Science and Judaism Talk to Each Other

Welcome to "Science and Judaism Talk to Each Other: A Year-Long Investigation (if not longer)."

Carl Sagan said: "How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant?' Instead they say 'no, no no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths." (Page 5, Mishkan HaNefesh).

We want to take up his challenge and see if we can transpose the scientific view of the universe -- which is "grand, subtle, and elegant" -- into our religious language and life. Can we have Judaism and science talk to each other? Science tells us how the world works. Judaism asserts that the world is good.

In this section you will find papers by various scientists from our synagogue -- and some non-scientists as well -- that speak to this intersection of science and Judaism.

We invite you to continue the investigation with Rabbi Rim at rabbirim@gmail.com and Dr. Andrew Kolodziej at akoloj@gmail.com. And watch Shir Tikvah's publicity for more events and speakers.

Sermons, Papers, and Resources:

RABBI RIM MEIROWITZ: Science and the Language of Prayer (2nd day Rosh Hashannah Service, 2018/5779)

DR. ANDREW KOLODZIEJ: Science and Judaism: Chemist's Perspective

STEVE BOETTCHER: Life in the Math Lane

DR. RACHEL BUCHSBAUM, Chief of Oncology and Hematology, Tufts Medical Center: Q&A on Judaism, Medicine, and End-of-Life Care

PHILIP L. QUINN, University of Notre Dame, Book review of Paul Woodruff's "Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue"

BILL MOYERS, Interview of Paul Woodruff, on Reverence