Teaching Science to Religious Students: Emerging Issues in Higher Education

Recent studies indicate that as many as 75% of all college students share a belief in God.  While fewer claim to attend religious services regularly, the beliefs of these students clearly affect many aspects of their daily lives, including the way in which they will approach university courses in the sciences. A number of specific scientific concepts, including cosmic expansion, geologic history, biological evolution, social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience routinely meet strong resistance from students of faith, and present a distinct challenge for instructors

I will review a number of these conflicts, and will suggest specific strategies for dealing with student concerns, with special emphasis on developing a thorough student understanding of evolutionary biology.  Emphasizing science as a process enables students to see scientific ideas as the product of rational, fact-driven inquiry rather than doctrine, and this can be essential in developing an acceptance of established science.  Pointing out the historical role of religious institutions in the establishment of western science is another, as is describing the role that people of faith have played in key scientific developments.  If properly presented, science need not be compromised or soft-pedaled to accommodate religious concerns.  Rather, students can be shown how an acceptance of the scientific approach is essential to develop a rational understanding of nature, even in a religious context.