Engaging Science in Seminaries

Two significant features of contemporary life are the emergence of science as an increasingly pervasive and challenging presence and the ongoing reality of religious adherence and variety. Both have profound implications for the other, but conversations about the intersections between them have often degenerated into misunderstanding and conflict. How to address this problem? The John Templeton Foundation has been a major resource to bring together experts in science and religion in fruitful dialogue for the betterment of society. This proposal seeks to enhance that dialogue by establishing a baseline understanding of teaching about science and its implications for Protestant schools in the U.S. and Canada. The Association’s 214 Protestant schools have varying levels of understanding of and interaction with science and bring to the conversation a wide range of theological positions. Little is known, however, about the particular approaches the schools take to integrate science and theology in their curricula. Graduates of the Association’s schools serve in a wide variety of venues, both religious and secular. They are therefore particularly well positioned to address issues of science and religion with a wide spectrum of groups within North American society. If they are well trained about the implications of science for theology and vice versa, they can have extraordinary influence on large numbers of persons who can then be much better equipped to join the public discourse and contribute to wise decision making and public policy. This study will document what is being done in theological schools, revealing strengths to be accentuated and weaknesses to be addressed by future programming. Findings will be disseminated among ATS schools in written form (e.g., through the Association’s monthly online publication, “Colloquy”) and at Leadership Education events (e.g., the Presidential Leadership Intensive or the Chief Academic Officers Society meeting).