Science and Pentecostalism?

June 19, 2006 == MEDIA ADVISORY

What does speaking in tongues have to do with the theory of relativity?

A new research initiative at Calvin College and Regent University will address
that type of question and the many others found at the intersection of science
and spirituality.

The two schools recently were awarded a grant of $162,078 from the John
Templeton Foundation for a project called "Science and the Spirit: Pentecostal
Perspectives on the Science/Religion Dialogue."

Heading up the effort will be Amos Yong, a theology professor at Regent's
Divinity School, and James K.A. Smith, a philosophy professor at Calvin.

With the funding, they have assembled a team of scholars from across the
country to study the places where science and Pentecostal faith meet.

The research team members will engage in individual research, then gather for
a colloquium at Regent University in June 2007 to discuss their work. The fruit
of the research will be published in journals in their varying fields.

The scholars will then turn attention to producing a book that will be used in
science courses at Pentecostal and charismatic universities around the world.

The time is right for such a study the two say since this year marks the
centenary of the Azusa Street Revival that was a catalyst for the Pentecostal
movement, the fastest growing sector of Christianity in the world.

"There is a clearly a need for Pentecostal and charismatic traditions to take
science seriously," Yong says. "We live in a modern world that reaps
incredible benefits from science, and Pentecostal communities have been quick
to avail themselves of applied science via technology. But to date, we have not
reflected on science."

Smith echoes the point.

"We believe that Pentecostals need to seriously engage the sciences as
Pentecostals," he says, "and need to be involved in the science and religion
dialogue. But we also believe that the need here is reciprocal: we believe that
Pentecostal spirituality, with its distinct emphasis on the Spirit and
pneumatology, can yield unique insights for the broader science and religion
dialogue."

The research team includes scholars from a wide array of fields, including
biology, chemistry, psychology, anthropology, sociology, physics, as well as
theology and philosophy.

While Pentecostalism is often seen as anti-intellectual, both Yong and Smith
emphasize the support they've received from their Pentecostal faith
communities. Yong and Smith admit that the conversation between Pentecostalism
and science will have its bumpy spots, but they are encouraged by the response
so far.
 
Contact Smith at jkasmith@calvin.edu or 616-526-6419
For the full story see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2005_06/smith_grant.htm
For the Science and the Spirit website see
http://www.calvin.edu/scs/scienceandspirit

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Received on Mon Jun 19 10:00:39 2006