The Clergy Letter Project, which organizes Religion and Science Weekend each year, has been collecting sermons delivered in participating congregations since 2010.
This year a handful of additional sermons were shared as pastors sought to combine faith and science themes with Transfiguration Sunday. “Truth Matters” was the theme for the 2026 Religion and Science Weekend on Feb. 13-15.
Russell Ruffino in his sermon at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Wakefield, Rhode Island, spoke of the importance of his congregation supporting truth and science in the pews, adding that the church steeple should signal to those outside that truth matters. Overall, nearly 400 sermons can be found on The Clergy Letter Project’s website.
The Clergy Letter Project has issued a new letter as an interfaith statement on the “awe and curiosity” that drives both science and faith. The group is still looking to add signatures to the letter, which can be found here.
Dr. Donald Lovett, a professor of biology at the College of New Jersey, and Elder at Ewing Covenant Presbyterian Church, spoke at his congregation on Religion and Science Weekend. He talked about the Clergy Letter Project’s origins in courtroom battles over the teaching of evolution in schools. In his 2026 talk, he referred to the original Clergy Letter’s phrasing: “Religious truth is … different … from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.”
To date, the original Clergy Letter on faith and science has collected more than 18,000 signatures and continues to grow.
Susan Barreto
Susan is an author with a long-time interest in religion and science. She currently edits Covalence, the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology’s online magazine. She has written articles in The Lutheran and the Zygon Center for Religion and Science newsletter. Susan is a board member for the Center for Advanced Study of Religion and Science, the supporting organization for the Zygon Center and the Zygon Journal. She also co-wrote Our Bodies Are Selves with Dr. Philip Hefner and Dr. Ann Pederson.