Theology, Science, and Creation
Every year on April 22, people around the world observe Earth Day by directing their care and attention toward creation. To mark Earth Day 2022, we’d like to introduce Dr. Mayo Adigun and Dr. Karen Wiebe, two scientists whose study of theology has enriched the joy and wonder they experience in their scientific work. We’ve also highlighted a few resources to enhance your own commitment to creation care this Earth Day.
Mayo Adigun
Dr. Mayo Adigun is a chemical engineering researcher based in Santa Clara, California. He took a course on Theology and Science with Ross Hastings and David Robinson in Winter 2021.
I was drawn to study theology and science at Regent because I knew firsthand how classes at Regent seek to engage, foster, and steward each human endeavour. I wanted to explore the science and theology interface in order to think more clearly about my calling, and perceive how my Christian faith could provide me with encouraging warrants to delight in studying, understanding, and engineering God’s good world.
I have come to see both theology and science as necessary for a coherent outlook. As a scientist, I have to trust (and not merely assume) that the creator is trustworthy to uphold the natural laws and repeatability of his creation in an effort to reveal more about the world he loves and has given to us to tend. As a Christian, I have found many of the scientific modes of thought and the intellectual tenacity they encourage to be useful tools to engage my faith more thoughtfully.
Studying science and theology through lectures, readings, and vibrant conversations has given me deep joy and a more tangible sense of wonder in my work, especially as I derive explanations for the latest round of data and explain those possibilities to fellow scientists. I get the wonderful sense of peeking over the creator’s shoulder. Also, as a result of the community I engaged with at Regent, I am assured that others also share this joy and wonder.
Karen Wiebe
Dr. Karen Wiebe (pictured above with a feathered friend) is an ornithologist and professor of biology at the University of Saskatchewan. Like Mayo, she participated in Regent’s Theology and Science course in Winter 2021.
I came to study theology and science at Regent after 25 years as a Professor of Biology at a secular university. I'd found a way to reconcile my Christian faith with science, but the nagging myth of conflict between religion and science was prevalent in my workplace and made me want to explore connections between theology and science in a deeper way.
Regent’s Theology and Science course gave me a new appreciation for the philosophical and theological underpinnings of science. Science works best to describe how nature functions mechanistically, but theology contributes ultimate meaning and purpose to what scientists do. Methodologically, the way I conduct science has not changed as a result of this course. But on a personal level, I feel more encouragement in my work, knowing that science is also a form of worship and a way to equip ourselves for a Christian calling as caretakers of this earth.
For people trained in science, Regent is an excellent place to stretch one's mind while learning about philosophical and theological approaches to the study of nature. You can bring your questions, your viewpoints, and your expertise. All are welcomed with respect.
Resources for Earth Day
Making Peace with Creation
Professor Emeritus Loren Wilkinson has spent his life as a poet and theologian writing and teaching about the meaning of creation. In the feature-length documentary Making Peace With Creation, Loren asks what we can do about the massive environmental problems facing our world, and whether it’s possible to find hope in an age of climate change and ocean degradation. His search for answers brings him into conversation with leading thinkers, artists, and activists along the way.
- Read more about the film
- Watch an interview with Loren and filmmaker Iwan Russell-Jones
- Download Making Peace with Creation Study Guide (PDF | 3,644 KB)
Lecture Series: Christianity and the Environment
For a deep dive on what it means to serve creation as God’s representatives on earth, check out this lecture series on Christianity and the Environment. These four lectures examine creation care from a biblical and theological perspective, looking at the redemptive hope that is offered to us through Christ and how we can walk forward as “priestly earth-keepers.”
Regent Interface
The Interface website is home to dozens of video, audio, and text resources related to theology and science. Take a look at the Ecology collection, or browse all the resources by topic or format.