An Introduction to Integration of Faith and Learning in Chemistry

What Hath God Wrought.[1]


“God is the author of science...true science contributes fresh evidences of the wisdom and power of God.  Rightly understood, science and the written word agree, and each sheds light on the other.”[2]  Isaac Newton (1622-1727), the scientist who developed theories of light and of universal gravitation and shared with Leibniz the credit of inventing calculus stated that the wonders and the complexities of nature point to a wise and benevolent deity and an intelligent Creator. Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), the scientist who discovered the Second Law of Thermodynamics, believed that the universal natural law was written by a God who created the Universe.  Joseph Henry (1797-1878), the renowned American physicist who discovered self-inductance, considered the study of science as the contemplation of God’s creation.  Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), a well-known biologist who made many advances in biology, believed that spontaneous generation is not possible and that the reason why matter is organized is only because there is an Infinite power who organized it.[3]  These renowned men along with other founding fathers of science like Michael Faraday, James Joule, Robert Boyle, James Maxwell, Blaise Pascal and many others see that the astounding design in nature and the amazing law that governs it are evidences of a mighty and loving Creator.  What hath God wrought certainly points back to Him.[4]

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at CERN, the European Centre for Nuclear Research, in Geneva was switched on last September 10, 2008.  The LHC project is considered as “the biggest experiment ever,” [5] and “the largest collaborative efforts ever attempted in the physical sciences.”[6]  Thousands of scientists and researchers representing about 500 universities and 80 nationalities were attracted to this project.  Professor Stephen Hawking said that the work of the LHC “is crucial for the survival of humanity.”[7] So what is this highly esteemed project all about?  Why do so many eagerly anticipate to see what this project can accomplish?  Why have the leaders of these mighty nations decided to contribute resources into this scientific endeavour?  Professor Brian Cox gave the simple answer when he wrote that the LHC machine “will revolutionise our understanding of the universe by recreating the conditions which were present less than a billionth of a second after the Big Bang.”[8]

There has been a transformation in the focus of particle science these last few decades.  Where once only the study of electrons, protons, and neutrons, now it is the piercing deep into the bosons, fermions, mesons, hadrons, gluons, and quarks.  Scientists, by becoming more and more acquainted with these “deeper” things, are also becoming more and more convinced (it seems, as what they claim) that matter and the universe came into existence without an Intelligent Designer behind it, that no Engineer is needed for its maintenance and support.

Two generations of scientists, two different approaches to science.  It is now quite alarming that the discipline once used by great minds to point to the existence of an intelligent Creator now is employed to discredit Him.  The “Biggest Experiment on the Planet” today has just begun running with one main mission—to set aside Genesis creation and invite us to Come, let’s look at the Big Bang.  Of course, they did not say it that way; but the “Big Bang” thing alludes to it.  Obviously, the worldviews of most of the scientists today are conversely different from those of their “founding fathers.”


A New King.[9]  

Exodus 1 tells of “a king who did not know about Joseph.” Many scientists today are just like that new king.  They do not know Joseph’s or Newton’s or Kelvin’s God anymore.  They have forgotten that during those times of famine—of knowledge and truth, these men brought awareness and understanding of scientific principles that significantly contributed to the modernization of our society.  Instead of approaching science in a Biblical perspective, they put the Bible and its teachings aside.  These “new king” scientists are out to “kill” our children spiritually too by their “strange” teachings.  Look at what they’re doing in public schools today.  Evolution is preached in every science class.  Thus, if Shiphrah and Puah (God-fearing midwives)[10] and Amram and Jochebed (God-fearing parents) were needed then, they are much more needed now.

Committed Christian teachers all over the world are the Shiphrahs, Puahs, Amrams and Jochebeds of today.  When they are delivering their services they are doing them fearing God.  Like those midwives, they’re making sure that the “babies” whom they have touched and handled are alive after leaving their hands.  Like those godly parents, they’re “seizing the moments” to train the Moseses who will be going to the “palace” after just a short while.

This brief essay shows how we, teachers, can integrate faith and learning in our classes.  This is the key factor that makes our teaching Christian.  We have to showcase to our students God’s character and might while teaching the courses that we are handling.  Although the presentations here are using chemistry concepts, the examples outlined here will serve as guides or bases for other fields or disciplines.  The similitudes in the principles of Chemistry and Faith are bountiful and I included examples of them in this essay.  I call the particulars of these similitudes as Object Lessons.[11]  Just as Christ associated the common experiences of the builder, the traveller, the shepherd, or the familiar objects like a coin, salt, and a city on a hill to the divine truths and principles, one can link the principles of chemistry to the principles and experience of faith.  “The Author of nature is the Author of the Bible. Creation and Christianity have one God. God is revealed in nature, and God is revealed in His word.”[12]

            The integration of faith and learning in this project is mainly presented in Analogous, Textual, and Thematic instructional strategies.[13] The first portion of this paper outlines the reasons why integrating faith in chemistry classes is not only proper but important as well.  This part presents the reasons for the compatibility and the benefits of doing Chemistry and Bible study simultaneously.  The second portion lists examples of the integrational strategies, providing one or more illustrations on how they are employed in the classroom and other examples are given in tabular form for quick reference and for easy reading. 

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[1]       This phrase is originally from the KJV of Numbers 23:23.  This was the first message sent by Morse using the Morse Code.  This is also the title of the newest Pulitzer Prize winner book written by Daniel Walker Howe.

[2]       White, Ellen G. 1943. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students.  Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association. p. 426.

[3]      Claussen, Ben. (2001).  A believing scientist approaches the sciences.  Christ in the Classroom, 28, 520-521.

[4]      “Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Romans 1:19, 20, NIV.

[5]       The figures and quotes in this paragraph were all taken from the internet news. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/exclusions/CERN_large_hadron_collider.xml.

[6]      http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/bu-llp022908.php.

[7]     http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2710348/Stephen-Hawking-Large-Hadron-Collider-vital-for-humanity.html.

[8]     http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/09/06/do0604.xml.

[9]      See Exodus 1:8.

[10]       See Exodus 1:15–17.

[11]      The idea was taken from Ellen G. White’s book Christ’s Object Lessons (abbreviated as COL).  This book studies and expounds Christ’s parable teachings in the hope of drawing the readers to the Saviour through a deeper understanding of the principles of God’s kingdom.  Christ’s parables link common things and occasions to divine truths. “In Christ's teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar” (from COL page 17). In similar manner, this paper presents chemistry concepts (which are common to students) and link them to faith concepts. Many of the “links” in this paper are in the form of analogies or metaphors but some are drawn through contrasts just as the drawing of lessons from a few of Christ’s parables.

[12]     White, Ellen G. 1941. Christ’s Object Lessons. Washington, D. C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association. p. 17.

[13]     The definitions used in this paper related to Instructional strategies are based from the essay of John Wesley Taylor V published on Christ in the Classroom.  For a more detailed presentation of these Instructional Strategies, see: Taylor V, J. W. 2000. Instructional strategies for the integration of faith and learning.  Christ In the Classroom 27: 409-425.