One very clear memory from my freshman year of college is of a Sunday afternoon that I spent in the library trying to learn the details about the oxidative-phosphorylation, one chemical pathway in mitochondria (i.e., the powerhouse of the cell). I spent hours sitting with my notebook, pen, and biology textbook trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together. My initial motivation was trying to understand enough to pass the test I had the next day. But puzzling through the processes involved in passing electrons between protein clusters and figuring out how that energy is coupled to other chemical reactions and molecular pumps was extremely satisfying in the way that some people enjoy putting together a difficult jigsaw puzzle.
At some point I realized that the deep thinking I did to figure out the nuances of the Kreb’s cycle, acid-base interactions, or photosynthesis was a way to love God with all my mind. As a research scientist I feel very fortunate to have a career that allows me to love God this way on a daily basis. Unfortunately, not everyone sees science as a way to love God. Sadly there are people who think science is something that takes away from God’s greatness. Some others even think science and religion are polar opposites and will always be in conflict with each other.
As someone who takes extreme joy in learning about God by studying Creation, it makes me sad to hear someone say they don’t like science. Even more tragic the folks who have decided they can do without science or scientists. Life on earth is becoming more intertwined with technology every day, and decisions will need to be made about how and where we use them. People who love God and seek to obey his commandments should have a part in making those decisions, but that requires people who have religious faith to have a basic understanding of, and an appreciation for the laws put in place by the Creator of the Universe.
Some of the most fruitful discussions I’ve had about science and religious faith have not necessarily been with other Christians – they were with an interfaith group of science communicators, pastors, rabbis, physicians, and scientists who were gathered together in a cohort of Sinai and Synapses Fellows. As an organization, “Sinai and Synapses bridges the religious and scientific worlds, offering people a worldview that is scientifically grounded and spiritually uplifting.” As part of this mission, the Sinai and Synapses Fellowship brings together people of all faiths to discuss issues relating to science, religion, and society. I was selected to be part of the most recent class of fellows, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it was a transformative experience.
Each Fellowship class last for 2 years and meets regularly in New York for exhaustive one-day meetings. Each meeting included a guest speaker, several large group discussions, some small group discussions, and lots of informal chats over coffee and bagels or Chinese food. I came away from every meeting with an overflowing brain and a long list of new titles to add to my “books-to-read” stack. Some of the speakers, like Dr. Jennifer Wiseman and Professor Karl Giberson, are Christians, but many, like Rabbi Brad Hirschfield and Professor Stuart Firestein are Jewish. It was truly an interfaith experience, and I learned something new about how to love my neighbor from everyone of them.
I read somewhere, possibly in Rabbi Brad Hirschfield’s book You Don’t Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right, that people who don’t feel safe are not willing to be uncomfortable. There were definitely a few conversations that challenged my worldview and made me uncomfortable. But Rabbi Geoff Mitelman has a true gift for creating a safe place to be uncomfortable and discuss controversial topics. Ultimately, any discomfort I experienced strengthened my faith.
During my time as a Sinai and Synapses fellow, I became part of a community with many people I would never have met otherwise — a preacher and author from Canada who writes about creation being God’s other book, a professor from the University of Arkansas who helps future science teachers learn to discuss science and faith issues in their classrooms, a pastor and psychologist from North Carolina who introduced me to Womanist Theology, a communications specialist whose work focuses on the intersection between religion and democracy, and many others.
Sinai and Synapses is currently accepting applications for the next cohort of Fellows. The deadline is Tuesday, June 25th, 2024. Anyone who is interested in discussing religious faith and science in a safe, but not always comfortable, interfaith environment should apply. I’d be happy to answer questions about my experience, or you can visit the Sinai and Synapses website to learn more.
Dr. Julie A. Reynolds is a Research Scientist at The Ohio State University in the department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. She studies insect physiology and biochemistry with the goal of learning how animals adapt to extreme environments and survive changes in climate. In addition to writing for the Emerging Scholars Network, she is actively engages in discussions about science and faith as a Sinai and Synapses Fellow.
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