AAAS brings South Dakota clergy to SURF

There is an old adage, “don’t speak about religion in polite company.”  Today, one could arguably add the words “or science” to this advice.

Fostering positive dialogue and understanding about the sometimes-sensitive topics of religion and science are exactly what the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) hopes to do. By opening a space for civil conversations, DoSER works to build understanding and connection across communities that might otherwise remain divided.

AAAS recently sponsored the Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). The workshop, that was also supported through a Thriving Congregations grant from the Lilly Endowment, included a range of clergy from the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) who toured SURF and interacted with scientists and personnel working onsite. 

“The program brings pastors and lay leaders into conversation with scientists to explore theological and spiritual dimensions of their research,” said Rev. Kari Webb, who helped organize the workshop and serves as director of digital community and learning at the South Dakota Synod ELCA. “With its mile-deep laboratories and groundbreaking experiments, SURF offers a natural setting for this dialogue to come alive.” 

The AAAS website for the DoSER program points out that members of the scientific community can find value in conversations with those in fields of ethics and religion. These conversations help build understanding of the cultural context where science operates. This dialogue also helps scientists respond to the societal issues opened by scientific discovery and technological development. Dr. Katy Hinman is the director for DoSER at AAAS, who took part in the workshop at SURF.  

“The personal connections that people can make with scientists are vital for these kinds of conversations. This is not a one-way street, but instead a true dialog where folks are hearing from one another about these issues and reflecting on how they understand and see science and technology affecting their lives and their communities,” said Hinman. 

In a nutshell, theologians benefit from dialogue with scientists and vice-versa. 

Hinman explains that DoSER builds on AAAS's long-standing commitment to relate scientific knowledge and technological development with the broader concerns of society. The workshop gave participants the opportunity to grapple with the physics research at SURF–work that seeks to answer profound questions about the origin of the universe, the creation of elements inside stars, and the very existence of matter itself. 

“The scientists working underground are not engaged in theology, but their questions resonate with the great mysteries that faith has long pondered,” said Webb. “The research questions at SURF are not simply technical puzzles; they touch the profound wonder of existence itself. In this way, science and theology stand alongside one another, both drawn into the vast mystery of why there is a universe to study—and why we are here to ask.” 

Webb points out the dark matter research at SURF involves a hunt for particles that have never been directly detected, yet whose existence is strongly suggested by their effects throughout the universe. Workshop attendees like Dr. Steven Matzner, professor of Biology at Augustana University, finds parallels in the research at SURF and his own theology.  

“I enjoyed listening to these scientists and the very thoughtful pastors reflecting back on how their work increases their awe of creation. It deepens their wonder of creation,” Matzner said. “The more we find out about just how vast and complicated and intricate this universe that God created is, we just become even more in awe of God the creator.”

For SURF, this workshop is an extension of the mission to advance world-class science and inspire learning across generations.

“Multidisciplinary dialogue is essential for SURF’s mission,” said Deb Wolf, director of strategic partnerships and external relations. “The Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project adds to SURF’s education and outreach goals by bringing communities of thought together in conversation.” 

Participants in the Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project workshop found the dialogue between scientists and theologians was not about resolving differences but fostering deeper understanding—of the universe, of one another, and of the enduring questions that continue to inspire wonder.