This is the first piece in a series exploring Catholicism and science.
We know well the churchs stance that reason (ratio) can never be ultimately alien or antithetical to fides (faith), for God is the Source of all Truth. A disproportionate overtaxing of the aims and abilities of human nature as the basis for all social, ethical and political realities can and has led to totalitarian systems which have been disastrous for humanity (Fides et Ratio, 46). Yet the answer to these challenges is never a flight into the feeling and experience of unmitigated fideism, with no relationship to rational reflection, for this ends in religious expression withering into myth or superstition (FeR, 48).
This series will hope to emphasize the relationship between scientific thought and religious conviction, always recognizing the distinct spheres of both because using Scripture as a proof text for a scientific claim, or enshrining a scientific hypothesis as an indubitably revealed truth, is neither good science nor good theology. Yet faith and reason are famously recognized as the two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of the Truth.
These anthropological and theological claims do not preclude us from examining the contributions people of faith have made to the progress of human knowledge in various scientific disciplines. On the contrary, they impel us to do so. And with the proliferation of television commercials for private companies offering to help us explore our genetic past and the impact it has on our children and grandchildren, there is no better place to begin than with Gregor Mendel.
Mendel was born in 1822 in what is today the Czech Republic. An Augustinian monk, he studied math and botany in Vienna. When he returned to the monastery, he experimented with pea plants and came to realize that traits were passed on in independent pairings of what he coined dominant and recessive factors (now called genes), not inherited in equal proportions from each of the preceding generations as previously thought. He is thus known as the father of genetics.
Both the ability to identify genetically inherited diseases and to engineer plant varieties for more desirable qualities (e.g., corn with optimal kernel size, shape, color, durability, and resistance to pests) are indebted to the work of Mendel.
It is well known that prayer and praise formed and supported Mendels exploratory search for truths about life on our planet. He recognized the importance of creatureliness and what this implied: both limitation to our self-determination and a relationship with the Creator and the natural world in which we live.
Like Anselm of Canterbury almost a millennium before him, Mendel saw in his rigorous investigations a path toward union with the divine. As Mendels predecessor put it: Come now, insignificant man, fly for a moment from your affairs, escape for a little while from the tumult of your thoughts. Enter into the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything save God and what can be of help in your quest for him Come then, Lord my God, teach my heart where and how to seek You, where and how to find You. Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me as I seek, because I can neither seek you if you do not teach me how, nor find you unless you reveal yourself. Let me seek you in desiring you; let me desire you in seeking you; let me find you in loving you; let me love you in finding you.
Mendel died at 61 years of age after serving as a friar, botanist, abbot, and author. It was not until decades after his quiet death in the monastery that his genius was recognized by the international academic community, and his important role in this history of human self-understanding confirmed.
Collingswood native Michael M. Canaris, Ph.D., teaches at Loyola University, Chicago.
Read the rest here:
The monk who became the 'father of genetics' - Catholic Star Herald
- Genetics colloquium: Chris Hittinger on the genomic making of metabolic niche breadth Sep. 11 - University of WisconsinMadison - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- NIH Recognizes Yales Expertise in the Genetics of Rare Diseases - Yale School of Medicine - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- SOPHiA GENETICS and AstraZeneca Collaborate to Further Expand Global Access to Liquid Biopsy Testing - PR Newswire - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Medicines race dilemma: What science says about genetics and health [PODCAST] - Kevin MD - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Researchers want to unlock genetics of the worlds tiniest animals - Popular Science - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Sophia Genetics and AstraZeneca collaborate to expand liquid biopsy test rollout - Medical Device Network - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- From farm to future: Technology in genetics - National Hog Farmer - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Editorial: Plant biotechnology and genetics for sustainable agriculture and global food security - Frontiers - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- NSF Grant Brings Genetics Opportunities to Students in Alabama - Government Technology - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- SBUs Ben Luft brings Lyme expertise to seminal paper on bacterial genetics and evolution - TBR News Media - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- SOPHiA GENETICS to Present at the 22nd Annual Morgan Stanley Healthcare Conference and 9th Annual TD Cowen FutureHealth Conference - PR Newswire - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Singapores National Precision Medicine (NPM) Programme Engages Oxford Nanopore to Advance Understanding of the Genetics of Singapores Multi-Ethnic... - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics Second Quarter 2024 Earnings: Beats Expectations - Yahoo Finance - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Stopped clinical trials give evidence for the value of genetics - Nature.com - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- What is DSD? Sex genetics and Olympic boxing controversy - Washington Examiner - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics Q2: Core Revenue Grows, but Profitability Is Still an Issue - The Motley Fool - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Viewpoint: Challenging yet another scientifically silly article claiming Black domination of sprinting and long distance running has nothing to do... - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Texas Company Trying To Resurrect Woolly Mammoths To Improve Genetics Of Bison - Cowboy State Daily - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Genetics confirms Berbers reached North Africa over 20,000 years ago; Arabs came in 7th Century CE - Down To Earth Magazine - August 5th, 2024 [August 5th, 2024]
- Unlocking plant genetics with telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies - Nature.com - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Carlo Ancelotti claims Jude Bellingham's 'genetics' are main reason behind Real Madrid & England superstar's meteoric rise to the top - Goal.com - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Genetics-based modeling estimates Idaho's wolf population was 1,150 in summer 2023 - Idaho Fish and Game - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Lung Cancer Research Foundation Joins Lung Cancer Advocacy Organizations and 23andMe to Launch Lung Cancer Genetics Study to Advance Research - PR... - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Fulgent Genetics (FLGT) Scheduled to Post Earnings on Friday - Defense World - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- SOPHIA GENETICS Announces Expanded Relationship with Canada-Based OncoHelix - Financial Times - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- LG Household & Health Care publishes research into the genetics of skin tone - GlobalCosmeticsNews - July 26th, 2024 [July 26th, 2024]
- Estonians gave their DNA to science now they're learning their genetic secrets - Nature.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genetic clues to depression revealed in large study - PsyPost - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Move Over, Genghis Khan. Many Other Men Left Huge Genetic Legacies - Smithsonian Magazine - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- 3X4 Genetics Selected as Partner for Preeminent Cancer Research and Treatment Nonprofit, The Metabolic Terrain ... - BioSpace - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- NIFA Invests $6M in Animal Breeding, Genetics and Genomics | NIFA - National Institute of Food and Agriculture - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Arbel Harpak: Pursuing the Next Frontier in Genetics | Dell Medical School - Dell Medical School - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Coffee habits are partly linked to genetics, UC San Diego researchers say - NBC San Diego - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Advanced genetic tools help researchers ID new neurodevelopmental syndrome - Yale News - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Nutritious diet may protect against type 2 diabetes, regardless of genetics - News-Medical.Net - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genome-wide association study identifies host genetic variants influencing oral microbiota diversity and metabolic ... - Nature.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Unlock the Secrets of Your DNA with Advanced Genetic Testing - North Forty News - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Modern and precise: Using gene editing to change the blueprint of an organism - Beef Magazine - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- The 'gene deserts' unravelling the mysteries of disease - BBC.com - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- UGA plant geneticists are tackling the climate crisis - Longview News-Journal - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Genetic Tests for Predicting Clopidogrel Response Gain Traction: AHA - TCTMD - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Bringing Gene Therapy to the Brain - The Scientist - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- The importance of the paradise fish in evolutionary and behavioral genetics research - Phys.org - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- What Is Fulgent Genetics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FLGT) Share Price Doing? - Yahoo Finance - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- UW initiative aims to bring together social sciences and genetics - Wisbusiness.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Women have a higher genetic risk for PTSD, according to study by VCU and Swedish researchers - VCU News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetics study points to potential treatments for restless leg syndrome - University of Cambridge news - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- deCODE genetics: The rate, nature and transmission of mitochondrial DNA mutations in humans - PR Newswire - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetic association mapping leveraging Gaussian processes | Journal of Human Genetics - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Minimally destructive hDNA extraction method for retrospective genetics of pinned historical Lepidoptera specimens ... - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Restless legs syndrome tied to 140 'hotspots' in the genome - Livescience.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Paired tumor-germline testing can enhance patient carewith guidance from genetics specialists - The Cancer Letter - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Improved functional mapping of complex trait heritability with GSA-MiXeR implicates biologically specific gene sets - Nature.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genetic Risk Score Revolutionizes TNBC Prediction in Black Women - Targeted Oncology - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Gene variants and breast cancer risk in Black women - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- GSA-MiXeR: A powerful tool to improve our understanding of heritable traits and diseases - News-Medical.Net - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Understanding the effect genetics have on Alzheimer's - Buffalo News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- 'Fossil viruses' embedded in the human genome linked to psychiatric disorders - Livescience.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Profile: Ardoin's genetics provided gift for writing, and his versatility made him legendary - crescentcitysports.com - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Genes Link Sleep Patterns to Autism and Bipolar Disorder - Neuroscience News - June 9th, 2024 [June 9th, 2024]
- Tilapia genetics: a comparative trial between two strains in Brazil - The Fish Site - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- New genetic cause of intellectual disability potentially uncovered in 'junk DNA' - Livescience.com - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Scientists identify gene that could lead to resilient 'pixie' corn - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Veritas Genetics at the forefront of genomic screening with new studies presented at the European Society of Human ... - PR Newswire - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Alzheimer's study suggests genetic cause of specific form of disease Harvard Gazette - Harvard Gazette - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Researchers Discover Genetic Underpinnings of Inherited Condition Often Misdiagnosed as Hypothyroidism - InventUM - University of Miami - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Too much or too little: The impact of protein dosage on development - EurekAlert - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Hussman Institute Celebrates National DNA Day with Frost Science Museum - InventUM - University of Miami - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- International treaty agreed on handling genetics in patents - Research Professional News - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Nebraska team identifies new genetic defect impacting cattle morbidity and meat quality - Beef Magazine - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Exploring the wonders of molecular biology - Drug Target Review - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- 30 Years After Genetic Discovery, Huntingtons Patients Still Waiting - BioSpace - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Arn Anderson Bron Breakker Has Got His Dads Genetics, Will Be A Big Star - eWrestlingNews - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Genetic research: possibilities and risks Exaudi - Exaudi - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- Study shows effect of 'interaction' on epigenetic marking in... - Parkinson's News Today - June 1st, 2024 [June 1st, 2024]
- The same genetic mutations behind gorillas' small penises may hinder fertility in men - Livescience.com - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Genetics reveals surprising origin of the German cockroach - Cosmos - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Genetics Reveals The Mysterious Origins Of The Cockroach - Forbes - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Optimizing genetics to advance controlled environment agriculture - AgriLife Today - AgriLife Today - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Genetics help combat illegal movement of feral swine - The Wildlife Society - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]