Christians in the Sciences

This smart looking priestly fellow is Georges Lemaître - Catholic priest and scientist.

You might be surprised to learn that Lemaître was one of the first physicists to formulate what we know today as the “Big Bang” theory.

And he’s just one of many in the Church’s rich scientific history.

The Church’s Scientist

Some of the most influential minds in Western science were Christian - a fact that doesn’t get brought up nearly enough.

So, to promote awareness of some of our faith’s most brilliant scientific thinkers, here’s a brief (and I mean brief) survey:

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

The German Kepler was a devout Lutheran whose laws of planetary motion are foundational to modern astronomy. 

His works were so influential that they would go on to influence the likes of Sir Isaac Newton (himself a believer in Christianity, albeit an unorthodox version).

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Blaise Pascal is one of those individuals whose existence makes us normal people feel bad about ourselves.

This Frenchman was a Catholic who was not only a brilliant theological and philosophical thinker, but a mathematician and physicist as well.

His influence extends to a majority of areas, including probability theory and fluid mechanics - topics way above my paygrade.

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)

This Austrian monk (of the Augustinian order, the same as the current Pope) is known as the “father of genetics” for his experiments with pea plants.

As his nickname suggests, his contributions are vital to the modern field of genetics and understanding of how we get specific traits from our parents.

Now, it could easily be said that these thinkers came from a time where religion was more commonplace, so, of course they were Christian.

Well, to prove that the Church’s scientists didn’t dry up in the last one hundred years, here’s….

Francis Collins (b. 1950)

This American evangelical was the director of the Human Genome Project - one of the most influential and notable scientific endeavours in recent years. (He’s such a respectable scientist and man that he even won the admiration of staunch atheists like Christopher Hitchens.)

In 2006, Collins released The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, explaining his faith and providing scientific support for God’s existence.

I could go on.

The Gift of Science

I’m going to be blunt - it’s absolutely ludicrous to think that just because someone is a Christian, they can’t be involved in science.

Even here in our own community, we have devout believers who are skilled in the sciences.

Recently, I’ve been helping a sister from China practice her English for job interviews involving her doctoral work in molecular genetics.

Another one of our brothers is a trained chemist who has worked in labs in the Middle East.

They’re both inspirations to me as they use their gifts to enhance scientific understanding for the glory and love of God.

Because Lord knows I can’t do it.

Come back tomorrow as we close out our series.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter