The academic perspective
As a Christian I am interested in the way science and faith are perceived in the public sphere. Both are apart of who I am and I believe that there is no need to see the two as conflicting. I think that they are complimentary ways of addressing the same reality at different levels of explanation. The scientific process is concerned with understanding how the world around us works, but a full description also demands that we address questions of values and meaning, which are beyond the remit of science.
I am particularly interested in how evolutionary biology informs our understanding of pain and suffering in the world. |
The personal perspective
I am passionate about science. I consider myself fortunate to be able to have a job in research that I enjoy, but there is more to my life than science. From a professional point of view I think this is very healthy – I've seen and heard of so many early career scientists that dedicate themselves whole-heatedly to their science, only to be let down when things don't work out and science doesn't "give back". I don't mean this in a patronising way- it is something that I genuinely struggle with because when your job is also your hobby the distinction becomes blurred. The fact is that my job is not the most important thing in my life. It is so easy to forget this and my faith helps keep me in check.
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More information & resources
I am a member of Christians in Science, an international network of those concerned with the relationship between science and Christianity. They have a very useful resources page, with some subject specific resources for university students studying science. The Faraday Institute for Science & Religion is an active research centre and has produced a wide range of free resources including recorded talks, videos and papers by scientists and other experts. These materials are aimed at a diverse range of audiences, with a dedicated section for schools and children. Their Test of Faith project also contains lots of accessible resources, with professionally produced videos of scientists sharing their stories. The latest academic research on the relationship between science and Christianity is published in the journal Science & Christian Belief.
Christian students studying biology might be interested in a leaflet that I coauthored with Prof. R. J. Berry, which can be downloaded here:
| Being a Christian in Biology.pdf |
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