April 2026 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following 24 items:
- Mystical Naturalism or Religious Humanism?;
- Across the Cosmos for April 2026: Back to the Moon;
- Dark Matter, Faith and Science;
- Searching for Evidence that God Exists;
- Faith, Science and Ministry;
- The Attack on Temple Israel;
- Preaching with the Sciences;
- Ten Commandments Out of Arkansas Schools;
- What Pete Hegseth’s Spiritual Mentor Wants for America;
- The Ethics and Morality of AI;
- Ancient Ritual, Modern Science;
- Global Warming and the Dangers for the American West;
- Science Denial Bill Dies in Oklahoma;
- Mandatory Intelligent Design Bill Dies in Oklahoma;
- Student Secular Bill of Rights Dies in Oklahoma;
- Student Secular Bills of Rights Die in Kansas;
- Student Secular Bill of Rights Dies in Vermont;
- Student Secular Bill of Rights Still Alive in Kentucky;
- The Mind-Body Question;
- Seventh-day Adventists Clash Over Evolution;
- Colorado Charter School Drops Creationism;
- The Daily Damage to Truth;
- Telling It Like It Is; and
- Creationism in Australia.
1. Mystical Naturalism or Religious Humanism?
The Reverend Rex Hunt, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, has a wonderful essay in a recent issue of Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. The abstract explains that the piece “surveys twentieth- and twenty-first-century debates among liberal theologians and religious humanists over what it means to be 'at home' in the universe in explicitly naturalistic terms.” I trust you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. You can read the essay here.
2. Across the Cosmos for April 2026: Back to the Moon
In this month’s installment of Across the Cosmos, Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, discusses the Artemis mission to the moon and the changing demographics of those involved in this exciting work.
I imagine I’m not the only person on this e-list who remembers when the now-famous “Earthrise” photo was taken by astronaut Bill Anders from the Apollo 8 spacecraft on Christmas Eve in 1968.(1) The Apollo 8 crew read from the book of Genesis,(2) and the people of Earth experienced a rare sense of unity, during what had been a tumultuous and devastating year. The first human being walked on the Moon on July 20, 1969, and the entire Apollo program ended just a few years later in December 1972.
Fast forward more than a half-century, and on April 1, 2026 (no joke!), the Artemis II spacecraft launched with a U.S.- Canadian crew to orbit the Moon and to help pave the way for sustainable human lunar exploration and future missions to Mars. On Easter, Canadian Astronaut Jeremy Hansen delivered an inclusive message of love and unity from Artemis II(3) that included the words, "... no matter your faith or religion, for me the teachings of Jesus were always a very simple truth of love — universal love. Love yourself and love others." I hope the Artemis program will help inspire post-Apollo generations the way I was inspired as a young girl watching the Apollo astronauts, and that it will help all generations recognize Earth’s beauty and fragility!
I am proud to say that three of my Planetary Science Institute (PSI) colleagues, Jamie Molaro, Hanna Sizemore, and Catherine Weitz, are among the ten scientists selected by NASA to help shape the science plan for the Artemis Program.(4) Molaro brings expertise in understanding how weathering processes affect different environments. Sizemore brings theoretical, laboratory, and field work to understanding icy planetary surfaces. Weitz brings more than two decades of experience supporting operations and scientific analysis of data acquired from several NASA missions, and she has worked to help astronauts and crew surrogates prepare for surface operations on the Moon.
Many things have changed since the Apollo program, including the demographics of those involved in human missions and space science. Artemis, Apollo’s twin sister and goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology, was also known as the protector of young women. Notably, eight of the ten scientists selected to formulate the lunar science plan are women,(5) something that would have amazed and excited the young girl who watched every single Apollo mission. Furthermore, now people from all walks of life can also participate in research projects that advance lunar science, such as Lunar Melt(6) and Impact Flash!(7) And whether you want to participate or not, you can help advance planetary research, as well as extend the reach of education and outreach programs, by donating to your favorite PSI initiative!(8)
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (she/her/hers) (gwolfchase@gmail.com)
Senior Scientist & Senior Education & Communication Specialist, Planetary Science Institute (www.psi.edu/about/staffpage/gwchase)
Vice President, Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS: www.casiras.org)1. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/earthrise-by-nasa-astronaut-bill-anders/
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEmn0uaQCYc
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V4pBZfNem0
4. https://www.psi.edu/blog/three-psi-scientists-selected-to-support-nasas-artemis-science/
5. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/nasa-names-scientists-to-support-lunar-south-pole-science/
7. https://www.geodes.umd.edu/impactflash
8. https://www.psi.edu/donate/
3. Dark Matter, Faith and Science
The AP ran a story with the following provocative headline: In wrangling dark matter, some scientists find inspiration in the Torah, Krishna and Christ. You can read it here.
4. Searching for Evidence that God Exists
The Atlantic ran an interesting essay with the following subheading: Searching for scientific proof for faith misunderstands faith. You can read the full article here.
5. Faith, Science and Ministry
Discovery and Faith is hosting virtual lunch & learn sessions via Zoom every Wednesday, 12:00-12:45 PM. Easterm. Each session is formatted as a drop-in-when-you-can, focused conversation around one topic related to teaching/ministry at the intersection of faith and science. Participants are encouraged to bring their questions. Sessions are free, but registration is required. You can register here.
6. The Attack on Temple Israel
The growing amount of antisemitism here and abroad, coupled with increased anti-Muslim activities, is deeply troubling. What is also troubling is that attacks on US temples, like the one experienced by Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI, so quickly fall off our collective radar. It’s important that we remember all of these attacks and work to ensure that they don’t continue. Five members of the clerical staff at Temple Israel are members of The Clergy Letter Project. You can read an early story reporting on the attack here.
7. Preaching with the Sciences
Ed Foley, Capuchin, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, is the director of the Preaching with the Sciences initiative. The project now lists over 120 homilies that engage the sciences. Additionally, Ed has announced an initiative that any grad student or newly ordained priest or deacon/deaconness can submit an outline and receive $150 stipend. You can read more about this important work here.
8. Ten Commandments Out of Arkansas Schools
The Arkansas Times ran a story entitled "Federal judge says Arkansas can’t force Judeo-Christian dogma into public schools.” The ruling overturns a law forcing public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every K-12 and college classroom. You can read the full story here.
9. What Pete Hegseth’s Spiritual Mentor Wants for America
The Bulwark published a story entitled “What Pete Hegseth’s Spiritual Mentor Wants for America,” and the details are frightening. The impact on religion, science and civil society inherent in his vision should worry us all. You can read the article here.
10. The Ethics and Morality of AI
A Washington Post article discussing the Defense Department’s attack on Anthropic, a major AI, company, opens with this paragraph: “The fight between the Trump administration and the artificial intelligence company Anthropic over the ethical uses of the firm’s AI just officially got theological.” The subheading explains that “Fourteen Catholic moral theologians, ethicists and philosophers have filed briefs in federal court supporting Anthropic in its fight.” You can read the full story here.
11. Ancient Ritual, Modern Science
Our good friends at Science for the Church recently published a conversation between a philosopher and a psychologist on the confession. It’s a fascinating piece that will likely be of interest to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. You can read it here.
12. Global Warming and the Dangers for the American West
A recent article in The Guardian explores the dangers associated with the drought in the US west coupled with record-setting March heat. The article opens by noting, “Snow surveys taking place across the American west this week are offering a grim prognosis, after a historically warm winter and searing March temperatures left the critical snowpack at record-low levels across the region.” The article goes on to warn that “The fast-melting snow is expected to have profound impacts on drinking water supply, agriculture production, and outdoor recreation. It could also set the stage for bigger blazes.” You can read the full piece here.
13. Science Denial Bill Dies in Oklahoma
One bit of good news from Oklahoma is that a “Teachers’ Bill of Rights,” legislation designed to undermine the teaching of evolution, failed to be adopted. You can read more about the situation here.
14. Mandatory Intelligent Design Bill Dies in Oklahoma
A second bit of good news from Oklahoma is that a bill mandating the teaching of intelligent design in any public or charter school teaching evolution was rejected in the state senate. You can read more here.
15. Student Secular Bill of Rights Dies in Oklahoma
Not all the news from Oklahoma was positive this month, however. A "student secular bill of rights," protecting students in the state's public schools against "any religious instruction as part of a school curriculum, including creationism and intelligent design," was rejected in committee in the house. As you’ll see in the following two items, Oklahoma was one of three states to kill similar bills this month. You can read more here.
16. Student Secular Bills of Rights Die in Kansas
Bills similar to the Oklahoma bill were introduced in both the Kansas house and senate but both failed to make it out of committee. You can read more here.
17. Student Secular Bill of Rights Dies in Vermont
Vermont is the third state to have an iteration of the “student secular bill of rights” defeated this month. You can read more here.
18. Student Secular Bill of Rights Still Alive in Kentucky
The “student secular bill of rights” is still alive in Kentucky – although I doubt it will become law. For now, though we can hope – and, if you’re in Kentucky, lobby! You can read more here.
19. The Mind-Body Question
Dr. Kathleen Schuhart, a religious studies scholar and a good friend of The Clergy Letter Project, brought an article in The Atlantic written by Alan Lightman to my attention. The piece is entitled “The Mind-Body Connection” and Kathleen described it as a “great combination of science, religion and philosophy.” Lightman uses his recent colonoscopy in which he said he was able to peer deep inside his body as a jumping off point to discuss important philosophical and theological issues dealing with the mind and the body. I can't help but being a bit pedantic by saying that Lightman wasn't really looking inside his body during the colonoscopy since the colon is really a tube outside the body, at least topologically! Nonetheless, the article is well worth your attention, and you can access it here.
20. Seventh-day Adventists Clash Over Evolution
In February the Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Pacific Southwest published an article entitled "Honoring God Through Science and Scripture," that affirmed evolutionary theory. Now, facing significant push back, the Conference has said the article doesn’t reflect its position and the author of the piece claimed he didn’t mean what he wrote. What a mess! You can read more about this bizarre situation here.
21. Colorado Charter School Drops Creationism
Good news from Colorado. A charter school told a science teacher who had planned to teach creationism as part of the science curriculum that she could not do so. The CEO of the charter school system said that creationism will not be taught in any of their schools, although he did acknowledge that intelligent design had appeared sporadically in the past. You can read more about this situation here.
22. The Daily Damage to Truth
I’m delighted to say that The Rev. Ken Olson, a member of The Clergy Letter Project and a frequent contributor to this newsletter, has shared two more of his great essays with us. In this one, entitled “The Daily Damage to Truth,” Ken focuses on a topic dear to the heart of The Clergy Letter Project: the importance and meaning of truth. In addition to quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson about a banquet speaker (“The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.”), he quotes a Shoshone Native American oath, “The earth hears me. The sun hears me. Shall I lie? No.” You can read his essay here.
23. Telling It Like It Is
Ken’s second essay this month is entitled “Telling It Like It Is” and it continues his focus on truth. Ranging from Jesus and Socrates to Frederick Buechner, novelist, pastor and theologian, Ken forces us to consider the very nature of truth and how it is being abused in the United States. You can read his essay here.
24. Creationism in Australia
Andrew Snelling, director of research at Answers in Genesis, led compulsory seminars for teachers at a group of Queensland charter schools. The headline and subhead presented by The Guardian do a very impressive job of explaining what happened: “Science teachers from Queensland Open Brethren schools told to teach students about vegetarian dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark;” and “Teachers who attended ‘compulsory’ creationist conference run by US-based fundamentalist group told radiometric dating techniques were flawed.” You can read the full article here.
Concluding Thoughts
I trust you all were able to enjoy Easter and/or Passover and, in these truly troubled times, were able to gain some peace and hope. As is obvious from the items in the newsletter this month, we have a great deal of work to do to encourage more people, especially people in political power, to understand that religion and science can be compatible with one another. Similarly, we have a great deal of work to do to move people to respect religion and the diversity inherent in its various forms and to treasure the value of science. I’m pleased to say that I’m optimistic that the work you are all doing is helping to move us in this direction. Thank you for your significant efforts.
Finally, as I do every month, I urge you to take one simple action. Please share this month’s Newsletter with a colleague or two (or post a link via any social media platform you use) and ask them to add their voices to those promoting a deep and meaningful understanding between religion and science. They can add their signatures to one of our Clergy Letters simply by dropping me a note at mz@theclergyletterproject.org. Spread the word; change the world. Together we are making a difference.
Michael
Michael Zimmerman
Founder and Executive Director
The Clergy Letter Project
www.theclergyletterproject.org
mz@theclergyletterproject.org
https://bsky.app/profile/mzclergyletter.bsky.social