Q&A with Editors Heidi A. Campbell and Heather Looy

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Baker Academic: What need did you see for a primer like this?

Heather Looy (HL): Every field of study has its own set of concepts, methods, and history. As the academy has become increasingly (and tragically) fragmented, the ability to engage in meaningful conversation across disciplinary silos has become difficult. When Heidi and I joined a group of international scholars to engage in science and religion dialogue, we almost immediately experienced a need for a resource that would provide an entry point to the diversity of topics involved in this area of discourse. We wished that we had access to a source like the Primer that would give us a brief, basic, and accessible understanding of some of the concepts that repeatedly emerge in this conversation but with which we were unfamiliar because of our particular disciplinary expertise. We wanted a resource that not only provides definitions but also contextualizes the concepts: How do they play out in SR dialogue? Why are there strong reactions to certain ideas? And where could we go to learn more about those concepts we found particularly promising for the questions we were asking?

We knew we were not alone in this need, and if seasoned scholars were experiencing this problem, how much more so those who are new to science and religion questions? For meaningful dialogue to occur, there was a need for an accessible, affordable, and reasonably scaled resource to help all the conversation partners get on the same page.

Heidi Campbell (HC): One of the challenges of being involved in the science and religion dialogue is that it is a multidisciplinary conversation. That means it requires knowledge and understanding from a variety of disciplines, including history, philosophy, different sciences, and theology/religious studies. It is often impossible for beginners to have the background knowledge required to follow, let alone be a knowledgeable participant in many of the complex discussions that deal with topics such as philosophy of mind and human consciousness. Therefore the Primer seeks to provide a way in to such conversation by helping to outline the key concepts and debates around which many debates in science and religion revolve.

Baker Academic: How does the book promote a respectful and intelligent dialogue between science and religion?

HL: First, on our advisory board we have senior scholars who have been effectively engaging in such respectful and intelligent dialogue for many years. They are known by and speak to a wide audience in the academy. Second, we deliberately invited contributions from people with deep expertise in their fields to provide a solid grounding in the relevant concepts and figures, rather than people who are primarily “SR scholars” but who might not have as much depth of knowledge in these specific areas. Third, we tried to include contributors who represent multiple perspectives on the ways in which the concepts are relevant to SR dialogue—all believe in a respectful conversation but they are not all “sold” on one particular approach to SR. Fourth, every entry contextualizes the concept or figure, showing readers multiple points of view. For example, the entry on intelligent design acknowledges the highly controversial nature of this concept and raises points both questioning and supporting its usefulness. The “further reading” sections also represent a range of views on each concept so that readers who seek more in-depth knowledge are led to multiple perspectives.

HC: Overall the book aims to serve as a vital resource to the SR field by not only providing definitions and background information to key issues but also contextualizing them and providing resources for those who wish to delve deeper into specific issues of interest. The Primer’s structure makes it an excellent introduction for students and a resource that scholars can use in the classroom to help explain complex ideas.

Baker Academic:  Can you discuss how bewildering it can be for scholars and students from disciplines other than science and religion to engage the SR conversation?

HL: See my answer to #2 above. To add to that: Heidi and I were involved in the Templeton Seminars in Science and Christianity at Oxford from 2003 to 2005, which was a rich but very challenging experience. Our first summer we quickly realized our need to expand our background of different disciplinary areas, and we had the gift of being able to ask colleagues with different expertise about particular concepts and raise questions about key debates to clarify our thinking. However, most people encountering the SR dialogue don’t have that opportunity. There are a set of concepts and figures that repeatedly come up in SR dialogue but which may be unfamiliar to newcomers or to people coming from disciplines other than those from which a particular concept has emerged. There’s nothing more frustrating or discouraging than trying to have a conversation when the conversation partners do not share a common language or basic understanding. We believe SR dialogue is vital if humanity is going to find effective and meaningful ways to engage the challenges we face. Thus the Primer is a resource intended as a kind of “phrase book” that will get people started. Once they begin, their mutual vocabulary will rapidly grow.

Baker Academic: How does A Science and Religion Primer provide these scholars and students an accessible entry into the conversation?

HL: In addition to the things we’ve already noted above, we have worked hard to make the Primer accessible to the educated layperson by aiming it at an undergraduate reading level. We also asked the contributors to select further reading resources on the basis not only of accuracy and balance but also of accessibility. The annotations inform readers about the content and readability of each resource. We also developed an index that lists not only entries but also multiple other concepts and figures that are mentioned within the entries. This allows readers to move from a wide range of concepts and figures into the Primer to find definitions and contexts for each and to cross-reference this information.

Baker Academic: What is the section layout of the book and what does it have offer to readers?

HL: The Primer begins with an introduction contextualizing SR dialogue. Part 1 consists of four essays that provide a brief overview of the historical development of SR dialogue and the roles of theology, philosophy, and science in this conversation. These are written by senior scholars in science and religion who are gifted at communicating at multiple levels. For readers who want a general sense of what SR dialogue is, where it has come from, where it is headed, and why it matters, Part 1 is a must read. Part 2, the bulk of the Primer, consists of eighty-eight entries covering a range of key concepts and figures in science and religion. While necessarily selective, these are concepts that, in our experience, repeatedly emerge in SR dialogue and with which people without expertise in those disciplinary areas are likely to be unfamiliar. Each entry contains a definition, a section contextualizing the concept or figure, and an annotated set of resources for further reading. A carefully cross-referenced index allows readers entry into the Primer from multiple concepts and names, even those that do not have their own entry.

Baker Academic: In which classroom settings will your book be most practical?

HL: This book would be useful in many different kinds of classroom settings, and because it is so affordable, instructors can add it as a supplemental text without too much financial pain to the students. Obviously, it will be useful in explicit science and religion courses. However, it will also be useful in any context where the instructor hopes to provide some integrative approaches to their discipline, even if the course itself has a strong disciplinary focus. Thus colleges and universities, and even some high schools, that emphasize liberal arts education, foundational learning, discussion of worldviews, and integration will find this book useful across the curriculum. I myself plan to use the book as a supplemental text in courses in research methodology, history of the discipline, science and religion courses, and senior capstone courses in my discipline.

I believe the book would also be useful in more-intensive adult education programs in churches and at least as a library resource for high school science departments. It will also be of use in faculty discussions—for example, our natural science faculty regularly meet to talk about SR questions and would find this book very useful to support that conversation, especially as junior members join the conversation.

Baker Academic: In what way do you envision this book being used in the classroom?

HL: As a supplemental text, so that instructors can raise SR questions without having to take up significant classroom time introducing students to the language. Students will find it useful when given integrative or reflective papers and exam questions. Instructors could also direct students to particularly relevant entries and use them as a jumping-off point to get students to explore the concept more fully by using the further readings.