Review
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Title: Let’s Talk About Science and Religion
Author: Jamie L. Jensen and Seth M. Bybee
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Genre: nonfiction
Year Published: 2023
Number of Pages: 144
Binding: paperback
ISBN: 978-1-63993-149-1
Price: $12.99
Reviewed by Dr. Raymond Hurst (dr.raymond.hurst@gmail.com) for the Association for Mormon Letters
In the world of quantum physics, there is a concept known as wave-particle duality. This concept posits that at the quantum level, entities can exhibit either wave-like properties or particle-like properties, depending on the experimental circumstances. In much the same manner, the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ can be viewed as a type of duality. Young children and newly converted members can grasp the fundamental ideas of faith, repentance, and baptism, while those with more experience can dig deeply into scriptural concepts (temple worship, the law of consecration, etc.) and come away profoundly touched and moved to personal action.
Deseret Book’s Let’s Talk About Science and Religion by Jamie L. Jensen and Seth M. Bybee, explores this type of duality in an eminently readable book that takes complex scientific and spiritual concepts and explains them in clearly understandable and accessible terms for the general public.
Following the Introduction, the 144-page paperback is divided into two sections; Section I: Reconciling Science and Religion, and Section II: “Sticky Topics” in the Life Sciences. Each section contains explanatory information, using very precise and personally relatable examples. Following section II, the book ends with a Conclusion, Further Reading (23 references arranged by topic), a Notes section, containing 188 notes arranged by section and chapter, and a thorough index.
The authors approach this duality with a clear focus on balancing the scientific and the spiritual. In reviewing this book, the words of one of the 20th century’s greatest scientists and philosophers came to mind over and over;
“The old scientific ideal of episteme — of absolutely certain, demonstrable knowledge — has proved to be an idol. The demand for scientific objectivity makes it inevitable that every scientific statement must remain tentative forever.”
KarlPopper
The Logic of Scientific Discovery:
Logik Der Forschung (1959, 2002),280
The tentative nature of science is evident in each section and further emphasized in several places. As an example, in Chapter 1 of Section I, The Nature and Limitations of Science as a Way of Knowing, a thought experiment using a Lego contraption concealed in a bag is superb in its ability to address what it means to truly know something. This thought experiment leads naturally to several data points and conclusions, followed by the statement, “…in the case of religion, however, these (data) points are shareable but not transferable.” (p. 9)
In the current age of disinformation and contention, the authors conclude chapter one with a useful method to help determine which scientific sources can be trusted, using a clever tool called the CRAAP Test (pp. 13-15).
Chapter 2 is based on the idea that science is agnostic and contains a discussion of climate change. The authors explain the current understanding of the topic and then clearly delineate the difference between the science and personal value judgements about the science. This controversial topic is deftly handled and effectively presented so that readers with a wide variety of levels of scientific understanding can grasp the facts.
This chapter continues with an examination of the varied views on creation, nicely summarized in Table 1 on page 20. The juxtaposition of The Importance of Spiritual Knowledge (p. 21) was a great balance to the information following Table 1. Then they moved to an explanation of how our religious beliefs inform our value judgments about science. This is then summed up by stating, “…spiritual understanding should come first.” (p. 21)
The third chapter is titled “Base Your Faith in God on Correct Evidence” and discusses the need to base our testimonies on spiritual knowledge (pp. 28-29). “He gives us spiritual understanding …because we have felt His presence in our lives.” Then, they quite correctly point out, “The key …is not to fill gaps in scientific understanding with an exclusively divine explanation because those gaps have the possibility of being filled with newly discovered and rigorously tested scientific information” (p. 27). The explanation of how whale fossils and DNA demonstrate that their closest living relatives are hippos is clear and concise. The authors then provide a brilliant example from Alma 30:26, where the anti-Christ Korihor is preaching that no one can know Christ because there is no physical evidence. The parallels to current Baconian Positivism are obvious.
The fourth chapter of Section I encourages readers to teach true science, not pseudoscience. This is, perhaps, the most important part of the book. Co-author Jamie L. Jensen shares a deeply personal story of her journey with optical drusen (pseudo-papilledema).
They also make important points about the autism-vaccine fraud and how false ideas about crop genetics that lead to a famine in the Soviet Union that took millions of lives. They then discuss how pseudo-science causes both physical harm and spiritual harm. Ultimately, readers are asked to teach real science in the home, bathed in the light of the Gospel, “…endowing your children (and yourself) with the truth and with real science…” (p. 35). This chapter concludes with an explanation of the Reconciliation Model (p. 36) as a means to reconcile science and religion that has no measurable harm on faith for both Latter-day Saints and many other religious traditions.
The final chapter of the first section is set in the context of what they call “Big S science, and little s science” (p. 41). Big S science is defined as “… collective public knowledge…universal and free of contradiction…nevertheless bathed ignorance and subject to change.” In other words, the product of science. On the other hand, little s science is “…messy, constantly evolving and changing in a beautiful process of discovery.” This is the process of science. These two constructs are then contrasted with the philosophy known as scientism, where the only source of human knowledge lies in science, which is, in and of itself, an unscientific philosophy (p. 44).
Four hundred years ago, Jan Bapiste Van Helmot wondered if trees got all their growth (mass) from the soil they are planted in. His carefully crafted experiments showed that the original 200 lbs. of soil surrounding the test tree lost only a few ounces over the course of five years. He concluded that trees gathered almost all their growth from the water they consumed. Subsequent studies found that it was not the water that accounted for the increase in mass of the tree, but in fact, the air! This is just one of many examples of a question, experimentation, uncertainty with the results, and additional experimentation that is at the core of science. This is an example of little s science. The authors then cite a statement by President Russell M. Nelson concerning the recommendation for hand washing found in Leviticus 15: 2. President Nelson comments, “These scriptures are in complete harmony with modern medical guidelines.” Then, mentioning the work of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis in the mid-1800s on handwashing to prevent what was then-called “childbed fever”, President Nelson asks, “…how many mothers needlessly perished? How many children suffered because of man’s quest for knowledge had failed to incorporate the word of the Lord?” (p. 44).
This chapter concludes with, “Uncertainty is the hallmark of both science and religion.” Learning how to take comfort with uncertainty will help us move forward and “seek out more scientific and spiritual truth.”
The second section of the book discusses what the authors call “Sticky Topics” in the Life Sciences. These topics include Evolution, Health and Medical Science, Nature vs. Nurture, and Environmental Stewardship.
Chapter 6 covers evolution, noting that the church is “…effectively neutral towards the matters of evolution” (p. 51). The juxtaposition of evolution with the creation account contained in the Book of Abraham (p. 51) was outstanding in its clarity, as was the subsequent discussion of ontogeny and biogeography. Perhaps most informative was a statement about the ongoing scientific debate as to what defines a species (p. 59). The discussion about Adam and Eve, beginning on page 61, was fascinating in the questions considered, and the need for us to remain open-minded until the Lord decides to provide additional revelation on these questions. This portion concludes with a brief commentary on the biological basis of race.
Health and Medical Science are discussed in chapter 7 and are highlighted by Dr. Jensen’s powerful story of the challenge of Asherman’s Syndrome and how, through a combination of faith and science, she and her family were able to meet this challenge. This is followed by extensive explanations of vaccines, reproductive technologies, genetic modification, and SMA that are both profound and clear.
The authors establish the context of chapter 8 (Nature vs. Nurture) with an explanation of 46 chromosomes, each containing strands of DNA segments of which are called genes. Most traits are controlled by complex groups of genes called genotypes. Genes determine when and how much of a given something to make, and these can be influenced by the environment. This is called gene regulation. Genes can also be turned on and off, which is known as epigenetics. Our genetics determine the baseline of a range of possible outcomes, while our environment determines where within that range we fall. Determining what comes from genes (Nature) and what comes from the environment (Nurture) is calculated as a heritability index. Something is heritable if we inherited it from our parents. Something is heritable if applies to a large population (not an individual) and factors (nature and nurture together). Heritability is large-30% to 50%- which means the remaining 50% to 70% is nurture.
They then review three behavioral traits; mental health, addiction and biological sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity, noting that human traits are highly complex. On page 89, the authors state, “…our body allows us to experience things that our spirit could not do without a body. There are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have “according to the flesh” (1 Ne 19:6 and Alma 7:12-13). In addition:
The Lord knows our genetics, desires, thoughts, and intentions. That is why only He can judge fairly… [ ] Therefore it is our role only to look upon each other with great compassion, to help each other along the covenant path, and to follow the counsel of Alma, “to bear one another’s burdens…to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” (p. 92)
The explanation of epigenetics was far-reaching, and the concepts and issues related to gender identity were handled deftly.
The last chapter in Section 2 (chapter 9) on Environmental Stewardship encourages the reader to “Differentiate between data and agenda, further noting that there are facts (data) and then there are interpretations of those facts (data). They approach “Creation Care” from the viewpoint that we are stewards of God’s creations, noting that President Nelson has stated, “As beneficiaries of the Divine creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations” (p. 93). An examination of several pertinent topics follows, including Climate Warming, whether are humans a main contributor to this warming, and animal and plant extinction rates. After these data have been presented, discussions on recycling, energy conservation, sustainable farming, and water are reviewed thoroughly.
This chapter ends with, “It is no accident when something God created takes your breath away with its beauty or majesty: ‘All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth and all things that are upon the face of it (Alma 30:44).”
The concluding section of the book notes that “Scientific knowledge does not lessen but strengthens our testimony of the divinity of our Creator” (p. 108).
Let’s Talk About Science and Religion is a well-written, clearly explained book that will be of great value to families and individuals searching for reconciliation between science and religion. As professors of science, they note, “Most of the time, our students come out of classes more in awe of their God and more enthusiastic about pursuing His scientific works on Earth” (p. 1).
Here are a couple of suggestions;
- The Lego contraption photo should be larger, as should the font size throughout the book.
- On page 12, the authors state, “As a rule of thumb, scientists generally say that if something happens less than 5% of the time by chance, there is probably something fishy going on.”
Shouldn’t this be more than 5% of the time?