From the Editor’s Desk

In this issue’s opening article, newly elected Board member, Joe Shane, reflects on his experiences teaching about connections and interactions between science and religion, at a public university in Pennsylvania. Next is a report about PASTCF’s spring Board meeting, by the organization’s Secretary and longtime member, Jim Miller. Mark Douglas’s President’s Column follows. That column is a regular feature in SciTech† and provides a forum for the current President to communicate his or her thoughts and goals to members. Mark uses this issue’s President’s Column to reflect on Francis Bacon’s significance for science, on the occasion of the 400^th anniversary of Bacon’s death. Paired with Mark’s remarks are selections from a sermon Maude Royden preached in London, a century earlier, to mark what was then the 300^th anniversary of Bacon’s death. A note about how to renew your membership in PASTCF, or join the organization, comes next. This issue’s book reviews examine two very different texts: an edited collection of essays about science and Christianity, considered from a global perspective, and the latest book by well-known and highly regarded author, Michael Pollan, in which he reflects on consciousness, human and otherwise. The academic field of science and religion developed primarily among Christians in the West and has largely been dominated by western voices, so the review of Global Perspectives on Science and Christianity may be of particular interest to those familiar with the ongoing science and religion discussion as well as any who are new to it.

While all the contributors to this issue of SciTech† are members of PASTCF, and we encourage members to contribute to the journal, we also welcome submissions from those who are not members of the organization. Member or not, if you are interested in writing for the journal, have an idea for an article, want to suggest a book for review, or have preached a sermon that deals with science or technology in a substantive way, please contact the editor at scitech@pastcf.org to discuss how you might contribute to SciTech†.

This issue of SciTech† is not organized around a specific topic but we return to a theme for the next issue, Summer 2026, which will focus on water. For the Fall 2026 issue, we plan to concentrate on science, technology, and the PC(USA).