The fact that Brown University biology professor Ken Miller believes in evolution doesn’t often surprise people. The fact that he is a devout Christian often does. The 61-year-old is the author of two books on the topic: “Finding Darwin’s God” and the more recent “Only A Theory.” Miller was in Washington earlier this month to speak at a National Press Club event. He shared with The Examiner his thoughts on how a faith often opposed to evolution has helped to strengthen his own beliefs, and his joy for life.
Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?
I’m a Roman Catholic. As a communicant, I appreciate the sense of ritual and tradition associated with Catholic services. As a scientist, I appreciate Catholicism’s long-standing insistence on the value of reason as the foundation upon which faith must be based.
Did anyone or any event especially influence your faith, or your path in life?
The poet Thomas Merton. I was transfixed by Merton’s verse when I first encountered it in college, and when I discovered that he was a Trappist priest, I was doubly intrigued. “The Seven Storey Mountain,” the story of his journey to faith, inspired me. He made it possible to see faith not as the mark of intellectual weakness, but of a genuine and sincere desire to lead a complete and fulfilling life.
Has there been a point or a period in your career as a scientist that has been most troubling to your faith? How did you eventually get past it?
Sure. But it wasn’t the science that was troubling. Science can threaten faith only if that faith is based upon ignorance, upon a lack of understanding or knowledge about the natural world. For me, the deepest challenges have come from the reality of human pain and suffering, and from the profound failings of religious institutions to live up to their callings. But faith, ultimately, is not grounded in these flawed institutions — it dwells within the individual. For me, the simple delight of life itself is what has made the difference, and has always led me back.
The idea of “God’s mysterious ways” has been woven into Christian history — from stories to hymns to explanations from pastors and parents. Do Christians who believe in evolution lose anything in giving up that “mysterious” explanation?
Not at all. Einstein famously remarked that the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious — it is the source of all true art and science. Even at its most advanced points, science reveals a depth of beauty and mystery that continues to inspire. As we learn more about the universe — indeed, as we learn more about ourselves — that mystery grows in complexity and grandeur. It’s a great time to be alive.
At your core, what is one of your defining beliefs?
I believe in the meaning, value and significance of life, and of human life in particular. Our time on this planet matters, as individuals and as a species, and I believe that each of us needs to find a way to live that will improve the human condition and the health of our natural world.
-Leah Fabel
