A new partnership between Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS) and the Anglican Communion is seeking to boost engagement between church leaders and science.
The Anglican Communion Science Commission was formally launched in 2022. Its mission is to “celebrate science as a God-given resource” and “promote collaboration between faith and science communities for the betterment of people and the planet.”
Now, a new formalised partnership will see Revd Dr Muthuraj Swamy, Director of the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide, acting as a Theological Facilitator and Researcher within the Anglican Communion Office.
Already, Revd Dr Swamy has already been working with ECLAS as a research consultant, helping to investigate how context affects how senior Christian leaders engage with science.
ECLAS Project Director Revd Prof David Wilkinson told Premier that they hope the partnership will allow the two organisations to explore faith attitudes to science across different cultures.
“Different contexts engage with parts of science differently,” he said. “In Asia, there’s growing interest in the web, social media, and artificial intelligence. Questions about health and aging are also really important right now. And in Africa, questions of environment and health care are being highlighted.”
The Anglican Communion comprises over 70 million members globally. Revd Prof Wilkinson said that some cultures may be making links to faith and science, in ways which the western world have missed – and vice versa.
“I was in Kenya, with one of our partners just outside Nairobi St Paul's University,” he said. “I went to the first year nursing class, and gave my normal talk on science and theology. But the first four questions were all about demon possession and health care.
“In England, I can't think of a situation I've been asked about that, but suddenly I began to think, well, actually, I have been in hospital visiting someone where someone said: ‘Oh, I think I was visited by an angel last night’. Or I’ve met people who feel that mental health is intertwined with their religious beliefs. It was only when I went to a different context that I began to see the blind spots in my own context.”
The project aims to help bishops across the globe understand science better, to equip them for ministry and teaching.
The Revd Canon Dr Stephen Spencer leads the theological education initiative for the Anglican Communion and is based at the Anglican Communion Office. He said: “I am looking forward to seeing how the Provincial Lead Science bishops will be further resourced in what they are doing. It is really encouraging to see this partnership between ECLAS and the Science Commission.”