December 2021 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following twelve items:
- A Free Book Offer for Evolution Weekend 2022;
- Astrobiology News for December 2021: Looking Back on 2021;
- Dealing with the Delta and Omicron Variants: Guidance for Congregations;
- Art, Paleontology and Religion;
- T.H. Huxley Ousted from Western Washington University;
- "Why I’m a Pro-Choice Pastor”;
- Rose City Park United Methodist Church Sign;
- Decline in Church Membership – What Is The Cause?;
- Meditations on Light;
- Religiosity and Vaccine Hesitancy;
- What Does Science Say About Race?; and
- Why Have the ETI Not Arrived?.
1. A Free Book Offer for Evolution Weekend 2022
Evolution Weekend 2022 (11-13 February 2022) is quickly approaching. If you’ve not yet signed up for your congregation or your alternative group to participate, now would be a great time to do so. Just hit reply and let me know that you plan to participate and I’ll get you added to our growing list. Over the years, while I’ve had scores of people contact me and say how glad they were that they opted to participate, I’ve not heard from a single person who expressed any regret in doing so. I’ve also heard from many people who participated but didn’t sign up until well after the fact. While I’m gratified that those congregations participated, by signing up late they’re presence didn’t appear on our list when it was viewed most often. So, please sign up now.
To help you prepare for Evolution Weekend, Roy Plotnick, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants and a professor emeritus in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, and his publisher, Columbia University Press, has donated copies of his exciting new book. The book is entitled Explorers of Deep Time: Paleontologists and the History of Life and it blends Roy’s personal experiences with a cogent examination of the field of paleontology and the individuals who shaped it.
Not surprisingly, Roy also addresses the interaction between religion and science. In his chapter entitled “Those Who do Not Know The Past,” he writes:
Paleontology has found itself somewhat central in two of the most contentious areas of the public perception of science and how it is taught. The first is the seemingly endless controversy over evolution. The other, of much more recent vintage but sharing many similarities in tactics and tone, is the argument over global climate change. Both debates have been covered at length elsewhere; I cannot do them justice here. And I do not want to provide climate deniers any validation by discussing their ideas. I will briefly discuss, however, some of the ongoing responses of the paleontological and broader scientific and faith communities to the challenges posed against science.
Given that the theme of Evolution Weekend 2022 is “The Pandemic, Climate Change and Evolution: How Religion and Science, Working Together, Can Advance Our Understanding,” Roy’s work might just be the perfect resource for you!
If you agree, return this note to me, filling in the information below, and I’ll award a free copy (you pay for postage and handling) to every fourth person who requests a copy until all copies are claimed.
In case you’re not one of the lucky ones to receive a free copy of the book, please note that Columbia University Press has also agreed to offer a 20 percent discount to members of The Clergy Letter Project. To receive the discount, just go here and use code CUP20 when you check out.
_____ The book sounds great, please enter my name to receive a free copy and please add my congregation (or other group) to the list of those participating in Evolution Weekend 2022. I agree to pay $5 for postage and handling.
Congregation (or related group):
Location:
Your Name:
_______ I don’t need the book but I would like to participate in Evolution Weekend 2022. Please add my name to the growing list.
Name:
Congregation or similar group:
Location:
Finally, please keep your eyes open for another note from me after Christmas offering another free title!
2. Astrobiology News for December 2021: Looking Back on 2021
In this month’s Astrobiology News Grace Wolf-Chase, Senior Scientist and Senior Education & Communication Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute as well as a Clergy Letter Project consultant, summarizes some of the amazing accomplishments that occurred during 2021. Please join me in wishing Grace a very happy birthday and a quick and easy recovery from the hip replacement surgery she just experienced.
As another difficult year comes to a close, I’d like to offer just a few thoughts and resources relating to some scientific accomplishments in 2021. Beyond astrobiology proper, there have been many achievements that are significant to life on our planet. Of course, foremost among them is the development and widespread distribution (at least in the U.S.) of effective COVID-19 vaccines; however, there have also been notable achievements in the space sciences that have either direct or indirect implications for life on Earth.
NASA accomplishments include the successful landing of the Mars Perseverance rover(1) in February, which marked a new stage in the search for ancient life on Mars; the successful flight of the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity(2), which was the first demonstration of controlled flight on another world; and, just last month, the launch of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission(3), the world’s first full-scale mission to test technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid or comet hazards. DART is traveling to a non-threatening binary asteroid system (Didymos) to slam into the smaller of the two (Dimorphos) in fall 2022, in order to study the effectiveness of impact as a reliable method for deflecting asteroids. The result of DART’s impact within the binary system can be measured much more easily than a change in the orbit of a single asteroid around the Sun. Several of my colleagues at the Planetary Science Institute are on the team of this important mission that will attempt to change an asteroid’s motion in a way that can be accurately measured using ground-based telescopes, and will improve computer models that are essential to predicting the effectiveness of this “kinetic impactor” technique.(4)
As some of you know, the Center for Advanced Study in Religion and Science (CASIRAS), which supports The Clergy Letter Project, has been offering a series of free webinars on topics of interest in science and religion. This year, we’ve been fortunate to have had three speakers who are all recipients of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science: Dr. David Grinspoon, Br./Dr. Guy Consolmagno, and Dr. Heidi Hammel. Presentations have explored topics from the future of life on Earth, to the “size” of God, to observing the birth of galaxies in the early Universe and the anticipated launch of the James Webb Space Telescope on December 22. If you missed any of these, I encourage you to visit the CASIRAS website for links to the archived presentations!(5)
If you’ve been following my descriptions of people-powered research on the Zooniverse platform, you might be interested to know that for the third consecutive year, Zooniverse has published a book with this year’s project highlights.(6) You can download a free pdf of the book or purchase a paper copy on the Zooniverse website. Expect to hear more from me about efforts to expand the community of people-powered researchers in the New Year!
Finally, many people wonder about the practical benefits of space exploration. I encourage you to check out this year’s NASA Spinoff 2021 publication(7) and brochure(8), which highlight many practical applications of technology developed for aerospace. Among them you can read about how research on resilient materials for supersonic airplanes helped to create a new kind of polymer that caught the eye of a medical technology company, which is trying it out in more durable medical implants. That caught MY eye, since I’m having a total hip replacement this month, the day after achieving the milestone age mentioned in the title of that famous song recorded by the Beatles in 1967….
Until next month,
Grace
Grace Wolf-Chase (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://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
2. https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/
3. https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart
4. https://www.psi.edu/news/DARTlaunch
5. https://www.casiras.org/
6. https://www.zooniverse.org/about/highlights
7. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/NASA_Spinoff-2021.pdf
8. https://spinoff.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/NASA%20Spinoff%202021%20Brochure.pdf
3. Dealing with the Delta and Omicron Variants: Guidance for Congregations
I’ve been incredibly impressed by how so many of you have been navigating the pandemic with your congregations, taking steps to ensure both the safety of your members and continued, or even enhanced, community. Along these lines, I thought you might find a couple of resources to be of interest. Both are free.
The first is a blog by Emily Smith, and epidemiologist and assistant professor at Duke University. The blog is entitled the Friendly Neighborhood Epidemiologist and Emily offers this description of it: “Science and faith through the lens of equity and love-thy-neighbor.” A recent post of hers is particularly pertinent to The Clergy Letter Project. It’s entitled “Omicron/Delta and guidance for church.” I hope you find it interesting.
The second is a similar blog, entitled “Your Local Epidemiologist,” is written by Katelyn Jetelina, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Both blogs are very well written and researched and designed for a non-specialized audience. I regularly find interesting information on both and believe you will as well.
4. Art, Paleontology and Religion
I’m certain you’ll recall that in last month’s newsletter I shared some information about the amazing paleontological and artistic work that the Reverend Ken Olson has been doing. I just learned of some additional work of his that I feel compelled to share with you. You can read it – and view some wonderful pictures here.
Additionally, you can access the archive of Ken’s essays that have been published in the newsletter here.
5. T.H. Huxley Ousted from Western Washington University
The Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University (WWU) is no longer! Well, the well-respected College will, in fact, continue but it will no longer have Huxley as part of its name. Originally named after T.H. Huxley, perhaps Darwin’s most important proponent in the 19th century, Huxley has long been under attack by creationists. While the action of WWU does not specifically endorse the views of those creationists, the situation is complex. One the positive side, WWU acknowledges that the campus has never had any specific ties to Huxley and, oddly enough, the name of the College was never officially approved by Board of Trustees when it was founded in 1969. On the negative side, the Board noted that Huxley’s “views about natural racial and gender inequalities, the role of these hierarchical views in the application of Darwin’s theory of evolution to humans, and the development of scientific racism more generally” were antithetical to WWU’s commitment to inclusion.
Huxley has long been seen as someone who was a vocal abolitionist, an outspoken advocate for equal treatment for women and a voice consistently opposed to Herbert Spencer’s promotion of “Social Darwinism.” It is true that, even as he worked for equal treatment of the races, that, like most of his fellow British citizens and most scientists of the time, he believed in the superiority of Europeans.
There are a number of resources that will shed more light on this fascinating story. The Bellingham Herald ran a story describing the University’s recent decision. Paul Braterman, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, had a blog post when WWU first indicated that they were considering making the name change describing some of the creationist attacks on Huxley. And Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, sent a thoughtful letter to the University detailing specific creationist literature that falsely tarred Huxley. Together this all makes for fascinating reading.
6. "Why I’m a Pro-Choice Pastor”
The Reverend Chuck Currie, a long-time member of The Clergy Letter Project, recently wrote an impassioned op-ed essay for the Portland Tribune. The article is entitled “Why I’m a Pro-Choice Pastor” and whether or not you agree with his position, I urge you to read the piece. What he does so well is what we at The Clergy Letter Project also attempt to do – discuss a complex issue fairly, civilly and without vilifying those with whom we disagree.
Those of you on Twitter might want to follow Chuck (@RevChuckCurrie) since his posts are always thoughtful, enlightening and relevant.
7. Rose City Park United Methodist Church Sign
The Reverend Tom Tate, a long-time member of The Clergy Letter Project, is pastor of Rose City Park United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon. I recently came across a picture of the sign outside his church. I’m confident that (most) all of you would appreciate seeing it! Take a look here.
8. Decline in Church Membership – What Is The Cause?
Dr. Lorence Collins, a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants and the author of A Christian Geologist Explains Why the Earth Cannot be 6,000 Years Old: Let’s Heal the Divide in the Church, has recently written an article entitled “Decline in Church Membership – What Is Its Cause?”
Larry makes the case that much of the decline is due to a belief that religion and science are at odds, a perspective promoted by denominations promoting an inerrant reading of the Bible. Larry quotes Rabbi Marc Gellman who said, “Tethering our faith in an ancient and discredited science only assures us of an ancient and discredited religion.” Your efforts and your support for The Clergy Letter Project demonstrate how this narrow perspective on religion and science is not the norm.
9. Meditations on Light
Our good friends at WesleyNexus published an interesting essay in their latest newsletter. The piece was written by the Reverend Dawn Stewart and is entitled “Meditations on Light.” The essay opens with the following sentence: “One of the things I love to do as a pastor with a math and science background is play around with notions of math and science in theology.”
In the piece, Dawn reflects on the nature of light and race:
As we think about our struggles with race in this world, we reflect on all the shades of human flesh. No white person is “wholly” white and no black person is “wholly” black, we are a beautiful array of flesh tones. Our brown and black brothers and sisters appear brown and black because the greater levels of melanin in their skin absorb more light. There is a light and life that exists vibrant and beautiful in the black/brown church.
How might we “white” people learn from them and grow in our ability to soak up the light of Christ in us and in our churches?
This short essay is, in my opinion, well worth your time.
10. Religiosity and Vaccine Hesitancy
Susan Barreto, the editor of Covalence Magazine, a publication of the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology, has a thoughtful editorial in the latest issue. The piece is entitled “What does the public perception of religion/science conflict tell us about vaccine uptake?”
Susan presents some fascinating pieces of data. Despite the fact that many believe religion is a dominant factor in vaccine hesitancy, the data suggest otherwise. “For Americans overall, church attendance is not associated with a significantly higher or lower chance of having received a COVID-19 vaccine.” Additionally, “attendees to historically Black churches (82%) are more likely to have been vaccinated than their evangelical protestant counterparts (59%).” Most tellingly, though, “Christian nationalism — or the belief that Christianity should permeate American civic life – is one of the strongest predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.” There’s much more in her piece that makes it worth reading.
11. What Does Science Say About Race?
Dr. Sara Joan Miles published an article entitled “What Does Science Say about Race? in the February 2021 issue of SciTech†, a publication of the Presbyterian Association on Science, Technology and The Christian Faith. Given that her biographical note in SciTech† says the following, it is not surprising that she has much wisdom to impart on this topic:
After teaching science and math in the Congo, Sara Miles was a Christian university professor and Dean (Wheaton College, Eastern University). She is an historian of science and loves looking at how theology and scientific theories have interacted over time. She has been active in the Presbytery of Milwaukee and recently become a Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE) to serve as Pastor of Visitation for her congregation.
Indeed, here’s just a flavor of what she had to say:
Science and the application of science, i.e., technology, have not been neutral when it comes to the matter of race. Societal prejudices have influenced what science has said about race and about how the medical practice of science today views race as a criterion in the application to individuals. However, science also confirms that race is a social, not a biological, concept. There is no scientific reason for distinguishing between races, any more than one should classify humans by hair color, handedness, or any other diversity of traits found in our species.
Currently, the application of science, especially medical practice, is influenced too much by the cultural view of race, preventing science from being applied equally between Whites and BIPOC. Knowing these facts is a necessary prerequisite if the situation is to be corrected.
And for Christians, this is where our theology must be the motivator. Scripture tells us that
“the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks
on the heart” (1 Samuel 16.7b).
Take a look at her full article; I doubt you’ll be disappointed!
12. Why Have the ETI Not Arrived?
The latest issue of Covalence Magazine, a publication of the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology, reprinted an article from SciTech†, a publication of the Presbyterian Association on Science, Technology and The Christian Faith. The piece, written by Arnold Rots, a Ruling Elder and retired astrophysicist, is entitled “Why Have the ETI Not Arrived?” (ETI is an acronym for extra-terrestrial intelligence.)
While there’s much to savor in this article, two items are worth pointing out. Perhaps they’ll encourage you to read the full piece!
Evolution continues and does not stop after the emergence of Homo sapiens.
Let’s be clear, we live in a multi-religious world and, indeed, in a multi-religious society. If we have learned anything, it should be that the Christian religious culture does not have the monopoly on “truth.” As religion is humanity’s way of making sense of life and finding its true meaning, it means that religion is intractably linked to one’s cultural identity.
Concluding Thoughts
Best wishes for a healthy, happy and productive new year.
I hope you, all those you care about, and all those with whom you interact remain safe and healthy. Please be as careful as possible during this holiday season – even as the Delta variant continues to spread and as the Omicron variant begins to explode.
Finally, as always, I want to thank you for your continued support and 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