Scientific sermons: George Murphy wants pastors to better understand science.
> (Photo: Nick RayMorguefile)

What does Darwin have to do with preaching? That’s a question the Rev. George Murphy has sought to answer over many decades. His advice to religious people is that they should not fear science. “Science tells us some things – but not everything -- about the way the world is,” he says. That gap, he argues, can be filled by religious belief.

Murphy himself has one hand in each world. He is a pastoral associate at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio, and an adjunct faculty member at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He also has a doctorate in theoretical physics from Johns Hopkins University.

Murphy has published in both science and theology. His books include The Cosmos in the Light of the Cross, Toward a Christian View of a Scientific World, and Cosmic Witness.

In an interview with Science & Theology News Web editor Matt Donnelly, Murphy spoke about why he thinks it is important for religious readers to become scientifically literate.

Why are there times when scientists belong behind the pulpit?

Today the questions that people have about life and the problems they have to make decisions about often have scientific and/or technological components. All other things being equal, preachers who have some scientific knowledge are often best equipped to proclaim the Gospel in ways that are helpful in dealing with those issues. 

Why is it important for religious leaders to be conversant with modern scientific understandings of the universe?

Science tells us some things – but not everything -- about the way the world is.  Religious leaders are, among other things, supposed to help people believe, live, and think in the real world, not in some archaic cosmological model. They can best do that if they take seriously what science tells us about the world.  

Does adopting a science-based approach to questions such as evolution tend to repel or attract parishoners?

That depends on the parishoner. Some will be repelled if a pastor speaks positively about evolution, but others will be relieved that they don't have to check their brains at the church door. Of course, accepting evolution shouldn't be a condition for church membership, and pastors should approach such issues with some sensitivity to people's thoughts and feelings about them.  But they should encourage people to greater theological maturity as well. 

Can churches be both theologically conservative on matters of faith and morals and open to the findings of modern science?

I think so.  Some traditional expressions of Christian faith use language about the world that reflects an obsolete picture of the natural world, so explanation or translation is needed.  But the substance of the faith can be -- and I would say should be -- retained.  In addition, opposition to some applications of science shouldn't be equated with opposition to science itself:  Objection to the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells provides an example.

How can scientists and clergy trained in science help to clear away misconceptions that some churchgoers might have about science?

The best single thing that can be done is to have good parish education programs in which these matters are dealt with. I would add that some scientists need to be relieved of misconceptions about different religious traditions. 

Why is it important for science and religion to communicate?

A religion that has a positive view of the natural world, as the biblical religions do, should be interested in what science has to tell us about that world.  Those religions themselves can't answer the kinds of questions that science properly deals with.  On the other hand, there are a limited number of questions and ethical issues that can't be answered within the bounds of science itself.