Real Scientists, Real Faith by R J Berry

Real Scientists, Real Faith by R J Berry

The science / faith debate rages on. Richard Dawkins and others yield to the temptation to imply that their opponents are men of straw. Yet many leading scientists have an active Christian faith. Here 18 scientists, all esteemed by their peers, tackle two questions: What difference their faith makes to their scientific practice; and what difference their science makes to their understanding of their faith. Each was free to describe their personal experiences, the ways they have dealt with problems, or to reflect on their life as Christians in a scientific world. Many of the writers describe how they had to face up to reinterpreting their understanding of God or the Bible; crucially, none of them have had to compromise their beliefs because of their science.

Contributors include:

• Francis Collins, Director, Human Genome Project
• Joan Centrella, Chief of the Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA
• Denis Alexander, Director, Faraday Institute, Cambridge
• Alister McGrath, Professor of Theology, King's College London, and molecular biologist

R. J. Berry was professor of genetics at University College London from1974 to 2000. He is a distinguished ecologist, having served as president of the British Ecological Society and the European Ecological Federation and he is the author of over 200 scientific papers. For many years, Berry has been involved in debates about the relationship of science and the Christian faith. He is a founding member of the International Society for Science and Religion, an ex-president ofChristians in Science, and a Gifford Lecturer. He has also served on the Ethics Working Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and represented the U.K. government at a G7 conference which led to the drawing up of a Code of Environmental Practice.