A recent AAAS conference brought together about 200 scientists, clergy, environmentalists, public health specialists, journalists, and people of faith for a wide-ranging discussion on how to improve the conversation between the religious and scientific communities. Evangelical Christians are not as antagonistic to science as they are often portrayed, according to survey results presented at a […]
Paul Arveson leading discussion at the Catholic workshop It should come as no surprise that the interests and concerns of Mainline Protestants and Catholics in regard to science are as diverse as the groups themselves. Consistent with DoSER’s findings in a series of workshops that brought scientists together with Evangelical Christian and Jewish leaders, meetings with these groups demonstrated […]
“Jews were not the first scientists; that distinction goes to Greece and the Pre-Christian century. But according to the great German sociologist Max Weber, it was Judaism that first led to what he calls Western rationality, which made science possible, and the reason it did so was because Bereshit Chapter One is the first act […]
In February, more than 7 million people tuned in to watch a debate between Bill Nye “the science guy” and Creation Museum founder Ken Ham. In September, more than 300,000 people—including representatives of evangelical faith groups—marched through the streets of New York City to bring attention to the dangers of climate change. In October, […]
If news headlines are any indication, relations between scientists and religious people are chilly at best and have little hope of warming. What can be done? Investigating perceptions to build understanding between scientific and evangelical Christian communities is a primary goal of DoSER’s Perceptions Project. As follow-up to a major nationwide survey on attitudes and […]
Climate and renewable energy were front and center at DoSER’s second Science Perceptions Workshop, held in Golden, Colorado, August 15. The workshop drew a wide variety of local scientists, along with evangelical leaders from area churches, para-church organizations, denominations, and seminaries. Together the group considered scientific topics of concern in the Colorado region. In a […]
With foundational work from two focus groups and a nationwide survey of nearly 10,000 people to inform it, DoSER’s Perceptions Project took to the road in May, hosting the first of three regional workshops. Participants in the Pasadena, California, meeting of scientists and evangelical leaders reported benefiting from this unique opportunity for dialogue regarding their […]