The recent rise of evangelical Christianity in Brazil and the growing presence of Christians at Brazilian universities has aroused the need for a more substantial engagement of Brazilian Christians with the Big Questions of existence, the findings of contemporary science, and academic life in general. One major step has been taken with the creation in 2016 of the Brazilian Association of Christians in Science (ABC²) which has generated a network of Christian academics in nearly all academic disciplines and brought them together in different venues to reflect on the implications of modern science for their religious beliefs.
However, the progress of this initiative is constantly challenged by the continental dimensions of Brazil, the size of its population, and by traditional (anti-scientific) views deeply rooted in the Christian communities. Additionally, many people are simply unaware of the existence of this Association given its recent creation. There is, therefore, a great need to use effective means to publicize and problematize the theme Faith & Science, intensifying the efforts made so far to disseminate this matter.
This project proposes to explore the agility and facilities provided by new social media and current internet technologies, such as videocasts, podcasts, blogs, and YouTube programs, to spread the concept of dialogue between faith and science in order to facilitate interaction between the religious and scientific fields.
In addition to the formative and informative aspects provided by the content conveyed by such means, it will also be possible to exercise an educational role with respect to the appropriate attitudes and ways to conduct a discussion on such burning and controversial subjects by doing so in respectful terms and with a high spirit of civility.
The success of this project would certainly trigger a dynamics with the potential to promote deep and lasting impacts on the vision of the religion-science relationship in Brazil.
