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Ciara Reyes-Ton is a biologist, science writer and editor who is passionate about science communication to faith communities. She has a Ph.D. in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. She has served as Managing Editor for the American Scientific Affiliation’s God & Nature Magazine, and the Digital Content Editor for BioLogos. She is the founder of the Mount Carmell Worship Collective, a collaborative of scientists and artists creatively exploring the intersection of faith, science, and the arts, and she is the President of the Science Communicators of Faith. She also currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Lipscomb University. She is the author of “Look Closely,” a science and faith devotional that explores the life of Christ by bringing scripture in conversation with science, from water walking lizards to dividing cells and resurrecting corals.
A cell biologist and minister guides students through a reimagining of the ancient contemplative prayer practice of visio divina with scientific imagery and data.
Bible & Science-Ministry Resource: Biologist Ciara Reyes-Ton reflects on how worship became the soundtrack of her life
Biologist and communicator Ciara Reyes-Ton learned a lot from leading a faith and science bible study at her church. Here are a few of her biggest takeaways.
Ecologist Rick Lindroth has some sobering words on the environmental crisis, how we got here, what will and won't work, and the need for creation connection.
In this interview, Dr. Sandra Richter addresses common misconceptions on environmental stewardship, from it's not in the Bible to it's all going to burn.
Paul Douglas is a meteorologist, evangelical Christian, and political conservative who changed his mind about climate change. Now he's helping others too.
As scholars, we train rigorously in our fields, and learn to communicate with each other, but not the people most impacted by our work. How can we learn to do better? The world and the Church need us.
Pastor Courtney Ellis started birding during the pandemic. Her life was forever changed the moment she started looking up. She found hope, amidst grief.
Four ways to engage students with evolution in the classroom, from playing with gummy bears to experimenting with lizards.
Music therapist Alejandra J. Ferrer uses music to help care for cancer survivors, people with memory loss, NICU babies and adults and children with disabilities.
Jesus says he is the resurrection and the life, but what does that mean, at least biologically speaking?
From Presidents and CEOs, to researchers, and science writers, Christian women in STEM are leaders in their fields and paving the way for others to follow.
There are more than biological principles inside cells.
When I consider science and scripture, I unexpectedly find renewed hope in corals' recovery and restoration.
What can soil teach us about God? How can the sabbath help us recover delight and find rest? What is sacred about our wounded world?
In this interview, Douglas McKelvey and Ned Bustard, the author and illustrator of Every Moment Holy, explore what art and liturgy reveal to us about God and his creation.
In this interview, Mitali Perkins, author of THE STORY OF US, reflects on storytelling as a vehicle to unpacking some of life's biggest questions for children and adults.
In this interview, Andrew Peterson talks about the importance of community in the arts, and how the arts can enrich the church and science, deepening our sense of wonder.
Rev. Dr. Faison, Sr. discusses how the physical health of his congregation is important to him as their leader, and the benefits of destigmatizing stigmas that prevent people from seeking help.
A young pastor gains a congregation in the throes of the pandemic, and shares his story about the incorporation of science and medicine in his church.
Rev. Harvey Clemons and a member of his congregation, professor Dr. Philisie Washington, describe the importance of depending on each other to help bridge gaps in community knowledge and foster curiosity.
Conversations on the intersection of race, medicine, and ethics are important for our students to have. As educators, we can help start them.
Amanda L. Townley draws on her experience as a former middle school and high school teacher and work as a professor in science education to raise the next generation of educators.
Loryn Phillips shares her journey into science, and her experience being a Christian woman in science.
Devan Stahl and Leonard Curry discuss the growing field of disability theology, consider how theology enriches the field of medicine and bioethics, and make the case that theology can help us learn what it means to live and flourish with disability.
Devan Stahl and Leonard Curry consider how the early Church viewed disability, how theology enriches bioethics, and provide helpful tips on combating ableism.
For Dr. Terri Laws the Gospel cannot be decontextualized from our society and the lives that we live. It has very practical implications that compel us to care for others and love our neighbors well, especially the marginalized.
Ana Avila is the Senior Editor for Coalición por el Evangelio, the Spanish speaking sister of The Gospel Coalition. She shares her journey into writing at the intersection of faith and science.
Dr. Gubbels studies the molecular triggers of birth and the role of environmental stress and inherited trauma in preterm birth. She shares her story of finding awe and wonder in her work.
Betsy Painter talks about her new book, "A Christian's Guide to Planet Earth: Why it Matters and How to Care for it." She shares what inspired her to write the book, discusses eco-anxiety and offers practical things we can do as Christians to help recover and restore God's beauty in the broken parts of creation.
From being crowned Miss University of the Virgin Islands to pursuing a Ph.D. bioinformatics, Dr. Jones shares her story.
Meet Sandra, a police officer and naturalist, pursuing her passion for the environment and justice. She reflects on her journey into science, offers advice to young scientists and shares how she's learned that faith and science don't have to be in conflict.
From dancing molecules to zooming microbes, all of creation declares the glory of God, even the more weird than wonderful.
Ciara Reyes-Ton offers a reflection on words of hope N.T. Wright and Francis Collins shared on a recent Language of God podcast.
My Pentecostal upbringing and my scientific training have both helped me see the world through a broader lens—although it wasn’t always that way.
Science draws me closer to God. It didn’t always though.
Prayer might be difficult to study scientifically, but that doesn't mean that scientists don't pray or that prayer doesn't work.
Physician John Trinder shares with us his journey into medicine and some of the challenges he faced and moments of hope working in the ICU during the COVID pandemic.
A man of many talents, Dr. Scott is both a dentist and pastor. Having both of these perspectives helps him communicate effectively with his congregation about their health.
CR: In this issue of God & Nature, our topic is "Cosmology & Theology," which you have extensively and beautifully explored through your writings on incarnation theology. For our readers, what is the incarnation, and what is the relationship between what you describe as, "the grand-scale story of the world of creation, cosmic in scope and pitiless in its operations, and the small-scale story of Jesus as embodying divine empathy?"
For Corina Newsome, Ambassador Animal Keeper at the Nashville Zoo, nature has something to teach us about the importance of diversity and loving our neighbors, from the molecular level all the way up to the level of the organism and beyond. Corina has a B.A.
Now that we know what we have-Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God-let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all-all but the sin.
Ask anybody in almost any field of science how and why they got into their work, and the answer, more often than not, involves a favorite teacher somewhere along the way. That's certainly the case for Leonard Scott, who has been practicing dentistry in Indianapolis since 1973.
It's been estimated that there are about 8.7 million different species of organisms on our planet, from plants and animals to fungi and algae, not including bacteria. And every year new organisms are discovered. In 2016 alone, scientists reportedly discovered 18,000 new species!
I remember the first time I heard the word proselytize. I was just starting college, and for some reason, despite growing up in church, I didn't know its meaning. The campus minister was giving my dad and me a tour of the chapel when my dad asked a question.
Driving to lab one day as a grad student, I saw some ducks crossing the road. They crossed at a comfortable pace-not too slowly so as to suggest feelings of entitlement to the traffic they were holding up, but certainly not too quickly to suggest that they were afraid.
When I was a graduate student, I bought a black pine bonsai seed kit, hoping to grow a miniature tree that would decorate my work bench and perhaps accompany me through the remainder of my graduate school journey. I waited impatiently as my seed slowly germinated, watching closely for the first appearance of a sprout.
I recently returned from my honeymoon in Florida, where my husband and I found humor in our inclination for relaxing water rides like the lazy river while steering clear of all the sky-scraping roller coasters that would've amused our younger selves.
As a biologist, I often find myself looking to the natural world to better understand the spiritual. Whether it's learning how to wait patiently on God from quiescent cells or considering what stem cells might have to say on the topic of calling, reflecting on what I understand helps me make sense of what I don't (yet) understand.
Roy Moye III is an aerospace engineer who is changing the landscape of underrepresentation in STEM fields one song at a time.
A cell's life is very much like our own, characterized by moments of excitement, action and waiting. But cells may have the upper hand on us when it comes to waiting well.
The human body is wired for survival in the face of stress and trauma, and mothers who experience pre-term birth are a testament to this. We are called to care for and support mothers and their children. I can imagine that Jesus was not only filled with love for children, but also their parents.
Mitochondria are so much more than powerhouses. While we inherit Mitochondrial DNA primarily from Mom, that doesn't mean Dad's contribution is any less important.
What is SACNAS, and what has been your role or involvement in the organization over the years? SACNAS is an acronym that stands for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science.
Consider this prayer from the perspective of biologist Ciara Reyes-Ton.
Peaceful Science is built around deep partnerships and collaborations. One partnership that has recently emerged is with the The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins (NWNW), an organization dedicated to building relational bridges through Jesus across cultural divides of class, sexuality, gender, faith and science, and religious pluralism.
Born in Guildford, England, Jon Garvey studied medicine at Cambridge University, and later studied theology through the Open Theological College, University of Gloucestershire. Since 2011, his blog The Hump of the Camel has explored the theology of creation, attracting an extensive readership across the world, and he has also contributed extensively at BioLogos and Peaceful Science.
Sierra A. Nance is a PhD Candidate at the University of Michigan. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from Winston Salem State University in 2015 and is currently pursuing her PhD in Molecular & Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan. Sierra was awarded the Ruth L.