Smith, Sherilyn G.F.

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Conversations on Jesuit Higher EducationVolume 46 Article 10September 2014Mission Integration in the Natural SciencesSherilyn G.F. SmithFollow this and additional works at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversationsRecommended CitationSmith, Sherilyn G.F. (2014) "Mission Integration in the Natural Sciences," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 46, Article 10.Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol46/iss1/10Conversations 19T he natural sciences (biology, chemistry,physics) and mathematics seek to understandthe nature of nature: the matter and energy ofthe known universe, the formulae describingnatural phenomena, the processes and relation-ships that govern the realm of living things, andearth’s global ecological system. Jesuits havefigured prominently in the expansion of knowl-edge in the science disciplines and include such names asJosé de Acosta, Matteo Ricci, Francesco Grimaldi, FranzKugler, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin; and today there areKevin FitzGerald, Guy Consolmagno, and George Coyne.These and many other Jesuit scientists have recognized theconnection between the spiritual and natural worlds anddeepened human understanding of God’s creation.The view of earth from space brought home that we aretotally dependent on this planet for life, and we share it withmyriad other living things. At this juncture in human history,it is imperative that we recognize the extent to which we relynot only on the planet’s physical systems but also on theother living things that perform critical ecological services,keeping the global ecosystem functioning. Human beingscan prosper only when the intricate life-support system ofthat ecosystem is intact. So, how do scientific endeavors tounderstand the natural world and communicate that under-standing to students and others connect to Jesuit mission?The study of nature and the commitment to see God inall things, including work for social justice, are two sides ofthe same coin. Awe and wonder manifest themselves inexperiencing the natural world, from the joy of a breathtak-ing landscape to reaching a mountain summit, from watch-ing butterflies flitting among colorful flowers to feeling andsmelling the first drops of rain on a breezy spring afternoon.The “ah-ha!” moment, understanding a complex equation, anecological process, or a perplexing physics problem givesthe scientist and the student alike marvelous insight into theglory of God’s creation. As we endeavor to promote social justice, it is evident thatecological degradation is inextricably tied to poverty and injus-tice. An understanding of ecosystems and sustainability mustgo hand in hand with efforts to improve the quality of life forsuffering peoples. That social justice and healthy environmentsare inseparable has been recognized by successive popes. Inhis first papal homily (March 19, 2013), Pope Francis said,“Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions ofresponsibility in economic, political and social life, and all menand women of goodwill: let us be ‘protectors’ of creation, pro-tectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of oneanother and of the environment.” Similarly, Benedict XVI in hisMessage for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace (Jan. 1,2010) stated, “We are all responsible for the protection and careof the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries.”In Evangelium Vitae (1995), John Paul II outlined an ethicalresponsibility toward the environment: “As one called to tilland look after the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15), man hasa specific responsibility towards the environment in which helives, towards the creation which God has put at the service ofhis personal dignity, of his life, not only for the present but alsofor future generations. It is the ecological question…whichfinds in the Bible clear and strong ethical direction, leading toa solution which respects the great good of life, of every life.” This makes it incumbent upon us as scientists and teach-ers at Jesuit institutions to help form young men and womenfor others by exposing our students to the connectionsbetween the welfare of others, especially the poor, and thewelfare of the natural environment. We can integrate Jesuitmission and science in three ways: 1) by personal scientificexcellence, with reflection and commitment to furthering theMission Integration in theNatural SciencesBy Sherilyn G. F. SmithSherilyn G. F. Smith is associate professor of biological sci-ences at Le Moyne College. She teaches courses on invertebratebiology and ecology, as well as on environmental topics.1Smith: Mission Integration in the Natural SciencesPublished by e-Publications@Marquette,20 Conversationsunderstanding of nature; 2) by stimulating our studentsto deepen their understanding of the natural world andthe principles and relationships that govern it, and torecognize the interconnectedness of human beings andGod’s creation; and 3) by challenging our students (andourselves) to undergo transformation – to recognize ourresponsibility for protecting the global ecosystem, andsimultaneously to promote ecological, social, and eco-nomic justice.The first way of tying scientific work to Jesuit mis-sion is unique to each of us as we endeavor to fulfill ourown potential in our discipline. Personal discernmentregarding choices of research topics, dissemination andapplication of research findings, and interactions withother scientists can make us more fulfilled and moreeffective in the classroom. We also serve as role modelsand can have a powerful influence on our students.The second way of integrating science and missionin of interaction with our students. Jesuit mission can bemanifest in many ways in the classroom, appropriate toeach discipline, and can be addressed either explicitly orembedded within coursework. Ignatian pedagogy is aneffective approach and also a “natural” for case – andexperiment-based teaching, as well as multidisciplinarysubjects involving science disciplines. Its steps can par-allel the path of the “scientific method” and provide anatural connection to mission, especially in the interpre-tation of experimental results. That connection can beestablished in other ways as well, particularly as ethicsand values are impor-tant to consider forscience-based topicssuch as environmen-tal issues, geneticengineering, andchemical synthesisand development. Bringing Jesuitspirituality and mis-sion into a dialoguewith science can alsobe effective not onlyfor students and theacademic communitybut also for those inthe non-academiccommunity. Lectures(such as the Scienceand Religion LectureSeries at Le MoyneCollege), plays andreadings, book dis-cussion groups, andother venues for dia-logue can bring ques-tions of morality, sustainability, ethics and other species,consumerism, and resource use into focus and encour-age reflection on what are often thorny issues. Success at integrating Jesuit mission will producestudents who can discern patterns and complex relation-ships, who see the “big picture,” and who also under-stand that science does not happen in an ethical vacu-um. They can then recognize that scientific discoverieshave many connections, implications, and consequencesfor the entire planet as well as for humans.The third way of integrating science and mission istaking action on personal, societal, and ecological levels.Scientific understanding comes with the responsibility todo no harm. Humans are, both by sheer numbers and byour exploitation of nature, causing more disruption tonatural systems than any single species has ever donebefore. Massive habitat destruction, extinction of species,pollution on an unprecedented scale, and climatechange are but a few of those disruptions. Seeing Godin all things must go hand in hand with a deep respectfor the earth and its inhabitants, a reverence for nature.Acting on that respect and reverence produces commit-ment to solving problems in the context of environmen-tal sustainability “to the seventh generation,” based on asolid knowledge of underlying scientific principles andinterconnections. Here, then, we have the transformativepower of the integration of Jesuit mission and science. ■Le Moyne College.2Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 46, Iss. 1 [], Art. 10http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol46/iss1/10

Mission Integration in the Natural Sciences

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Mission Integration in the Natural Sciences

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