Where Faith and Science Meet

If you were to ask an atheist on the street if they believe in God, they might say something like, “God? Umm…no. I don’t think there’s a God. You see, I believe in science…” This is the either/or question of our culture: faith or science? Faith, in this case, isn’t talking about a belief in something. Notice that the common response to the question about faith and science is a belief in science. Rather, faith here implies religion, particularly, Christianity. So really, this “either/or” that’s posed is a question of Christianity or science. But what if your answer is both/and? Must they be contradictory?

Integration of Faith and Science

Contrary to our culture, Christians actually believe that science and faith are intricately interwoven. It’s simply not an option to separate the two. Belief in an Intelligent Designer actually opens your eyes to a whole new perspective of the world around us. When those who have faith interact with science, it develops a sense of purpose for research, a hunger for knowledge, and it creates an awe in our observation of the world around us. From a Christian perspective, science is a creation, carefully fashioned by the Creator. When you consider the world to be part of His plan and not the result of chance, there’s a unique appreciation for it. You start to see that Someone took care to balance the planets in their orbits, construct the ecosystem so that life flourishes and paint the world with color and intentional beauty. With faith, science is seen through new eyes.

At Grace College, there’s no exception. It is important to us that students’ faith in their creator is emboldened along with their knowledge of His creation, which is why we work carefully to integrate faith and science in our courses. It’s not just about praying before the class, though that is something we do. It’s more than that. This is about teaching each class through the lens of Christianity, encouraging students to view creation through the eyes of faith.

Faith and science aren’t contradictory. They’re complementary. So, as we educate the upcoming leaders of our world, it is vital that the two are integrated. This will allow our students to grow boldly in their particular fields, ready to be lights to the individuals with which they interact. A whole new world is opened to those who allow science and faith to intertwine, a world where truth and beauty abound, and where the glory is given to the Creator.

By Adelaide Sutter: Grace College student studying Visual Communication Design