BACK TO ALL ARTICLES

SENIOR CHURCH LEADERS’ CONFIDENCE TO ENGAGE WITH SCIENCE IS UNDERMINED BY CONFLICT NARRATIVE

 Helen Billam

ECLAS research published in Zygon this week sheds light on attitudes towards science among senior church leaders in the UK.

The paper “Building Enthusiasm and Overcoming Fear: Engaging with Christian Leaders in an Age of Science” offers a compelling look at how church leaders’ attitudes towards science are influenced by media representations of conflict between science and faith.

It is co-written by Dr Lydia Reid, formerly a researcher at ECLAS, and Revd Prof David Wilkinson, ECLAS Project Co-Director. Through a survey of over 1,000 church leaders of various denominations and interviews with 32 senior church leaders and church educators, they found that although this group has enthusiasm for and interest in science, this does not translate into confidence in talking about science in the public domain.

Data collection carried out in 2015-18 found that over 90% of church leaders were having conversations about science, on topics including climate change, evolution, and origins of the universe. Moreover, 85% of church leaders had researched, read, or watched a TV program on science in the last year, suggesting a strong interest. However, the prevailing characterisation that science and faith exist in conflict was a key reason that church leaders did not feel confident speaking about science publicly, despite their interest, with many turning down requests for media and research interviews.

Dr Lydia Reid said: “One of the key observations to emerge has been that despite the relationship between science and religion being framed as one of “conflict” in the media, this was not the prevalent view among the church leaders and educators I surveyed and interviewed. Indeed, many church leaders were enthusiastic and complimentary about science; viewing the relationship as one of “integration” or “dialogue.” Nevertheless, the conflict thesis had framed the way in which church leaders related to science—with expressions of fear and uncertainty being reported by church leaders, and in the clear omission of science topics in ordination training in a UK context.”

Revd Prof David Wilkinson said: “Overcoming fear can be replaced by an expectancy that God is at work at the boundary and by a humility that we do not know and do not need to know all of the answers. The skill of a theologian and indeed a scientist is to be able to discover the right questions.”

In the same issue of Zygon is a second paper, by ECLAS post-doctoral researcher Dr Zara Thokozani Kamwendo, on how the coronavirus pandemic has influenced Anglican bishops’ attitudes to science. The papers are accompanied by an editorial from Zygon editor Arthur C. Petersen.

The articles can be read at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14679744/2021/56/4

PREV BACK TO ALL ARTICLES NEXT
Article By Helen Billam

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

hidden text
What can we learn from the Church’s response to Covid-19?

ECLAS researcher Dr Thoko Kamwendo in conversation with Adeyinka Oshin, science communicator and RCCG pastor who completed a research work placement with ECLAS. They discuss their studies into attitudes towards science among Church of England...

by Helen Billam
hidden text
God and the Pandemic

Watch Revd Prof David Wilkinson in conversation with NT Wright on his new book, God and the Pandemic (SPCK Publishing). A rich exploration of the Church’s response to pandemics past and present, why lamention is...

by David Wilkinson
CHURCH ACTION Will COVID-19 transform the Church’s relationship with science?

ECLAS is committed to encouraging the whole Church to engage deeply with the implications of science in our time. Considering science within the wider framework of our theological understanding is a vital task.

LEARN MORE