Ted Peters brings together both pastoral ministry and academic theology. His interests range from quantum physics to genetics to the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the implications for Christian theology.
Everywhere I looked, I saw God and science. How can you separate one from the other? God created the universe, and He made it full of science. As I grew up, science showed me how awesome and powerful my God is.
I’m definitely always curious about what scientists are thinking and what they’re doing. I want to learn from them and grow by listening. As a result, scientists seem to be interested in what I’m doing as a pastor, like teaching theological ideas—that’s just my normal thing. But it’s interesting because there’s a mutual curiosity there.
“I often get the question: What’s the relationship between ministry and engineering? Well first, curiosity. And there’s always a people element. We have to communicate in both fields—oral and written. Communicating respect and dignity to other human beings is a leadership principle that transcends race or socio-economic status. It transcends the field of engineering. Those principles should be universal.”
Relationships are central to our work at Science for the Church. We include interviews in this newsletter to introduce you to scientists, theologians, and Christian leaders who have taught us much. Fred Ware, professor of theology and associate dean for academic affairs at Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD), is one such individual. Ordained in the Church of God in Christ, his teaching and research focus on the connection between Pentecostalism and race, culture, healthcare, and religion-and-science.