A new project called Test of Faith has been a few years in the making, but the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion at Cambridge University is now offering DVD, book and course materials in the U.K., U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
The end goal is to show the compatibility of religion and science. Topics included in the series of materials are the Big Bang, creation, a look at the human brain, ethics of cloning and the idea of whether humans are more than mere biological machines. Contributors to the project include Alister McGrath, professor of theology, ministry and education and head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture at King’s College in London; Dr. Francis Collins, director at the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, director of the dialogue on science, ethics and religion for the American Association for the Advancement of Science and senior project scientist for the Hubble Space Telescope; and Simon Conway Morris, professor in the Earth Sciences Department at University of Cambridge.
The course is designed with non-scientists in mind and can be used by small groups that can move through a series of DVDs at their own pace.
Test of Faith materials also are divided into various age groups, with 11 to 18 year olds at one end of the spectrum and university students at the other. Church resources include the Test of Faith documentary that features scientists who share their Christian faith. A book entitled, Test of Faith: Spiritual Journeys with Scientists, tells the stories of ten of the scientists featured in the documentary.
More information on the materials available and their target audience can be found at www.testoffaith.com.
Susan is an author with a long-time interest in religion and science. She currently edits Covalence, the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology’s online magazine. She has written articles in The Lutheran and the Zygon Center for Religion and Science newsletter. Susan is a board member for the Center for Advanced Study of Religion and Science, the supporting organization for the Zygon Center and the Zygon Journal. She also co-wrote Our Bodies Are Selves with Dr. Philip Hefner and Dr. Ann Pederson.
