Preaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
/By: Revd Prof Charlotte Sleigh, ECLAS research consultant and curate of St Martin’s Church, Canterbury
Why should we encourage STEM conversations in the church? Has science been treated as a subject for a sermon that is to be avoided as it causes controversy and conversational unrest? Perhaps in the digital age we find ourselves in, we need to foster a love of science that encourages more scientific individuals to engage with the church and become missionaries in their fields. In this article, Charlotte Sleigh discusses three reasons we should include stories and illustrations from science in our preaching and then offers a resource that provides science-based stories to use in your sermons.
Science in a sermon? Surely not!
There are at least three good reasons to include stories and illustrations from science in our preaching. The first is that it honours and affirms the work that many members of our congregations perform. From radiologists to physics teachers, from programmers to biological researchers, from psychologists to engineers, you may be surprised by the number and range of STEM professionals in your church. Yet in our prayers and talks we can focus quite narrowly on the caring professions, potentially implicitly downplaying the value of a vocation in the sciences. By referring to science in our preaching, we encourage STEM professionals to see God’s valuation of their work, and to reflect more deeply on their working life in relation to their discipleship.
Secondly, by preaching science we also assert the value of science to the rest of the congregation. This might, for example, encourage children and young people that STEM is a valid vocation for them to pursue. It tells them that scientific curiosity about God’s world has value in its own right, as well as producing many benefits and blessings for humanity. Talking about science can reassure people that science is not a topic to be feared by Christians. I know from my own experience that it really is not uncommon for Christians to treat science as a no-go zone, fearful that science has somehow disproved the existence of God, or that the book of Genesis requires them to reject the science of evolution. Our preaching can demonstrate that science is quite an ordinary sort of human activity with many more aspects than these supposed big philosophical fists. We don’t even necessarily need to talk about these big questions; simply by talking about STEM in a regular and familiar sort of way we can start to demystify it.
Finally, science can help us unpack the wonders of the world and in so doing to glorify its creator. The earliest practitioners of modern science – natural historians and natural philosophers – understood this very well and were generally pious Christians. Today, seeing images of deep space or learning about the intricacies of a frog’s ecological behaviour can cause a ‘wow’ moment where we appreciate more deeply the scale and the loving detail of God (Psalm 19:1; Matthew 10:29).
So perhaps you’re persuaded of the value of preaching STEM. But – help! – where to start?
Science-based sermon stories and illustrations
People who are confident in science will find many points of connection to the Bible, most obviously descriptions of the natural world and the professions of healing. One of my personal favourite instances of science in the Bible is the story of Gideon, whose trial with the fleece might just be the first documented case of a controlled experiment (Judges 6:36-40)! Another route is to talk about the lives of scientists as examples of qualities that discipleship calls us to develop – patience, awe, a focus on the well-being of others.
But some of us need a bit more help to unpack science in relation to God, which is where ECLAS (Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science) can help.
As part of a research project based at the University of York we have created ‘Stories of Science and Faith’ which are short, shareable narratives which exemplify how science and faith can work together. These stories can be freely adapted and reproduced as material for sermons, study groups and parish magazines. They’re the perfect place to start exploring scientific themes with your congregation.
One of the first stories that we published, ‘The Nun and the Cheese,’ has all sorts of elements that make it suitable for an audience of either adults or children. Its real-life hero, Mother Noella, liked cheese so very much that she studied microbiology in order to make it… well, cheesier. Her story offers many ways in for the preacher. On a biographical level, it’s a great account of how a Christian has participated in scientific research and policy-making. (The US government tried to ban barrel-aged stinky cheese, but she helped stop them.) On top of that, it’s a neat example of success against worldly odds. On a practical level, Noella’s story is an illustration of the Benedictine principle that working with our hands is to participate in creation. On a deep theological level, Mother Noella reflects on the theological significance of enzymes, chemicals that effect change between two other substances. And from an all-age perspective, what better opportunity to hold a cheese-tasting in church?
We welcome your feedback on this and our other stories, and we’d love to hear your ideas and requests for other things that would help you in your preaching. Visit our website and get in touch by emailing amanda.rees@york.ac.uk
About ECLAS
Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science has been working for more than a decade to help the Church see science and Christianity as mutually enriching. Our Scientists in Congregations and Science for Seminaries awards support churches and theological colleges to engage in creative exploration of science and faith. Our policy work equips and informs Church of England bishops in their public roles. At our senior leader conferences, we bring church leaders together with leading scientists on topics including biodiversity, genetics, and AI. We are currently building a global community of researchers in Poland, Kenya, Singapore and India, to explore the impact of context on science-engaged theology.
