South Dakota Synod ELCA
At the leading edge of contemporary physical cosmology, scientists and theologians are discovering surprising synergy.
The Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota is host to world-leading experiments deep underground which seek to answer the most profound mysteries of the universe. In this electromagnetically “quiet” environment, scientists address fundamental questions about how the universe was formed.
The Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project will engage congregational leaders among the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to learn more about the science at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) through first-hand exploration on site at SURF. In collaboration with the Outreach and Culture teams at SURF, congregational leaders will meet with scientists, tour the facility, and encounter “unsettled science” for perhaps the very first time.
These congregational leaders will look for ways that the deep science happening at SURF challenges, affirms, expands or connects with their own theological perspectives on the physical universe and humanity’s place within it. They will develop educational resources to be hosted on the Synod’s learning platform and invigorate a digital community for ongoing scientific or theological discussions in ELCA congregations across the state. We also anticipate that the Deep Science and Dark Mysteries Project will provide direct benefit to the Outreach and Culture teams at SURF, increasing their capacity and expanding their framework for dialog with community members who may perceive a disconnect between faith systems and scientific inquiry and discovery.
