You probably didn’t come to faith because of a biology textbook. And you probably didn’t ace freshman science because of the book of Genesis. For most of us, science and faith have always felt like they’re speaking different languages — two disciplines that orbit the same questions but rarely acknowledge each other’s presence.
They’ve been treated like opposites for a long time. Not enemies, exactly, but not teammates either. One explains how the world works. The other tells us why we’re here. And we’ve mostly been content to let them exist in parallel — separate, safe, uncomplicated.
But what if that quiet divide is more of a misunderstanding than a necessity?
In his book Sacred Science, Harvard- and Johns Hopkins-trained researcher Dr. William H. West suggests that evolution and creation may not be as incompatible as we’ve assumed. In fact, he argues they might be different sides of the same story — one told through data and the other through awe. One through atoms, the other through wonder.
West doesn’t distance himself from science. He embraces it — down to the molecules. His research spans oncology, molecular biology and quantum physics, and he’s not afraid to connect the scientific dots to theological questions.
“Science tells a sacred story,” he writes. “A superintelligent Creator used His mathematical genius to convert lifeless equations into galaxies, planets and people.”
In other words, West sees evolution not as a threat to the idea of God, but as one of the ways God chose to create. It’s not randomness that made the universe — it’s brilliance. Design. Purpose.
It’s not just West who’s open to that idea. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center report, 49% of U.S. Christians say they believe God could have used evolution as a tool in creation. That number has steadily risen over the last decade. And it’s not just religious people who are open to mystery — a Barna study from 2024 found that more than 80% of scientists believe in some form of higher power. The idea that science is inherently secular doesn’t hold up to scrutiny anymore, if it ever did.
West’s case doesn’t rely on cherry-picked stats or theological gymnastics. He turns to Scripture just as quickly as he cites research. Romans 1:20, for example: “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” The Bible doesn’t suggest that creation is in conflict with God — it claims creation reveals Him.
So what about Genesis? According to West, it was never written as a lab report. It’s poetry. Theology. A cosmic origin story meant to stir the soul, not satisfy a microscope. Genesis 1 isn’t interested in chloroplasts or mitochondria — it’s interested in meaning, identity, order and goodness.
And that idea isn’t modern liberalism creeping into the Church. It’s ancient theology. St. Augustine wrote in the 4th century that Scripture shouldn’t be interpreted in a way that contradicts what we can observe about the natural world. For Augustine, insisting on a rigid, literal reading of Genesis made the Church look foolish. West echoes this, not to diminish the authority of Scripture, but to preserve its integrity in a world where knowledge is constantly expanding.
For West, science and Scripture aren’t rivals. They’re partners. One shows us the math behind the mystery. The other shows us the heart behind the design.
“Each atom, each cell, each star bears the fingerprint of its Maker,” he writes. He believes that science should move us toward reverence — not away from it. When we study the world’s intricacies, we’re not just uncovering mechanisms. We’re glimpsing majesty.
It’s the same idea captured in Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” That was true when it was written thousands of years ago. It’s still true now — only now, we can see those skies in infrared thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope.
So why does this matter?
Because for a lot of Christians, the tension between science and faith isn’t just philosophical. It’s personal. You pray for healing, then take antibiotics. You worship a Creator on Sunday, then trust the weather app on Monday. You’re already living in both worlds. But if you’ve been taught they’re fundamentally opposed, you end up feeling conflicted — like one side of your brain is always betraying the other.
West offers a way forward. His “sacred science” gives believers permission to be both spiritually grounded and scientifically curious. It’s a framework that allows questions, doubts and wonder to coexist. You don’t have to choose between intellect and intimacy with God. You can pursue both.
That shift also challenges our addiction to certainty. Many of us were raised to believe faith means having the right answers. But the God of Scripture seems far more comfortable with mystery. “The more I learn about the universe,” West writes, “the less I understand — but the more I believe.”
Maybe that’s the invitation. Not to abandon belief, but to expand it. Not to tame God, but to trust that He’s even more complex, more creative and more generous than we imagined.
After all, a God who can create through stars and subatomic particles, through natural selection and neural networks, is not a smaller God — He’s a bigger one.
Turns out, the story of creation might be more intricate than we thought. And maybe science is just another way God is telling it.
