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Seminary of the Southwest Hosts Science-and-Religion Series
The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, (ETSS), co-sponsored two science-and-religion lectures in Austin, Texas, this spring, together with the Austin Presbyterian Seminary. Professor Frank N. Bash, who teaches at the University of Texas and directs its prestigious McDonald Observatory, presented the lectures on April 24 and 25.
The two seminaries, just blocks apart from each other and north of the University of Texas campus, are observing anniversaries of their foundings this year. The Presbyterian seminary is celebrating its centennial, while the Episcopal seminary is marking its fiftieth year. The two presented Dr. Bash's lectures as part of their anniversary celebrations.
Dr. Bash, who joined the University of Texas faculty in 1967, has research interests in large-scale structure of spiral galaxies and star formation on large scales. He was named Frank N. Edmonds Regents Professor in 1985 and in 1989 became director of the university's world-class McDonald Observatory in West Texas. The observatory produces the popular "StarDate" radio report.
For further information on these presentations, contact Mr. Bob Kinney, Communications Director at EETSS.-back to top-
Phina Borgeson Elected to the Network Steering Board
The Rev. Phina Borgeson (Diocese of Northern California) is the newest member of the Steering Board of the Network. A deacon with a background in biology, she currently serves as Director of the Faith Network Project for the National Center for Science Education, Oakland, California (NCSE).
The Board welcomes her experience in adult education design, ministry development, and organizational development. In addition to her work with NCSE, she is currently designing a distance-learning course in science and religion for the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley (CDSP).
Borgeson will serve as a consultant to the Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith. Its Subcommittee on Creation welcomes her professional connection with NCSE.
click for a larger image
The Network Steering Board is a subcommittee of the Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith. (See organizational chart.) Above, left to right: Dr. Robert Schneider, W. North Carolina (Records Secretary); Dr. Neil James, Florida (Committee consultant); the Rev. Tony Jewiss (General Convention staffperson to the Committee); the Rev. Dr. Norman Faramelli, Massachusetts (Committee); the Rev. Dr. Kendall Harmon, South Carolina (Committee); the Rev. Barbara Smith-Moran, Massachusetts (Convener); the Rev. Dr. J. John Keggi, Maine (Membership Secretary); Ms. Susan Youmans, Massachusetts (Committee); the Rev. Phina Borgeson, N. California (newly elected Member at Large); the Rev. Dr. Peter Arvedson, W. New York (Communications Officer); Dr. Sandra Michael, C. New York (Member at Large); Mr. Milton Coleman, C. New York (Treasurer).
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Minutes of the Steering Board Meeting
Discussion was opened regarding suggestions about what our Church ought to be taking notice of--what the Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith ought to consider taking up for further study. The following topics were put forward:
- stewardship of creation and environmental issue, e.g., global warming
- behavioral genetics
- the court system's interpretion/use of science; justice and junk science; the reputation of scientists as witnesses
- the Precautionary Principle
- simple, non-academic theology and science for parish education, for feeding and pushing to grow
- prayers and other elements of liturgy that are both literary and scientifically informed
- scientifically sound sermon-starters
- the whole cluster of issues around disparagement of science by preachers
- resources to help people read science and not abuse it in the treatment of contemporary issues; tools rather than canned material from the media, who go for the headline and the polarization of issues
- a column in Network Newsletter and/or reviews of junk science books
- speakers bureau
- use of the Network Newsletter to respond to national and international news
- finding community on the internet; cyberpriests
- the growing trend to take your whole office with you on vacation, as phones, computers, printers get smaller and smaller
- cell phones and public manners, public display of private lives
- effects of communication technology on relationships, privacy
- the implications of technology for the church and its mission
- inwardness and egoism
- the unintended, unforeseen consequences of technology, including those distant in time and space; pastoral component
NOTE: Network members and other readers are encouraged to email additions to this list to Communications Officer The Rev. Dr. Peter Arvedson, S.O.Sc.
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Tips in Effective Writing for Science/Religion Committees
In mid-April, the science-and-religion committees from several Christian denominations in Canada and the U.S. met for the annual Ecumenical Roundtable on Science Technology and the Church. Hosted in Louisville, Kentucky, by the Presbyterian Church (USA) delegation, the Roundtable heard a presentation planned by the Episcopal Church Network. Since education and communication are priorities in the mission across all the committees, the Network invited Mr. Jim DeLa, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Southwest Florida, to present a plenary talk and lead a break-out practicum on effective writing. He conveyed a wealth of insight from his experience with the secular and religious presses, and everyone enjoyed his relaxed presentation, sense of humor, and know-how. Following is a sampling of DeLa's wisdom.Two questions to ask at the outset:
(1) What do you want to say?
(2) Whom do you want to say it to?
The average reader craves simplicity, clarity, and understanding, so:
(a) focus, focus, and more focus;
(b) narrow your subject matter down tightly;
(c) simplify.
The "fog index" provides a measure of what level you want to write for the audience you will be writing for. Take a typical passage of about 100 words (ending at a period); count the number of sentences, colons, and semicolons in the passage, and divide that into the number of words (to get the average sentence length). To that number, add the number of words of more than two syllables in the passage. Multiply that sum by 0.4 to get the "fog index." Aim for 7-8.
For reference, the average newspaper comes out about 6-7; Time, about 8; The Atlantic, 13 or higher; the Bible, 5-6. (There is a "fog index calculator" and some other tips, Jim tells us, at the University of Minnesota Policy Library .)
Don't edit your own copy; it is easy to overlook mistakes in grammar and spelling.
In writing for the web, articles should be shorter than those one finds in a printed source.
Suggestions for content of parish newsletters: (a) have parishioners submit questions; (b) provide partial answers in a short statement; (c) list web sites, different sites for different subjects; (d) on controversial topics, move from polarization to discussion and dialogue.
Four goals for communication:
- to inform: teach something new
- to enlighten: explain the reasons for the new information
- to entertain: make it painless
- to inspire: motivate the reader to greater interest or action
Left to right: Dr. Karl Peters (Unitarian Universalist Association), Dr. Neil James (Episcopal Church), Dr. Derek Pursey (Presbyterian Church), the Rev. Barbara Smith-Moran (Episcopal Church), Mr. Jim DeLa (guest speaker). Click for larger image
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To learn more about the Ecumenical Roundtable on Science, Technology and the Church, see their website at URL http://www.pcs.cnu.edu/~khoffman/ELCA/RT_Purpose.html.
What Every Christian Should Know about Quantum Mechanics
[Fresh religious insights are often found by reference to the language and metaphors of other disciplines, especially the sciences. St. Andrew's Church in Framingham, Mass., recently hosted such a cross-disciplinary "fertilization" opportunity, led by Network member Paul Bamberg, Senior Lecturer on Mathematics, Harvard University. He has kindly provided us with his notes below, including the caveat.]Beware: the author is a well-trained physicist and and mathematician but has no credentials in theology. Understand the physics, then draw your own theological conclusions!
Issues to be considered:- 1. Quantum mechanics and statements that appear self-contradictory (e.g., waves, particles, and the dual nature of light and matter)
- 2. What does it mean to "know everything?"
- Probability in classical physics
- Probability in quantum physics
- Does God really "play dice with the universe"?
- Might God have access to "hidden variables"?
- 3. Can a system be observed without influencing it?
- a. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle
- b. The importance of "indistinguishable alternatives"