Web Resources:
American Scientific Affiliation and Canadian Scientific & Christian Affiliation: religion and science resources for all ages on topics across scientific disciplines.
BioLogos Foundation: BioLogos is a community of evangelical Christians committed to exploring and celebrating the compatibility of evolutionary creation and biblical faith, guided by the truth that “all things hold together in Christ.” Videos, sermons, blog posts, and scholarly articles are grouped by topic from people including John Ortberg, Tim Keller, Tom (NT) Wright, and John Walton. BioLogos was founded by Francis Collins, author of The Language of God, Director of the (U.S.) National Institutes for Health.
Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences: More academically oriented, this site contains a valuable collection of resources for congregations. Robert Russell, Founder and Director of CTNS, contends we cannot “allow science and religion to be seen as adversaries, for they will be locked in a conflict of mutual conquest, such as ‘creation science’ which costs religion its credibility or ‘scientific materialism’ which costs science its innocence…it is time to begin a new and creative interaction between theology and science.”
Christians in Science: UK based network for professional scientists and those interested in the interaction between science and Christianity. Great archive of articles, talks and links on topics from creation to etics, from suffering to Higgs Boson. Many resources specifically geared to post-secondary students.
Faraday Institute for Science and Religion: Based in Cambridge University, is a great resource for:
- Multimedia (audio/video) from courses, lectures and seminars
- 3-4 page Papers on key subjects including an overview of science and religion, models for relating science and faith, evolution, the age of the earth, and much more.
- Short courses on a range of science and religion topics with world class lecturers
International Society for Science and Religion Library Project: One of the most extensive annotated bibliographies on religion and science available online. Titles are organized by topic and tradition with helpful introductory essays to each volume listed.
Test of Faith: Introductory Resources: A treasure trove of introductory resources. Along with the introductory video series Test of Faith, you will find a wide range of supplemental resources including video interviews with leading scientists and theologians on a variety of topics and congregational resources (supported by the Faraday Institute)
Books
Alexander, Denis. Creation or Evolution: Do We Have To Choose? (Grand Rapids: Monarch. 2014 (2nd edition)). Biochemist and Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, Cambridge, Alexander begins with the premise that “All Christians are, by definition, creationists.” He then carefully unpacks what we mean by creation, what we mean by evolution, considers various Scriptural passages, and concludes that an understanding of evolution as intelligent and designed by God can provide a framework for Christians to understand evolution in a biblically consistent way.
Barbour, Ian. When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners? San Francisco: Harper Collins. 2000. A nuclear physicist and theologian, Barbour proposes four ways theologians, scientists, and philosophers have tried to bring science and religion together: (1) conflict, represented by Biblical literalists and atheists, both of whom agree that a person cannot believe in both God and evolution, (2) independence, which asserts that “science and religion are strangers who can coexist as long as they keep a safe distance from each other,” (3) dialogue, which invites a conversation between the two fields, and (4) integration, which actively explores ways in which the two fields can inform each other.
Barton, Stephen and Wilkinson, David (editors) Reading Genesis after Darwin (Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2009). Barton, a biblical scholar, and Wilkinson, an astrophysicist and theologian, highlight that both Jewish and Christian scholars read Genesis in a non-literal way long before Darwin; his Origin of the Species, did not challenge an historic Christian commitment to a young earth. They highlight that from the publication of Darwin’s work, many Christians were supportive of his theories. They also argue for the continuing relevance of Genesis today regarding questions of gender, cosmology, and the environment.
Berry, R.J. (Editor). The Lion Handbook of Science and Christianity. Oxford: Lion. 2012.
Collins, F. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. New York: Simon and Shuster. 2006.
Creation and Last Things: At the Intersection of Theology and Science
Gregory S. CootsonaAn introductory text designed for small groups in churches, Cootsona’s short book provides a survey of major themes in science and the theological implications they have for Christian life. The book covers developments in cosmology, the theory of biological evolution, and scientific perspectives on the end of the universe. Perfect for churches who want to work through an introductory text written by a pastor with church education in mind.
Dennett, D. and Plantinga, A. Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2010.
Dixon, T. Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2008.
Falk, D. Coming to Peace With Science. Downers Grove: InterVarsity. 2004.
Giberson, K.W. and Collins, F. The Language of Science and Faith. Downers Grove: IVP. 2007. An introductory overview of the major concerns for churches in approaching science. Giberson and Collins give accessible responses and strong suggestions for further inquiry. Great for churches beginning the dialogue, especially if a concern is evolution.
Harrison, P. The Territories of Science and Religion. Chicago: Chicago University Press. 2015
Harrison, Peter. The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2010. In recent years, the relations between science and religion have been the object of renewed attention. Developments in physics, biology and the neurosciences have reinvigorated discussions about the nature of life and ultimate reality. At the same time, the growth of anti-evolutionary and intelligent design movements has led many to the view that science and religion are necessarily in conflict. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the relations between science and religion, with contributions from historians, philosophers, scientists and theologians. It explores the impact of religion on the origins and development of science, religious reactions to Darwinism, and the link between science and secularization. It also offers in-depth discussions of contemporary issues, with perspectives from cosmology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and bioethics. The volume is rounded out with philosophical reflections on the connections between atheism and science, the nature of scientific and religious knowledge, and divine action and human freedom.
Hoezee, S.E. Proclaim the Wonder: Engaging Science on Sunday. Grand Rapids: Baker. 2003.
Haught, John. Christianity and Science: Toward a Theology of Nature (Theology in a Global Perspective) John F. Haught is Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Georgetown University. His area of specialization is systematic theology with particular interest in issues pertaining to science, evolution and religion. There is nothing in Christian faith that should make one afraid of science’s widening and deepening knowledge. No matter how enormous the picture of the natural world turns out to be, it can never surpass the infinity we have always attributed to God. In this work, John Haught, a leading Catholic theological voice in the study of science and religion, offers his most systematic theological reflections on the relation between Christian revelation and the unfolding story of the universe. In the face of recent discoveries some maintain their faith by clinging to a pre-scientific world view; others conclude that perhaps “”the universe has outgrown the biblical God who is said to be its creator.” For Haught, however, exploration of the “three infinities”–the immense, the infinitesimal, and the complex–serves as invitation to an unprecedented appreciation for the grandeur of God, creation, Christ, and redemption.
Hutchingson, J.F. Religion and the Natural Sciences: The Range of Engagement. Toronto: Harcourt Brace. 1993.
Lennox, John. God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? the origin of life; the genetic code and its origin; the nature and scope of evolution; and the scope and limits of science. Lennox’s other books are also excellent: Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science (Christians can be faithful to Genesis by understanding it teaches us far more about God than it does about how He created the Earth or the age of the Earth), and Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target and God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?
When Science and Christianity Meet (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003). Lindberg andNumbers explore twelve of the watershed twelve of the most notorious, most interesting, and most instructive episodes involving the interaction between science and Christianity, aiming to tell each story in its historical specificity and local particularity. Among the events treated in When Science and Christianity Meet are the Galileo affair, the seventeenth-century clockwork universe, Noah’s ark and flood in the development of natural history, struggles over Darwinian evolution, debates about the origin of the human species, and the Scopes trial. Readers will be introduced to St. Augustine, Roger Bacon, Pope Urban VIII, Isaac Newton, Pierre-Simon de Laplace, Carl Linnaeus, Charles Darwin, T. H. Huxley, Sigmund Freud, and many other participants in the historical drama of science and Christianity.
McGrath, Alister. The Order of Things: Explorations in Scientific Theology. London: T&T Clark. 2006.
McGrath, Alister. The Science Of God: An Introduction To Scientific Theology. London: T&T Clark. 2004.
McLeish, Tom. Faith and Wisdom in Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2014.
Moltmann, Jurgen. Science and Wisdom. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2003.
Numbers, Ronald. Galileo Goes to Jail and other Myths about Science and Religion. Cambridge, USA: Harvard University Press. 2009.
Cosmos as Creation: Theology and Science in Consonance
Ed. Ted PetersAn early collection of essays from the original leaders in the science and theology research program, this text provides very accessible essays that show how different scholars approach looking at the cosmos as both an object of scientific study and God’s creation. Each topic is different, but they work together to show the harmony of science and theology studying God and God’s creation together. Perfect for churches looking to study science and theology mutually-informing each other.
Peters, Ted. and Bennett, G. Bridging Science and Religion. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2003.
Plantinga, Alvin. Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism. (Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2011). Coming from a philosophical perspective, Plantinga (Professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame University) argues that the perceived conflict between science and faith is superficial; they are in fact “in deep concord.” In contrast he proposes that “naturalism” – the idea that there is no God, no hope after death, and human beings are just another animal – as proposed by writers such as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris, is, in fact, in deep conflict with modern science.
Belief in God in an Age of Science
John PolkinghorneAn intermediate overview of the science and faith intersection, with discussion of cosmology, physics and other topics which relate to theological questions. The book primarily describes Polkinghorne’s strategy for developing harmony between science and faith, and the kinds of research questions that need exploration. Great for churches who want to be introduced to how an advanced thinker approaches this topic.
Polkinghorne, John. Exploring Reality: The Intertwining of Science and Religion. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 2005.
Polkinghorne, John. One World: The Interaction of Science and Theology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 1986.
Polkinghorne, John. Quarks, Chaos, and Christianity. New York: Crossroad. 1994.
Polkinghorne, John. Science and Providence: God’s Interaction with the World. Boston: New Science Library. 1989.
Steane, A. Faithful to Science: The Role of Science in Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2014.
Ward, K. The Big Questions in Science and Religion. West Conshohocken, PA: Templeton. 2008. The Big Questions in Science and Religion
Keith WardKeith Ward provides a major discussion of many of the leading science and faith questions. He presents each topic in the form of both a scientific question and a theological question. His discussion of each question attempts to give a historical overview of the topic, a description of the various positions, and the arguments in favor of them. The discussion is an intermediate-level analysis. Great for churches that are comfortable with academic discussion of topics and are ready for a mid-level introduction to the science and religion conversation.
The Spirit in Creation and New Creation: Science and Theology in Western and Orthodox Realms
Michael WelkerEasily the most diverse collection of essays on science and theology, this advanced-level set of readings explores many scientific topics from several different Christian faith traditions, including Russian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Pentecostal. The authors are from around the world, and provide rich discussions on physics, biology, psychology, sociology, theology, and mathematics. Perfect for churches looking for advanced discussion from the whole spectrum of Christian denominations and traditions.
Wilson, Jonathan. God’s Good World: Reclaiming the Doctrine of Creation. Grand Rapids: Baker. 2013. (Note Wilson is a professor at Carey Theological College, Vancouver)