February 2026 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following 20 items:
- Religion and Science Weekend 2026;
- Across the Cosmos for February 2026: What is Scientific Truth?;
- The Interfaith Clergy Letter Has Gone Live;
- Mandatory Intelligent Design in Oklahoma;
- More Science Denial in Oklahoma;
- ACLU Attorney Reminisces About Intelligent Design Trial;
- Clergy Letter Project Member Detained by ICE;
- US Cardinals Address Foreign Policy Concerns;
- 100 Clergy Arrested in Minneapolis;
- Moving Minnesota Vignette;
- Bishop Budde on Events in Minneapolis;
- Clergy Asked to Put Their Affairs in Order;
- Dealing with Trauma;
- Reporting on Religion Amid the Minneapolis Chaos;
- Christianity and the Rise of Science;
- Two Christians Among the Founders of Modern Science;
- Exploring Faith and Science Together;
- Heart and Soul;
- Buddhist Monks Walk for Peace; and
- On Power, Law, and Moral Accountability.
1. Religion and Science Weekend 2026
It’s not too late to be included in our list of participants for Religion and Science Weekend 2026, 13-15 February 2026. Please take a look at our website listing all participating congregations and groups to see if you’re listed. If you don’t appear, please drop me a note and I’ll get you listed.
Every year I learn of a significant number of congregations that have participated but didn’t get around to letting me know so they’ve not been listed. Since our strength, in part, lies in our numbers, please take a look at our web page. If you’re participating but not listed, let me know.
Remember, you can participate any time in the temporal vicinity of that particular weekend. And you can participate in any way you deem appropriate. For example, the simplest thing you can do is to place a notice about the weekend in your weekly bulletin, perhaps even reproducing our new Interfaith Clergy Letter. Of course, you can do more. What’s important is that meaningful discussion about religion and science occurs. It’s that simple. So please join us in our effort to promote the compatibility of religion and science.
_____ Yes, my congregation (or other group) and I plan to participate. Please add us to the growing list of participants.
Name of Congregation (or other group):
Location:
Your Name:
Simply reply to this email or send me a separate note indicating that you plan to participate, and I’ll add you to our growing list.
2. Across the Cosmos for February 2026: What is Scientific Truth?
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, offers a very helpful discourse on the nature of truth. You might find this month’s column helpful as a resource for Religion and Science Weekend.
I’m sure Christian clergy, as well as many others on this e-list, are familiar with Pontius Pilate’s famous question to Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), in response to Jesus’ claim to bearing witness to the truth. In the spirit of this year’s Religion & Science Weekend’s theme, Truth Matters, I thought it might be useful to briefly explore what we mean when we refer to truth in science.
Science is a journey, a way of investigating how nature works that is rooted neither in absolutes nor relativism. When Matt Damon’s character, Mark Watney, used science as a verb in The Martian, he emphasized the understanding of science as a process. Scientific theories and conclusions remain open to future revisions based on new information or evidence. Truthfulness in science means being true to this process and reporting one’s scientific results without prejudice. Truth and facts are not the same thing, but they are related. Facts are objective and verifiable, although it is not always easy to discern what is factual information in our contemporary world…. Truth connects facts and provides context that can modify or deepen interpretation of facts with time.
Of course, truth can be distorted when facts are ignored or altered. Furthermore, what we perceive as true is intimately connected to whom we trust. Truth and trust have more in common than four letters! Several years ago, many of you filled out surveys that Michael distributed for me. One of the questions asked was, “How much confidence do you have that scientists act in the best interests of the public?” Notably, clergy who knew scientists personally were likely to view the motivations of scientists favorably.
Establishing trust requires effective communication. Last October, I presented a sermon at the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Marion, IA, using scripture that stressed the power of language.(1) As you explore the theme of Truth Matters with your congregations, you might consider how differences in the ways words are often employed in science and religion affect this critical topic, and how CLP clergy might partner with scientific consultants(2) to advance public understanding of these important discussions.
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.youtube.com/watch?v=_vdTBI10gOY
2. https://www.theclergyletterproject.org/Resources/sci_expert_data_base.htm
3. The Interfaith Clergy Letter Has Gone Live
Our newInterfaith Clergy Letter focusing on the importance of truth for religion and for science has now been posted. It already has over 80 signatures from clergy representing 13 countries. Are you included? If not, please drop me a note and I’ll proudly add you to our growing list.
I wrote a short essay introducing the letter and explaining the importance of the concept of Truth Matters. I hope you take a look at what I had to say here. And I hope you share the letter and my note with others.
_____ Yes, please add my name to the Interfaith Clergy Letter.
Name of Congregation (or other entity)(Optional):
Location:
Your Name:
4. Mandatory Intelligent Design in Oklahoma
A bill was recently introduced into the Oklahoma senate mandating that any public or charter school teacher who teaches evolution also to "provide instruction to students on the concepts of creationism and/or intelligent design." While it is unlikely that this bill will go very far, it is well worth recognizing the threats evolution and religion continue to face. You can read more about the bill here.
5. More Science Denial in Oklahoma
A “Teachers' Bill of Rights" was introduced in the Oklahoma senate. If enacted, as explained by our good friends at the National Center for Science Education, it would “empower science denial in the classroom.” You can read more about the bill here.
6. ACLU Attorney Reminisces About Intelligent Design Trial
Vic Walczak was one of the ACLU attorneys who won the Intelligent Design trial. He’s penned an interesting piece for the ACLU of Pennsylvania reminiscing about his experience. He concludes by discussing what the trial portended for the present: “It's wonderful to look back on this historic trial, but it foreshadowed some important and highly disturbing trends. Perhaps most notably, the demonization of science itself. False narratives propagated by elected officials to advance personal agendas, which are neither inclusive nor democratic, are dangerous. As is the willingness to brazenly lie and deceive to advance the agenda.” You can read his full piece here.
7. Clergy Letter Project Member Detained by ICE
With so much happening in Minneapolis, around the country, and around the world, this item and the next seven all discuss ways clergy have been involved.
The Rev. Kenny Callaghan, senior pastor at All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church in Minneapolis and a Clergy Letter Project member, had an unnerving experience on the morning of 7 January. Ice agents approached him while he was standing next to a Hispanic woman at a protest, pointed a gun at him, handcuffed him and placed him in a car. After asking me repeatedly if he was afraid, they released him after about 30 minutes saying, “Well, you’re White. You wouldn’t be fun anyway.” He said it was clear that ICE raids are all about fear and intimidation. You can read more details of this harrowing event here.
8. US Cardinals Address Foreign Policy Concerns
Three senior US Catholic Cardinals have taken the virtually unprecedented step of publicly criticizing US foreign policy. They argued that recent actions raise important moral questions. You can read more here.
9. 100 Clergy Arrested in Minneapolis
Approximately 100 clergy members were arrested at Minneapolis St. Paul Airport during a protest that was called a “day of truth and freedom.” Clergy were protesting ICE actions in Minnesota and the fact that about 2,000 have been deported via the airport. You can read more about what happened here.
10. Moving Minnesota Vignette
The Rev. Dr. Mari Larsen, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, went to Minneapolis to protest the actions occurring there. She shared the following moving vignette with me:
As many of you know, there was a call for faith leaders to come to Minneapolis January 22-23. I tried not to go, but Minnesota - the state of my youth and young adulthood - called me home. This is one of the powerful moments I experienced during my visit.
My Muslim Somali Lyft driver thanked me seven times for coming to Minnesota this week. His family, friends, and neighbors are scared and angry. They all heard their President call them "garbage" and tell them to "go back to where they came from." When I got into the spotless RAV4, I told him that I used to live in Minneapolis. As he drove, he told me how Uptown and South Minneapolis had changed since COVID. He's been in Minneapolis as long as I have been away. He's educated, employed, and drives Lyft on the weekends for extra money. When we drove by the Fort Snelling Cemetery, we talked about burial customs. When he learned that I was going back to Las Vegas, he didn't make the usual comment about "Sin City"; he expressed concern about the water levels there. He is as much a Minnesotan as the fourth-generation soybean farmer on the other side of the state. He is as much a Minnesotan as the LGBTQIA+ bartender who quietly comped my dinner last night. He is as much a Minnesotan as the smiling, helpful TSA officers working at MSP who just got me through the process in less than 2 minutes.
Rev. Dr. Mari Larson
Pastor, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Las Vegas
Dean, Colorado River Conference of the Grand Canyon Synod
11. Bishop Budde on Events in Minneapolis
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budd, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, offered powerful comments during an NPR interview about her visit to Minneapolis. She described what she saw, including widespread fear, confusion, and disruption, and praised community solidarity, calling for compassion, nonviolence, and moral reflection. She explained that religious leaders have a responsibility to speak when policies cause suffering or fear and she framed her involvement not as political activism but as a pastoral response rooted in Christian teaching and interfaith collaboration. You can listen to her comments here. (Please note that her segment of the program is last and I didn’t know how to just present that portion!)
12. Clergy Asked to Put Their Affairs in Order
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, the Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire and a member of The Clergy Letter Project, issued a stark plea during a vigil for Renee Good, who was slain by federal officers in Minneapolis. After mentioning historical cases of clergy being killed while advocating for peace and justice, he said, “I have told the clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness. I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written. Because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us — with our bodies — to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.” You can read an article discussing this here.
13. Dealing with Trauma
In these difficult times many of us find ourselves dealing with trauma. The Rev. Dr. Janet Adair Hansen, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, shared an issue of her “Minister Musings” with me. She notes that it addresses “secondary or vicarious trauma (from watching violent videos) and steps for spiritual healing. I think our whole country is experiencing trauma, but especially in communities attacked by ICE and the Border Patrol.” Her thoughtful advice can be accessed here. Please feel free to share it with any parishioners who might find it helpful.
14. Reporting on Religion Amid the Minneapolis Chaos
Religion Unplugged ran a story outlining four religion themes that can help frame reporting from Minneapolis. You can read the article here.
15. Christianity and the Rise of Science
Science for the Church published three interesting pieces this month examining the relationship between science and Christianity. This first essay discusses “the positive role played by religion in the rise of science.” You can read it here.
16. Two Christians Among the Founders of Modern Science
This second piece offered by Science for the Church discusses the work of Johannes Kepler and Robert Boyle, focusing on how they helped shape the contours of modern science. You can read the article here.
17. Exploring Faith and Science Together
Here’s the third piece published by Science for the Church. In this one, Ed Rosado makes the case that science and the church have long been in harmony. He argues that “theological conviction often provided the foundation for scientific methods,” and goes on to say, “The relationship, however, is not one-sided. Just as faith fostered science, science continues to enrich faith. Advances in cosmology, quantum physics, and evolutionary biology have deepened, not diminished, theological imagination.” You can read the full essay here.
18. Heart and Soul
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 another one of his wonderful essays with us. In this one, entitled “Heart and Soul,” Ken discusses what it means to be a good leader – and the characteristics that comprise a good person. He notes that Scripture says, a good tree bears good fruit, a bad one bad fruit. You can read his essay here.
19. Buddhist Monks Walk for Peace
Religion Unplugged has a truly moving opinion piece on the Buddhist Monks who are walking from Texas to Washington, DC “bearing witness to peace, compassion, forgiveness, and healing.” The essay notes, “What we are witnessing is not politics or social protest. Not public policy or propaganda. It is virtue made visible. Peace practiced rather than pronounced. Compassion offered without condition or agenda.” You can read the article here.
20. On Power, Law, and Moral Accountability
H.A.H. Prince-Bishop Rutherford (Radislav) I of Rome-Ruthenia, a member of The Clergy Letter Project, recently released a Patriarchal Letter On Power, Law, and Moral Accountability and invited me to share it with members. When I praised the statement but noted that it seemed a bit far afield from the focus of The Clergy Letter Project he responded by saying,
I would only note that the intention of this statement was a moral reflection on the conditions under which law, restraint, and accountability among nations are preserved. These conditions are not abstract. Thus, while not explicitly mentioned in the statement, there are significant scientific implications. The erosion of international law, the normalization of extraterritorial force, and the substitution of power for restraint have direct consequences for scientific freedom, international research cooperation, humanitarian medicine, environmental science, and the free exchange of knowledge across borders. Historically, it is precisely when law gives way to exceptionalism that scientific inquiry becomes politicized, constrained, tied to partisan agendas, or otherwise subordinated to power.
Given this compelling argument, I share the wonderful Patriarchal Letter with you here.
Concluding Thoughts
It appears to me that on a weekly, if not daily, basis our civic fabric is increasingly fraying. The consequences of doing nothing are huge. What gives me hope in these truly depressing times are the actions that so many individuals and groups are taking. And, as you can see from items 7 – 14 above, clergy from around the country and from a host of denominations and religions are playing an increasingly large role attempting to set things straight. Thank you for being a part of this effort. As I mentioned above, please sign our Interfaith Clergy Letter focused on the concept that Truth Matters and please share the essay I wrote about our efforts. Thank you for all you do. Your efforts are important.
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