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How science works

Hi there, if you're aged between 2 and 11, this space is for you to explore your big questions about science and religious faith.

Use the menu on the left to choose your age range, then click on a question below to read some thoughts about the nature, methods, power and limitations of science, and how it interacts with religious faith. You can also click on ‘Scientists’ to meet some scientists of faith who study this topic!

If you are older than 11 you can explore these same questions on our teens website, here


  • What is science?
  • Can you be a Christian and a scientist?
  • Hasn’t science replaced religious faith?
  • Scientists
  • More Questions?
  • Activities
  • What is science?

    Science is a really exciting way of learning more about the world around us. There are lots of ways to do science. We can look carefully at the world, or play around with things to learn about how they work.

    At school we learn about amazing things that scientists have already found out about the world. The really exciting thing is that there is so much left to find out! The world and everything else in space is so, so big and amazing that there is always more to watch and play around with to learn even more!

  • Can you be a Christian and a scientist?

    Yes! Science is an exciting way of finding out more about the world, like how things work and where they came from.

    Christians believe that God made everything. So, lots of Christians think science is a really exciting way to learn more about how God made the world and the amazing ways he makes things work.

    That’s why there are lots of Christians who choose to become scientists.

    Click here to check out some scientists who believe in God.

  • Hasn’t science replaced religious faith?

    No! Because science and religious faith look at different kinds of questions.

    Religious faith is mostly to do with questions about who God is and the things he has done, for example, the Bible (the holy book that Christians read) teaches that God made and loves everything and everyone.

    We use science to explore questions about how the world works, like what things are made of and how long they have been here.

    So, for many people of faith, the more we find out using science, the more they feel they can learn about what God has made, and how amazing he is.

    Lots of people agree that we need both science and religious faith to understand the full picture of the universe.

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    Jennifer Wiseman

    Dr. Jennifer Wiseman is an astrophysicist and a Christian. 

    Johannes Kepler

    Johannes Kepler lived from 1571 to 1630 he was an astronomer, mathematician and a Christian.

    Andrew Davison

    The Revd Dr Andrew Davison is a theologian, scientist and Christian. 

    Bill Newsome

    Professor Bill Newsome is a neurobiologist and a Christian.

    Bob Sluka

    Dr Bob Sluka is a marine biologist and a Christian.

    Bob White

    Professor Bob White is a geophysicist and a Christian.

    Robert Boyle

    Robert Boyle lived from 1627 – 1691. He was a chemist, physicist, inventor and a Christian.

    James Clerk Maxwell

    James Clerk Maxwell lived from 1831 – 1879. He was a mathematical physicist and a Christian. 

    Francis Collins

    Dr Francis Collins is a geneticist and a Christian.

    David Wilkinson

    Revd Professor David Wilkinson is an astrophysicist, theologian and a Christian. 

    Deb Haarsma

    Dr Deborah Haarsma is an astronomer and a Christian.

    Denis Alexander

    Dr Denis Alexander is a biochemist and a Christian.

    Elaine Howard Ecklund

    Professor Elaine Howard Ecklund is a sociologist and a Christian.

    Emily Burdett

    Dr Emily Burdett is a developmental psychologist and a Christian.

    Michael Faraday

    Michael Faraday lived from 1791 to 1867. He discovered many of the fundamental laws of physics and chemistry and was a Christian.

    Galileo Galilei

    Galileo Galilei lived from 1564 to 1642. He was an astronomer, physicist and engineer and a Christian.

    John Bryant

    Professor John Bryant is a geneticist, bioethicist and a Christian.

    John Wyatt

    Professor John Wyatt is a medical doctor, professor of medicine and ethics and a Christian.

    Roger Bretherton

    Dr Roger Bretherton is a psychologist and a Christian.

    Rosalind Picard

    Professor Rosalind Picard is a computer scientist, inventor, engineer, professor and Christian. 

    Tom Ingleby

    Dr Tom Ingleby is a Geophysicist and a Christian

    John Polkinghorne

    Revd Dr John Polkinghorne is a theoretical physicist, theologian, and a Christian. 

    Jonathan Foster

    Dr. Jonathan Foster is a chemist and a Christian.

  • More Questions?

    ​Do you have questions which aren't covered here?

    It's great to ask lots of questions and we want to help!

    Take a look at some of our other topics, activities and resources to see what else you can discover. 

    Or why not get in touch and we'll do our best to help you out as you explore these exciting questions!

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