How Dialogue on 'Ingenuity in Nature' Increases Enthusiasm for Engineering and Science in Traditional Religious Communities

The perceived conflict between science and traditional religious beliefs appears to be one reason why some young people shy away from pursuing careers in engineering and other STEM fields. A three year grant from the BioLogos Foundation, to help traditional religious communities appreciate the ingenuity displayed by our evolving universe, is assisting in alleviating this unfortunate trend. Engineering students and faculty members work together to develop, and deliver, seminars in local schools and churches that demonstrate compatibility between science and religion, with emphasis on the role that engineering can play in this ongoing dialogue. The project team has committed to conduct 250 of these seminars over the life of the grant, with an anticipated total direct audience of approximately 12,500 people. Religions and religious denominations often take a simplistic view of origins based largely on a particular interpretation of creation accounts offered by the special revelation of sacred scriptures. The project team is currently working to complement this view with up-to-date information from science and engineering. Most denominations recognize that the general revelation of nature also has an important role to play in providing information about origins. One way that science and religion constructively interact occurs when religion allows current scientific discoveries to inform its interpretations of scripture. The application of concepts from the field of engineering has proven useful in helping religious groups engage in this kind of interaction with science. In the process, appreciation for ingenuity in nature and enthusiasm for engineering appear to be increasing in participating religious communities. Among several other outcomes, preliminary survey data indicate that a strong majority of participants either “agree” or “strongly agree” that their participation in the aforementioned seminars not only “helps me appreciate the ingenuity that underlies our universe,” but also “increases my enthusiasm for science or engineering.” Engineering students who serve on the project team have also acknowledged significant benefits as a result of participating in this project. Among other outcomes, data from a separate survey indicate enhancements in their communication skills, their ability to lead in the midst of contentious issues, and their understanding of personal mission and purpose. They also experienced an increased enthusiasm for engineering and science, which should not be underappreciated when considering the challenge of completing a rigorous undergraduate engineering degree. Engineering Insight on Life’s Big Questions The world is a crazy place. Lots of wild things happen, both amazingly good and extraordinarily bad. It is enough to make one wonder if anyone is actually running this show. That is a good question. In fact, that is the right question. The answer to this question greatly influences how people live their lives, and who they become. The universe seems engineered specifically to make us curious about many things, especially such “big questions” as the existence of God, and life after death. This is one of the reasons why education is so valuable. School should satisfy the P ge 26851.2