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“Where is God during a Natural Disaster?” Potential Implications of Public Discourses of Religion for Science Curricula

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Science Curriculum for the Anthropocene, Volume 2

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Abstract

As a result of the human-induced ecological degradation that has become emblematic of the Anthropocene, we are now witnessing an increase in the frequency of (un)natural disasters. Such a period is bound to create opportunities for the analysis of how different sense-making systems—such as science and religion—shed light on the causes, consequences, and solutions to these traumatic events. Despite the historical antagonism between scientific and faith-based worldviews notwithstanding, how much of the public discourses of religion and science contrast (or not) in regard to interpreting more frequent occurrences of drought, flood, thermal extremes, thunderstorms, wildfires, and the like? In this chapter, we present a case study that examined how eight different religious authorities explain the role of God in natural disasters. Our analysis indicates that religious views on natural disasters do not negate the scientific understanding of the same phenomena. Indeed, the religions represented in our sample recognize the interdependence of all living things and affirm the necessity to adopt an ethic of compassion and responsibility for the Others—humans and nonhumans—as the way to a sustainable future. In times where displays of disagreement, dogmatism, and belief polarization abound, the common orientation of these two discourses strengthens current calls for urgent socio-ecological change and its implications for future science curriculum.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    English translation from Italian: How good it is to be men and women! How precious is our existence! Yet there is a truth that in the history of recent centuries man has often rejected, with tragic consequences: The truth of his limitations.

  2. 2.

    The historical conflict between science and religion is complex and multifaceted. It is beyond the scope of our chapter to delve into it. We invite readers to consult the literature cited here about the topic: Alexakos (2010), Baldwin (2018), Davies and Brown (1993), Evans and Evans (2008), Long (2011), Mooney (2005), Sheldrake (2012), and Tipler (1994).

  3. 3.

    All quotes from the religious experts are found in the same newspaper section, E.14, (Ottawa Citizen, 2012). Thus, page references are not provided after each quote.

  4. 4.

    This intersection of religion and nature is not a new topic for those working in the field of eco-theology (e.g., Kidwell et al., 2018; Torabi & Noori, 2019).

  5. 5.

    See Ecklund and Long (2011) for a study on the religiosity of scientists.

  6. 6.

    See the encyclical letter from Pope Francis (2015) for an explication of how St. Francis’s life can be a source of inspiration for living in the Anthropocene.

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  1. University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Giuliano Reis, Munizah Jeelani & Adam Brown

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  1. Giuliano Reis
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  1. Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada

    Xavier Fazio

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Reis, G., Jeelani, M., Brown, A. (2023). “Where is God during a Natural Disaster?” Potential Implications of Public Discourses of Religion for Science Curricula. In: Fazio, X. (eds) Science Curriculum for the Anthropocene, Volume 2. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37391-6_8

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