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Scientific findings do not speak for themselves. Data can be analyzed in multiple ways, interpreted with different emphases, and presented to diverse audiences for varied purposes. Scientists also diverge on what they propose society should do with the findings. These differences are not simply about methods—they are shaped by worldviews.
Whether we think a finding is conclusive or tentative, embarrassing or worth celebrating, or whether we highlight its importance or downplay it, depends partly on how it fits within a broader network of beliefs, values, and commitments. Faith, then, inevitably shapes scientific work. The question for Christians is whether we are bringing our values into our work thoughtfully and faithfully.
I cannot provide one-size-fits-all answers for how Christian faith should shape every discipline. Each field of research—astronomy, medicine, psychology, engineering—faces unique questions. But I can offer broad reflections to guide our thinking. I divide these into two sub-questions:
- How does my faith impact the presentation of findings?
- How does my faith impact the interpretation of findings?
Faith and the Presentation of Findings
Every researcher faces the challenge of how to present results honestly and responsibly. When writing the discussion section of a paper, I must avoid both exaggeration and understatement. I need to ask:
- What is reasonable to conclude from these findings?
- What are their limitations?
- What gaps remain?
The apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:15 to “speak the truth in love.” That is an excellent summary of how Christians should approach scientific communication.
- Truth: We must present results accurately, without twisting them to fit personal preferences or ideological agendas.
- Love: We must consider our audiences, aiming to build them up rather than confuse, mislead, or discourage.
This balance is difficult. It is tempting to overstate results out of excitement or the desire for recognition. Yet burying results beneath excessive caution is equally unhelpful. Intellectual humility requires careful honesty—neither over-claiming nor under-selling.
I admit I have not always struck the balance well, but striving to “speak the truth in love” provides a theological anchor for presenting findings responsibly.
Faith and the Interpretation of Findings
Interpretation is where faith and worldview become most visible. By “interpretation,” I mean the so what? and who cares? of research. What do findings mean in a broader sense? What practical applications might follow?
Interpretation always goes beyond raw data. It involves values, perspectives, and judgments about significance. Thus, how Christians interpret findings—and how we explain their importance to others—reveals whether our worldview is shaping our science.
When Interpretation Seems Neutral
Some researchers, especially in fields like physics, chemistry, or geology, may feel that interpretation is straightforward. “I interpret the findings just as my secular colleagues do,” one might say. And for narrow, technical presentations—such as standard journal articles—that is often true.
But in other contexts, such as books, lectures, or reports to policymakers, scientists are expected to answer bigger questions:
- Why does this research matter?
- Why should the public care?
- Why should resources be invested in this area?
At this level, neutrality is impossible. Our answers draw upon values and worldviews, whether we acknowledge it or not.
The Value of Discovery
Consider a simple example: discovery itself. Many assume that discovery is inherently good—that finding a new species of moth, a bacterium that thrives in volcanic fissures, or a planet capable of supporting life automatically counts as progress. But why?
Within a Christian worldview, discovery is not just good because it is new. It is good because it reveals more of God’s creation, expands our sense of wonder, and sharpens our responsibility as stewards. A new species may display God’s creativity, delighting in diversity. A new ecological insight may deepen our sense of how creation interacts in complex harmony. These interpretations go beyond “discovery for discovery’s sake” and situate science within a framework of divine purpose.
Applied Sciences and Hidden Values
The influence of worldview becomes even clearer in applied sciences. Medical, psychological, and engineering research frequently operates with unexamined assumptions about what counts as “health,” “well-being,” or “flourishing.”
- Is health simply the statistical average? If so, being unusually tall or unusually short might count as a disorder.
- Is a long life automatically better than a shorter one? Not necessarily. Christians might argue that a life of faithfulness, service, and joy—even if shorter—is more flourishing than a long but empty life.
These judgments are not dictated by data alone. They depend on values, often unspoken, that shape research agendas and policy applications. As Christians, we must bring our faith to bear here, asking how biblical perspectives on human flourishing can inform interpretation.
A Concrete Example: Extending Human Life
Take life extension research. Many assume that extending human lifespans is inherently good. But from a Christian perspective, questions quickly arise:
- What if a longer life comes at the cost of diminished quality of life?
- What if resources devoted to radical longevity could instead relieve suffering elsewhere?
- How do we weigh longevity against other goods such as community, service, and spiritual maturity?
Such questions show how faith reframes the meaning of findings. Christians need not reject longevity research, but we should interpret its significance in light of deeper commitments to love, justice, stewardship, and hope in eternal life.
Faith as a Framework for Meaning
My goal is not to suggest that Christians must always produce a distinctively Christian “take” on every finding, nor that Christian scientists must pursue entirely separate lines of research. Rather, the point is attentiveness.
Too often, Christians simply adopt common cultural values as the framework for interpreting science without critical reflection. If society prizes novelty, utility, or profit, we assume those should define significance. But as disciples of Christ, we are called to examine whether these values align with the biblical vision of truth, goodness, and thriving.
Faith provides a broader framework for why science matters at all. It helps us resist the idolatry of curiosity-for-curiosity’s-sake or progress-for-progress’s-sake. Instead, it directs us toward discovery as worship, application as stewardship, and interpretation as service to God and neighbor.
Conclusion: Integrated Scientists
To integrate faith and science is not only to study creation as God’s handiwork but also to interpret and present findings in ways shaped by the gospel.
- In presentation, we “speak the truth in love,” neither exaggerating nor minimizing results, but striving for clarity, humility, and honesty.
- In interpretation, we resist the myth of neutrality, asking how our findings connect to deeper questions of meaning, purpose, and human flourishing.
This does not mean creating a Christian veneer for every result. It means being attentive to the values that guide our work and ensuring they are consistent with our faith.
Ultimately, the Christian scientist’s task is not just to discover facts but to situate them within the wisdom of God. In doing so, our work can illuminate more than data points—it can reflect truth, goodness, and love in service of the One through whom all things were made.
About This Series
This blog is part of a five-part series distilled from Justin Barrett’s *How Can Your Faith Fuel Scientific Discovery? Questions and Reflections for Becoming an Integrated Scientist* (Blueprint 1543 Media, 2025). Each post explores one of five central questions designed to help present and future science professionals think integratively about their work. The goal is to encourage Christians in the sciences to see their research not as separate from faith, but as a vocation inspired, shaped, and sustained by it.
