Scientists and their Place in the Church

Andy Crouch has been mentioned on this blog a couple of times in the past year, in the context of literature and the arts. Today we commend to you this excellent piece entitled “What I Wish My Pastor Knew About…The Life of a Scientist”. I have written briefly about some aspects of this a decade ago, in a piece entitled “Science: A Cultural Activity”, but this new article represents a much more thorough and insightful presentation on the life of a scientist, and how congregations and pastors can positively interact with their scientist members.

After discussing the delight & wonder, intellectual humility, frustration, collaboration, competition, risk, isolation, and specialization which characterize the life of a scientist, Crouch addresses the topic of ministering to scientists. A key sentence in his conclusion is: “If there is one thing that Christians ought to insist on when we approach questions of science and religion, it seems to me that it is the primacy of persons—the persons who practice science, and the persons who are affected by its practice.” We welcome your engagement with this inside look into the life of a scientist.