Productive faith/science dialogue continues to move forward in numerous ways around the world despite of and because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as chronicled in this month’s edition of Covalence.
We begin with a recap from a Zoom presentation from Dr. Philip Hefner, who artfully and fascinatingly outlines ways forward for religion and science to respond to social justice issues that have emerged during the pandemic. Hefner wrote, “In the present multi-layered crisis in which we find ourselves, people are crying out for new possibilities — in the streets, in the hospitals and labs, in the homes of our land. These are cries for imagination.”
Working in the lab and very conscious of the multi-faceted challenges faced in the current public health sphere is Rebecca Smith, who is an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois, and a member of an ELCA congregation. She touches on the ethical issues that epidemiologists face daily and discussed how non-scientists should view scientific information in an era where science denial has become widespread.
Lastly, we highlight a new(ish) book that looks at astronomy and how it intersects with religion. The book that was edited and authored by an interdisciplinary and international team of scholars eager to reveal how religion and cosmology are intertwined.
Be well, and read on!
Susan Barreto, Editor
Covalence
@luthcovalence
relandsci@gmail.com
