September 2026 Newsletter
In this Clergy Letter Project update you’ll find the following 24 items:
- Another Vote Needed for a Theme for Religion and Science Weekend 2027;
- Across the Cosmos for September 2026: The Legacy of Nancy Grace Roman;
- What It Is Like to be Dying;
- The Clergy Letter Project Under Attack;
- Reimagining Humanity’s Place In The Natural World;
- Hindi Gurus Turn to Chatbots for Help;
- Catholic Bishops in Florida Argue Against Religious Vaccine Exemptions;
- Does AI Play Favorites with Religion?;
- Finding an ‘On Ramp’ for Climate Conversations in Your Congregation;
- A Reflection on Psalm 142 in our Time of Capitalism and Climate Crisis;
- The Great Work Before Us;
- Pope Leo XIV: Stop Entrusting Human Lives to Artificial Intelligence;
- God’s Creation: You, Me, and Everything;
- Buddhism and AI;
- Will Science Make Religion Obsolete?;
- Bringing Science and Faith Together for a Doubting Generation;
- American Religion in an Age of Science;
- Integrating Science into Faith Classrooms Through a Pedagogy of Compassion;
- Science, Spirituality, and AI;
- Young African Catholics Fight Against Climate Change;
- Asian Faith Leaders Urge Moral Resistance to Fossil Fuel Expansion;
- Religion is Often Perverted;
- For Self Examination; and
- Theology, Gardening and Climate Change.
1. Another Vote Needed for a Theme for Religion and Science Weekend 2027
It turns out that after many of you voted this past month for a theme for Religion and Science Weekend, we find ourselves in uncharted territory! Amazingly, we have a five-way tie and thus we need another round of voting to break the deadlock. Here are the five themes still in contention. Please reply to this email and indicate your first and second choice. Your vote is important and will only take a second so please let me hear from you. (And for all who voted in the first round, please accept my thanks – but let me hear from you again!)
___ 1. The Sacred Cosmos: Religion and Science Explore Our Expanding Universe
___ 2. Resilience and Renewal: Religion and Science in Times of Crisis
___ 3. Curiosity as a Spiritual Practice: How Religion and Science Cultivate Openness
___ 4. Hope in an Uncertain World
___ 5. It May Be Up to Clergy to Save Science
_____These themes are exciting and I plan to participate in Religion and Science Weekend 2027 (12-14 February 2027) regardless of which theme is selected. Please add me and my congregation to the list of participants.
Name of Congregation (or other group):
Location:
Your Name:
2. Across the Cosmos for September 2026: The Legacy of Nancy Grace Roman
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, tells us a bit about Nancy Grace Roman, an amazing scientist and NASA administrator, and about the just-launched eponymous telescope.
The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, appropriately named for the woman known as the “ mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,” was launched on August 30, 2026. The Roman Telescope will observe from a similar vantage point as the JWST, about 930,000 miles away from Earth in the direction opposite the Sun, which will enable it to carry out its sensitive infrared observations. Together, Roman and JWST will be a powerful team for probing cosmic questions from the scale of small bodies in our Solar System to the furthest reaches of the cosmos. While JWST offers very high-resolution observations in small patches of the sky, Roman’s field of view is about 100 times larger.
The telescope’s namesake, Nancy Grace Roman, joined NASA early in 1959, six months after NASA was formed. She was the first female executive at NASA, and she became the first Chief of Astronomy. One of Dr. Roman’s biggest challenges was getting the Hubble Space Telescope approved by Congress. Many years later, when she was asked what she thought was the most interesting discovery by Hubble, she replied “dark energy.” Indeed, in many ways the mystery of dark energy has deepened since its discovery, as this strange pressure appears to change over time. Since dark energy is thought to comprise 68% of the total contents of the Universe, it is intimately connected with the ultimate fate of the Universe. Illuminating the nature of dark energy (and whether it actually exists) is one of Roman’s major science goals.
Although Roman is expected to advance many areas of cosmology, it has an important role to play much closer to home as well, and may prove transformational to understanding our own Solar System. I encourage you to check out this recent blog post about how PSI Senior Scientist Susan Benecchi has been involved in planning the science for Roman’s study of small icy bodies in our Solar System.
We live in an era of incredible astronomical technology! At the same, we are witnessing the deepest cuts to federal funding for basic scientific research with these remarkable instruments that we’ve seen in decades. I know this is a difficult time for many, but if you can, please consider whether you’re able to help support the Planetary Science Institute. PSI’s Who-We-Are statement nicely summarizes how our commitment to our values is as strong as our commitment to doing excellent science.
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)3. What It Is Like to be Dying
Dr. Jeff Schloss, my good friend of 50 years, an emeritus professor of biology at Westmont College who has been a critically important voice discussing the intersection of evolutionary science and Christian theology, and a member of The Clergy Letter Project’s list of scientific consultants, just shared information about being diagnosed with MSA-C, the cerebellar subtype of multiple system atrophy. The disease is terminal, incurable and progresses rapidly with increasingly serious neurological effects.
Jeff recently participated in a moving interview discussing his situation described as follows: “The interview is striking because Schloss approaches the illness very openly. Rather than simply discussing the medical diagnosis, he talks about what it means to experience dying while still living, and about his changing relationship to pain, gratitude, family and his Christian faith.” (I would expect nothing less from my wonderful friend!) You can listen (or read) the interview here.
4. The Clergy Letter Project Under Attack
As you can see in this brief note reporting on Michael Ebifegha’s revised edition of his book 4th Origin: Refuting the Myth of Evolutionism and Exposing the Folly of Clergy Letters, The Clergy Letter Project is under attack. I asked ChatGPT to assess the claims the book made about The Clergy Letter Project and it returned a “thoughtful” response. While I don’t fully agree with all of the comments, for the most part, it is right on the money. I encourage you to take a look at what it said here.
5. Reimagining Humanity’s Place In The Natural World
ReligionUnplugged recently ran a review of Christine Webb’s new book, The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters. The review concludes with this assessment: “Blending scientific fact, philosophical musings and a critique of religion’s misguided dogma on the inferiority of other species, this thought-provoking book humbly reexamines our relationship with our fellow creatures.” You can read the full review here.
6. Hindi Gurus Turn to Chatbots for Help
The AP ran a story with the following headline: “Need spiritual guidance? Gurus join chatbot trend as people turn to AI for answers.” The article does a nice job of discussing the pros and cons of the practice. You can read the article here.
7. Catholic Bishops in Florida Argue Against Religious Vaccine Exemptions
An article in CIDRAP, published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, explains that Catholic bishops in Florida have told the state’s attorney general that there is no theological reason to provide religious vaccine exemptions. They asked the AG to respect their religious liberty when it comes to parochial schools' approach to vaccine exemptions arguing that Florida's Catholic schools do not accept religious exemptions for vaccines. You can read the full article here.
8. Does AI Play Favorites with Religion?
An article in Jello Menorah discussed tests done by CEFE-AI (the Consortium for Evaluating Faith and Ethics in AI) to see if AI plays favorites with religion. The results were interesting and led to the conclusion that, rather than favoring certain religions, AIs more typically ignored religion with AI models rarely volunteering any religious perspectives. You can read the full piece here.
9. Finding an ‘On Ramp’ for Climate Conversations in Your Congregation
Our good friends at Science for the Church ran a piece that offered way of engaging congregations with meaningful conversations about climate change. You can read the article here.
10. A Reflection on Psalm 142 in our Time of Capitalism and Climate Crisis
The Rev. Jessica Hetherington, a member of The Clergy Letter Project and a climate activist with a wonderful blog, reflects on Psalm 142, the nature of extractive capitalism, and our climate crisis in a recent blog entry. You can read her thoughts here.
11. The Great Work Before Us
In a second blog post this month, The Rev. Jessica Hetherington shares Thomas Berry’s work with readers. Berry has said, “The Great Work before us, the task of moving modern industrial civilization from its present devastating influence on the Earth to a more benign mode of presence, is not a role that we have chosen.” Jessica asks, “What is your part in this great work?" You can read the post here.
12. Pope Leo XIV: Stop Entrusting Human Lives to Artificial Intelligence
An interesting post on the blog entitled “Letters from Leo” has the following headline: “Pope Leo XIV to the World’s Governments: Stop Entrusting Human Lives to Artificial Intelligence.” The subhead explains, “In Friday’s address, Leo asked whether humanity risks becoming ‘victim of its own inventions’ — his second AI warning in a week. His homework assignment is to humanize the machines.” You can read the full post here.
13. God’s Creation: You, Me, and Everything
Our good friends at Science for the Church are publishing seven essays on creation and science written by The Rev. Ted Peters, an ELCA pastor, co-editor of the journal, Theology and Science, published by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, CA, and a member of The Clergy Letter Project. This first essay is entitled “God’s Creation: You, Me, and Everything.” You can read it here.
14. Buddhism and AI
Our good friends at Sinai and Synapses have published an interesting piece exploring the relationship between Buddhism and AI. You can read it here.
15. Will Science Make Religion Obsolete?
The Premier Unbelievable website recently ran a fascinating discussion between two scientists. The headline and subheading explain the situation nicely: “Will science make religion obsolete? Two scientists debate God, AI and the future. As artificial intelligence grows more powerful and science reveals ever more about the universe and ourselves, will belief in God eventually become obsolete? Or are the biggest questions precisely the ones science cannot answer?” You can access the piece here.
16. Bringing Science and Faith Together for a Doubting Generation
America: The Jesuit Review ran a story under the following headline: “Catholic priest’s new study Bible brings faith and science together for a doubting generation.” The piece opens with the following sentence: “When Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer realized a number of young Catholics were abandoning their faith in the name of science, he decided to do something about it: Create a new study Bible.” You can read the full story here.
17. American Religion in an Age of Science
I recently came across an old review of James Gilbert’s book, Redeeming Culture: American Religion in an Age of Science that appeared in American Scientist and thought it was worth sharing with you. The piece concludes with the following: “In the end, Gilbert argues that ‘religion and science probably cannot be reconciled, if only because we do not really desire any such closure.’ The range of interpretations of religion and science by practitioners from both communities makes it difficult to disagree with his final statement, ‘that one of the most creative impulses of American culture is the continuing presence of religion at the heart of scientific civilization.’" You can read the full review here.
18. Integrating Science into Faith Classrooms Through a Pedagogy of Compassion
The journal Teaching Theology and Religion just published an article entitled “Integrating Science Into Faith Classrooms Through a Pedagogy of Compassion.” The abstract notes, “By engaging neuroscience and evolutionary biology, faculty cultivates four core dispositions: awe, wonder, humility, and compassion. The article concludes that successful integration requires intentional course design and a scaffolded culture of trust to move students toward radical openness.” While the article is behind a paywall, the abstract is freely available here.
19. Science, Spirituality, and AI
The Boca Raton Tribune ran a story with a headline that nicely explained the article’s focus: “Science, Spirituality, and AI: A Physicist and a Rabbi Debate the Nature of Humanity at Rio Innovation Week 2026.” You can read the article here.
20. Young African Catholics Fight Against Climate Change
A recent article out of Nairobi, Kenya with the headline “Young African Catholics say faith inspires their fight against climate change” was published by Religion News Service. This heartwarming piece had a subhead saying, “‘The goal is to remind people that caring for creation is not a one-day event but an expression of our faith and a year-round commitment,’ said Brian Chacha, 25.” You can read the article here.
21. Asian Faith Leaders Urge Moral Resistance to Fossil Fuel Expansion
The Sunday Examiner ran a story entitled “Asian faith leaders urge moral resistance to fossil fuel expansion” which explained how “faith leaders called for a sustained interfaith movement to challenge fossil fuel expansion and prevent biodiversity-rich ecosystems and vulnerable communities from becoming sacrifice zones in the transition to renewable energy.” You can read the full story here.
22. Religion is Often Perverted
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. The first is entitled “Religion is Often Perverted” and, as his essays usually do, ranges widely, from Dostoyevsky to Bill Moyers and from Franklin Graham to the religious perversions so common in the Trump administration. You can read his essay here.
23. For Self Examination
Ken’s second essay this month is entitled “For Self Examination.” Perhaps a bit more philosophical than some of his essays, Ken explains that “among life’s huge tragedies is that of dying while still a stranger to oneself,” while lamenting that “We are given many instructions for making a living but very few for making a life.” He concludes by noting that “it’s a grave mistake to allow anyone else to determine for us what is true and false, whether that is an ignorant and immoral president, ill-educated but pontificating preachers, or propagandists posing as podcasters and news anchors. It’s our lives, our business, our own high calling as human beings.” You can read the full essay here.
24. Theology, Gardening and Climate Change
The Episcopal News Service recently posted an up-beat story dealing with theology, gardening and climate change. This paragraph should give you the flavor of the message: "Now, in a corner of west London, England, an Anglican church is using its proximity to one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world, Kew Gardens, as a reason for a new venture linking theology and nature. St Anne’s Church launched a new charity, Kew Theology & Gardening, to help deepen people’s connection with nature, develop a theology of the environment and explore climate change." You can read the full article here.
Concluding Thoughts
Another month, more attacks on science, more attacks on non-fundamentalist religion, more troubling climate change news, and growing concerns about the impact of both AI and the data centers that run it. Obviously, our work linking religion and science and calling for respect for both continues to be critically important. Thank you for your efforts. And for those of you who observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, shanah tovah, g'mar chatimah tovah.
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