Joy in Integrating Faith & Science

While some view the relationship between science and faith as adversarial, for Dr. Mary Ann Yang, Professor of Biology, the study of science isn’t at odds with faith, but an opportunity to explore God’s creative power. “It’s too perfect and too complex to be something that just happens.”

At Concordia, Yang delights each day in her vocation as a scientist at a Christian university. Her journey to CSP wasn’t exactly what she planned, however.

A native of Taiwan, Yang is the daughter of college professors. She originally wanted to follow in their footsteps and work at an R1 (research-intensive) university. Following her graduate studies, however, she decided to enter the private sector.

After spending the first two years of her career outside of academia, she realized that her calling was indeed to become a professor. Having served the past 10 years at CSP, this calling has been confirmed time and time again.

“God really allowed me the opportunity to serve him, by not only being able to share knowledge, but also establish relationships and introduce God to students,” reflects Yang.

As the speaker for this year’s Poehler Lecture, Yang shared her journey in the academic world and how she integrates faith and science in her work at CSP. Titled “From GENESis to REveLATION,” her lecture focused on epigenetics, the latest development in human genetics, which concerns itself with the impact of behavior and lifestyle on genetic expression.

Dr. Yang explains epigenetics using the analogy of a computer. The genes, she says, are the computer’s hardware, while epigenes are the software that utilize the hardware in different ways.

For Yang, the study of epigenetics reflects God’s design. She explains that God didn’t simply program humans with genes, but put us in relationship with Him, other people, and the world around us. These relationships, through epigenetics, can influence individual outcomes and expressions of genes.

“So God, at the beginning, gave us perfect genes, perfect epigenomes, and a perfect environment,” she says. “But when Adam and Eve decided to cut off that relationship, you no longer know what your software should do.”

Yang traces the Biblical narrative, using that framework to illustrate God’s work through epigenetics. “God’s heart in creating everything is in relationships.”

Dr. Yang explains that, when human relationships with God, each other, and all of creation were severed at the Fall, God restores all things in Jesus. As Jesus makes these relationships right, Yang says epigenetics are actually changed, emphasizing the transformative nature of the gospel. Then, at the end of time, genetics and epigenetics will be fully restored to God’s original design.

Despite human efforts to hack genetics and epigenetics through various medicines, lifestyle changes, and even gene editing, the original problem of a fallen world still exists on this side of eternity. Yang notes that this all points back to a need for a right relationship with God through Jesus to set everything right.

Reflecting on her calling as a professor, Dr. Yang explains the important role relationships play in her day-to-day work. She explains that biology focuses on how genes are transmitted in various organisms through different mechanisms, and as a professor, she similarly transmits information to students. However, she sees her calling going much deeper than simple transfers of information.

As a professor, she desires to build relationships with students. To Yang, giving A’s on assignments is a good thing, but mentoring her students and helping them make connections and discover more about themselves and what they’re studying brings true joy.

This joy is evidenced in her work directing student research. As Yang and her students work through the challenges of trying to answer big questions, she certainly wants the research teams to find the right answers, but also to grow in their relationships with each other and in their abilities as scientists.

Ultimately, Yang says these relationships confirm her calling. “What I can do most meaningfully is actually establish relationships with students to transform lives,” she observes.

Story: Billy Schultz, BA ‘08, MA ‘11

Photos: Concordia University Marketing

The Poehler Lecture Series is an annual event designed to explore how Concordia University faculty have connected their Christian faith with their academic discipline. Speakers are selected based on excellence in their academic discipline and maturity in their Christian faith.