religion and Science Weekend, a story on how religious leaders vowed to work toward climate justice at COP 27, a summary of “The top faith/science themes going into 2023,” and a reprinting of a 2019 essay by Reverend Bruce Boomer (the creator of the Mystery, Awe and Wonder resource page for Religion and Science Weekend) entitled “Can Science Alone Explain Our World?” Do take a look; you won’t be disappointed.
16. The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe
While not written in honor of this year’s theme for Religion and Science Weekend, Dachner Keltner has an essay in The Atlantic that meshes perfectly. The piece is entitled “The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe” and it opens by saying, “That word, awe—the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world—is often associated with the extraordinary.” Keltner goes on to say that “you don’t need remarkable circumstances to encounter awe….We need that everyday awe, even when it’s discovered in the humblest places…a brief dose of awe can reduce stress, decrease inflammation, and benefit the cardiovascular system.”
The essay is based on his book entitled Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and it may well provide some very useful material for a Religion and Science Weekend sermon.
17. Religion and Science Volunteer Opportunity Available
I hope you take a look at the note below that I received from Jen Thweatt, a good friend of The Clergy Letter Project, and respond directly to her. Her students would love to speak with you!
Volunteer Opportunity: Spend a half-hour zooming with curious undergraduates taking a "Science and Religion" course at Flagler College! Students have been asked to interview clergy about their views on the relationship of religion and science as part of the course during this coming spring semester. If you are interested in sharing your time with a student thinking through this topic, please contact the instructor, Jeanine Thweatt (jthweatt@flagler.edu) with your preferred email and contact information.
18. Know Your Opposition
It’s always important to know what those who disagree with you are saying and thinking. Although this short clip might not be representative of all creationists, it certainly is on the spectrum of what they believe – and what they believe seems to be doubts about both dinosaurs and outer space. Go figure.
Concluding Thoughts
As we approach Religion and Science Weekend, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the support you have shown over the years – not for me (although that it deeply appreciated), but for our shared goal of promoting the compatibility of religion and science while demonstrating that it is possible to have meaningful – and civil – conversations about complex issues. This is our 18th year of celebrating the concept of compatibility even as the actual weekend has evolved, originally from Evolution Sunday, to Evolution Weekend and now to Religion and Science Weekend. It’s worth noting that over this time span, we’ve reached well over one million people directly and many, many times that number via news reports. This is how opinions and attitudes are shaped and changed and it is how misleading and simply erroneous ideas are corrected. Thank you for your efforts, now and into the future.
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