Jamie Jensen: The Perceived Tension Between Science and Religion

According to a 2015 Pew Research study, 59 percent of Americans believe that science and religion are often in conflict. This perceived tension between the two can be especially challenging for students in fields such as biology, who may encounter scientific theories that seem to contradict their faith. As a biology professor at Brigham Young University, Jamie Jensen has seen firsthand how science can either deepen or diminish students’ spirituality. In this week’s episode, she shares strategies for helping students approach science in a way that enhances their understanding of God’s wonders, rather than detracting from it.

“When you’re building a testimony and you’re gathering spiritual evidence, that evidence is still real, it’s still measurable, but the instrumentation we use is different. So instead of using thermometers, or rulers or calipers, we’re using our spiritual eyes, personal revelation, feelings that are inside, and it’s just as real, but it’s not as tangible.” —Jamie Jensen

Show Notes

1:45- Teaching Science to Students of Faith 6:02- Scientific Process and Spiritual Process 8:42- Big S Science and Little S Science 10:56- Science is Agnostic? 19:18- Comfortable in Uncertainty 24:19- Dogmatism 26:17- Correct Evidence and False Evidence 29:37- Teaching Science in the Home 32:17- One Take on Evolution 43:03- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Links & References:

Let’s Talk About Science and Religion book

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