What have you been doing until now?After studying botany at Keble College, Oxford, Iwent to work as a research assistant at the New Yo r kBotanical Gardens. The next 25 years were divided(about 50:50) between New York and A m a z o n i a nBrazil. I started off studying first plant taxonomy, andthen moved towards conservation and sustainabledevelopment of rainforest ecosystems. I set up theN Y Botanical Garden’s Institute for EconomicB o t a n y, of which I was the director for seven years. Imoved back to the UK in 1988, to become Director ofThe Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

What do you do for fun?When I’m not working, I enjoy walking, birdwatching, and collecting flower stamps. I was alsoplaying squash right up until I left Kew.

Who have been the most important role modelsin your life?I became a Christian in my first term at Oxfordthrough the CU, and then grew a great dealthrough my involvement with both the CU and StEbbes church, where the rector was Basil Gough.I also gained from lectures, aimed at students, byDick Lucas.

My interest in botany developed well before Iarrived at Oxford; I was interested in plants from avery early age, and I was influenced by many people- I learned a huge amount from field trips while Iwas at school. It was my future father-in-law who,when I was accepted for ordination, encouraged meinstead to develop my God-given gift for botany,and to work at this to the best of my ability.

What challenges have you come across as aChristian and a scientist?The main challenge was reconciling my faith andscience, and this became easier as my careerdeveloped. It was made more difficult in thebeginning, when I was a young Christian, becauseof the unreal conflicts that were presented to me,especially to do with evolution. This wasespecially challenging because I was working inevolutionary biology! I have since come tounderstand that there is no real conflict here, andmy scientific studies have confirmed thecomplexity and perfection of God’s creation.

During my time in the Amazon, I was fortunateenough to carry out several successfulexpeditions. I always visited the local churcheswherever I went, because I felt that it was animportant way to support them. It was alsoimportant to show that one can be both a Christianand a scientist, which is what people reallyneeded to hear at that time. Together with aBrazilian scientist, I was invited to lead someSunday school lessons at a Baptist church inBrazil. This was a growing church that was losingsome of its young people when they went to studyat university, and came across difficulties withevolution. We helped them to look at evidenceboth in the bible and in science. Also while I wastravelling, I made a decision with my family thatthey would travel with me to Brazil, and stay asclose as possible to where I was working. T h i swas difficult for them at times, but we felt that itwas important to keep the family together, and itworked out well.

w w w.c i s .org.uk

Ruth Bancewicz, Development Officer, 14 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2PW. Tel: 0131 466 6827. ruthb@cis.org.uk no. 31Caroline Berry, Secretary, 4 Sackville Close, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3QD. Tel: 01732 451 907. cberry@pncl.co.uk

P r é C i S J u n e 2 0 0 5

An interview with Ghillean Prance

The President of CiS, Sir Ghillean Prance is Scientific Director of theEden Project in Cornwall, Visiting Professor at Reading University andelected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1993 and awarded the VictoriaMedal of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1999. He has served asPresident of the Linnean Society, the Systematics Association and theInstitute of Biology. He is married with two daughters; one lives inRecife, Brazil, and the other is a surgeon.

How has your faith helped you as a scientist, orvice versa?My faith has helped me in many ways. It has mademe a more disciplined person – both my life ingeneral and my science have been helped in thisway. It has helped me to have integrity in myscientific work, and calmness in a crisis. This wasespecially important in some difficult situationswhile I was working and travelling in the Amazon.

What science-faith books have you mostenjoyed/found most helpful, especially as youngscientist?Mere Christianity and the other writings of CSLewis were very helpful in my Oxford days. I alsoappreciated the writings of John Stott. I have, andstill do, read many science-faith books, and theA S A journal, Perspectives on Science andChristian Faith, which started before Science andChristian Belief, has been very useful.

Anything else?Yes - as my career in biology progressed, I becamevery concerned about environmental issues. Thiswas a professional concern, but very close to myfaith too - care for God’s creation is very important.I have had a long association with the Au SableInstitute of Environmental Studies. This has been areally helpful two-way exchange; I have reallyvalued the fellowship I received there. I have alsobeen involved with the Christian conservationo rganisation A Rocha, and took part in theformation of the Eco-Congregation project thatencourages churches to think about theenvironment. This and many speaking engagementsare my main form of Christian service at present,and takes up a lot of my time now.

London Conference 1st October 2005

A Christian Framework for Sustainability

Booking forms for this important day, being heldjointly with The Victoria Institute and the John RayInitiative are enclosed.

Fill in and return yours NOW.

Committee comings and goingsWe will be sad to see Pauline Williams leave thissummer after nearly ten years as the CiSmembership secretary. Pauline took over the jobwhen CiS became independent from UCCF in 1995,and has been answering your queries and processingapplications ever since. We are especially gratefulfor her expertise in I.T., as she set up themembership database! We would like to thankPauline for all her hard work, and wish her, Ross andthe family all the best for the future.

We can now welcomeTom Moffat who willbe taking over asmembership secretary.Tom is based inDunfermline, Fife, andis a Church of Scotlandm i n i s t e r, with a back-ground in I.T. andReligious Education.We are pleased to beraising our Scottishprofile even more!

Science and Religion ForumCelebrate the centenary of the publication ofE i n s t e i n ’s seminal papers with a residentialconference in Oxford. Monday 12th -Thursday 15th September 2005

“Einstein, God and Time”Speakers: Dr Harvey Brown, Prof Chris Isham,Prof Antje Jackelen, Prof Jurgen Moltmann, ProfRussell Stannard and Dr John Polkinghorne. Formore information see: www.ianramseycentre.org

Subscription changesThe CiS annual subscription rates have remained

the same for several years. However it has becameapparent that to enable CiS to continue to serve itsmembers effectively the subscriptions will have tobe increased – see John Bryant’s letter, enclosed.

In order to help our younger members on a lowerincome, it was decided to create a new “graduate”category of membership, for individuals within fiveyears of graduating, or on a low income.

The new subscription rates, that will take effectfrom July onwards, are:

Full rate - £30 online/paper, £32 bothGraduates - £20 online/paper, £22 bothStudents- Free for first year after joining.Subsequent years, £5 online/paper, £8 both

National Education ResearchForum's Working Party on Science,Engineering and Maths Education

One of our members. Prof. John Wo o d ,p reviously of Nottingham University writes:‘One of the Forum's aims is to identify whatresearch could be undertaken to look at issues ofScience, Engineering and Te c h n o l o g i c a leducation in a holistic and creative way. I havebeen asked to chair a small working party toundertake a "mini-foresight" exercise to suggestnew scenarios of SET education over a 10-20year time horizon.

This note is to invite members of CIS toc o n t r i b u t e. We will be looking at all aspects ofS E T education including public awarenessissues and starting from questions "why teachscience anyway?" and "is a little science adangerous thing?" The UK's Government set outits position in 2004 with a "10 year StrategicVision for Science and Innovation" led by theTreasury and supported by a new "Science andSociety Unit" within the Office of Science andTe c h n o l o g y. A problem facing almost all socalled "advanced" technological countries is thatthe dearth of inspirational SET educators is notgoing to be reversed quickly if at all. Do we needas many fully trained scientists as we did in thepast? Should a fewer, better quality scientists beour goal?

I am not soliciting a restatement of the manyfactors that have led to the current situation.Rather I would like to explore some potentialscenarios and then set research agenda to look atthem in practical detail. For example, scrappingconventional classroom learning and replacing itwith directed study using interactive internetbacked up with tutorials given by youngpractising scientists (Could student fees be paidback while at university if a certain amount oftime is re-invested with teenage students eachweek?), What about topics such as "flow,containment, interfaces" which could cut acrossall disciplines?’

Contributors please send short, to the pointstatements with evidence to:

Prof John Wood FREng Chief Executive,Council for the Central Laboratories of theResearch Councils (CCLRC),Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory,Chilton, Oxfordshire OX11 0QXor email j.v. w o o d @ c c l r c . a c . u k

News from CiS local groups

Leeds: Discussion group

This time last year a small group of people fromSt Georges church in Leeds started meeting todiscuss science/philosophy/theology issues. Wemeet monthly in a group member's house (like aspecial interest cell group). Different people leadthe evening by choosing an article whicheveryone is sent to read beforehand. Ourdiscussions are based loosely round the chosenarticle/topic but are free to move in accordancewith the interests and questions of those present.

The ages of the group range from underg r a d u a t eto retired and a wide variety of subjectbackgrounds are represented such as philosophy,medicine, physics, computing, psychology andhistory of science. Over tea, coffee and biscuitswe have to force ourselves to stop talking at10pm and finish with prayer before going homewith many deep questions to think about.Discussions sometimes even continue over emailfollowing our meetings.

Group members really appreciate being part of agroup where such questions are not laughed orfrowned at, and in which we can learn from, anddiscuss with, thinking people from a widevariety of backgrounds in a setting of acceptanceand respect. Why not start a similar discussiongroup in your own church...?!

Rhoda Hawkins

Oxford: Day conference

Issues of Life and Death - a day conference willbe held at St Andrew's Church, Linton Road,Oxford on 29th October. Programme to beannounced, but speakers will include ProfessorJack Scarisbrick and Martin Foley.

To receive further information please contact Lynda Rose (lyndarose2000@yahoo.co.uk) orDiana Briggs (diana.briggs@gmail.com)

Forming Local Groups

If you are interested in starting your own CiSlocal group, contact Ruth or Caroline for a listof members in your area. You can also requesta CiS speakers list.

A paper on forming local groups can be found ath t t p : / / c i s . o rg . u k / s t a r t i n g _ l o c a l _ c i s _ g r o u p . h t m ,or a paper copy can be sent on request.

FARADAY INSTITUTE FORSCIENCE AND RELIGION

St Edmund’s College, Cambridge

The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, based at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, will belaunched on January 1st, 2006, and currently has two positions to fill: a Course Director, and aMarketing and Events Manager.

The Course Director (FI/CD) will coordinate short-term courses in science and religion. These willinvolve six week-ends per year and a 2-week summercourse. It is expected that the Course Director willwork 50% of their time on Course organisation and50% on academic research in the field of science and religion. The appointment will be made on the University Lecturer scale and is for 2.5 years inthe first instance. It is expected that the successfulcandidate will have a strong academic backgrounddemonstrating experience and interest in the field ofscience-religion interactions.

The Media and Events Manager (FI/MEM) willspend 60% of their time in the promotion of theI n s t i t u t e ’s activities, which include short-termcourses, lectures and seminars, together with web-sitemaintenance, marketing of Institute outputs, pressreleases and media interactions. The remaining 40% of the Manager’s time will be given tomarketing of the journal Science & Christian Belief.( w w w. s c i e n c e a n d c h r i s t i a n b e l i e f . o rg). Although themajor part of the job will be based in Cambridge, thework will also involve both national and internationaltravel. The successful candidate will have a strongbackground in marketing and/or events management,and will have an interest in the interactions betweenscience and faith. The salary will be based onqualifications and previous experience.

Candidates for both positions must be in sympathy with the aims and ethos of the FaradayInstitute. An important activity of the Institute willbe the continuation of the CiS – St Edmund’sCollege lecture series in science and religion(http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk).

Further details and informal enquiries may beobtained from the Faraday Institute Director, DenisA l e x a n d e r, by e-mailing dra24@hermes.cam.ac.uk.Applications should include a c/v, naming threereferees, together with a covering letter summarisingthe relevance of the applicant’s background andexperience for the position, and stating the relevantJob Ref. Code FI/CD or FI/MEM. A p p l i c a t i o n sshould be sent to: Dr Denis A l e x a n d e r, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, CB3 0BN, UK,by July 18th, 2005.

The ASA JournalThe American Scientific Association is in manyways similar to CiS in the context of NorthAmerica. Perspectives on Science and ChristianFaith is its quarterly journal.

Reciprocal arrangements have now been agreedbetween CiS and the A S A under which members ofeach organisation can receive the journal of the otherat 25% below the usual rate. The normal annualsubscription for non-members is US$35 (£18.70) andthe reduced rate would be $28 (£15). To register toobtain this special rate, please email the A S A a tm e m b e r s h i p @ a s a 3 . o rg, quoting your CiSMembership Number, and they will then put theprocess into effect to enable you to pay by credit card.

If you would like to see a sample of Perspectiveswe have a few free copies of the March 2005 issueavailable. To obtain one (while stocks last) pleaseemail the CiS Publications Secretary, John Bausor,at jandk.bausor@clara.net with your name andpostal address.

CiS Members in Action21st June – CiS stall at Christian careersconference, Manchester University

27th June – Red House Pub, Longstowe, talk on“What does it mean to be Human?” Denis A l e x a n d e r

14th July – Stapleford Pub, men’s group,Cambridge, “Evolution, is God dead?” Bob White

23rd-29th July – CiS stall at CLAN Gathering(New Wine), St Andrews

1st August – Lecture to CS Lewis conference,Cambridge, “Beauty in Science” Denis Alexander

11th-13th November – Discussion panel at FilmFestival on the ethics of cloning, Edinburg hFilmhouse Ruth Bancewicz

Please let us know of any events that you areinvolved in over the next few months.

Submissions for September PréCiSItems for the next PréCiS should be submitted to Caroline Berry at cberry@pncl.co.uk or 4 Sackville Close, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 3QDby 24th July.

Change of address? Graduated? New e-mail?If any of your details have changed, pleasecontact Tom Moffat at:The Manse, Culross, Dunferrmline, Fife, KY128JD. Tel. 01383 880 231e-mail: subscriptions@cis.org.uk