Expanding the Ministry of Ideas: Creating Compelling Audio about the History and Future of the Science-Faith Divide

When Richard Dawkins published The Selfish Gene, he received letters from readers telling him that the book, with its detailed account of evolutionary science, had created spiritual crises in their lives. Why should discoveries about genes and DNA cause people to rethink their relationship to God? One reason may be that we are still under the influence of the conflict thesis—the idea that science and religion are inherently at odds and listening to one means rejecting the other. The conflict thesis is still at play today. We see it in American creationism, discounting evolutionary biology, and in contemporary “scientism,” refusing to see the explorations beyond the scientific known world. This supposed divide between religion and science limits our collective discourse, fuels a dangerous culture war, and diminishes our ability to engage honestly and rigorously with life’s biggest questions. For the past three years, we have produced Ministry of Ideas, a podcast about religion, philosophy, history and culture based at Harvard Divinity School. Now, we propose to extend our work by producing two limited series and an accompanying series of public events that explore the science-faith divide. This project aims to investigate and narrate some of the deepest questions of human existence: a) What is the role of religion and spirituality in human experience? 2) What are the fundamental structures of law and nature? In answering these questions, we will produce a two-part audio series that combines rigorous research, compelling narratives, and world-class sound design. To accompany the series, we will organize a series of live events to bring together the scholars and producers of the series with the public. And to ensure the broadest impact possible, we will enact a robust outreach and marketing campaign to extend its message of exploration, curiosity, and literacy in religious and scientific ideas.