Continuing Education workshop participants discuss next steps for the project. | Elise Miller & Rob O’Malley, AAAS

Science and technology affect nearly every aspect of our modern lives. A significant portion of citizens seek guidance on such issues from a trusted religious leader. However, many pastors and religious leaders feel unprepared to discuss science because, in many cases, their own experience with science has been limited. They may not have encountered science in their theological education, nor do they have reliable sources for current scientific information scoped for their needs.

Science for Theological Education Projects

Climate Science in Theological Schools

The Climate Science in Theological Education project provides grants to seminaries to specifically engage the important issue of climate change in the context of theological education and ministry. Applications for this grant will be open from July 24 to September 17, 2023.

Science for Seminaries

This project supported seminaries in their efforts to incorporate forefront science into their core curricula and to prepare future clergy to address questions of science, ethics, and religion with their congregations. Integrating science into seminary education will not only benefit professors and students, but ultimately it will enrich those in the pews who are interested in the discoveries and implications of science. As of December 2022, the project has finished its second phase. Click here to read the report from the first phase.

Science in Continuing Education for Pastors

This pilot project aimed to increase religious leaders’ engagement with science so they felt comfortable discussing scientific topics and issues with their congregants. Building on the Science for Seminaries project, this project integrated scientific and technological topics that are relevant to contemporary pastoral ministry into continuing education resources at four seminaries. Read the report here.

Science Engagement in Rabbinic Training

This pilot project was built on the Science for Seminaries project by fostering a science program in rabbinic education, thereby broadening the scope of religious communities reached by the project. Partnering with Sinai and Synapses, DoSER supported Jewish educational institutions as they worked to nurture productive dialogue and community engagement with science, and built momentum for increased involvement at the science-Judaism interface at Jewish institutions.