Janet Kellogg Ray is an enthusiastic science educator, explainer, and communicator. She holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction, with eighteen years of university teaching, both biology majors and nonmajors. Raised a creationist, Janet is a science educator and a practicing Christian who accepts evolution. She is uniquely equipped to explain evolution to questioners, doubters, deniers, and those who just want to know more about the science of origins: she’s been there, and she understands.
Books by Janet Kellogg Ray
Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark?: The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit
A significant number of Americans, especially evangelical Christians, believe Earth and humankind were created in their present form sometime in the last 10,000 years or so—the rationale being that this is (presumably) the story told in the book of Genesis. Within that group, any threatening scientific evidence that suggests otherwise is rejected or, when possible, retrofitted into a creationist worldview.
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Study Guide for BABY DINOSAURS ON THE ARK?
In Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making It All Fit , Janet Kellogg Ray reached out to Christians who experience cognitive dissonance between their creationist commitments and modern science. With this new study guide, she returns to her argument with fresh perspective and an eye toward practical instruction.
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Coming Soon: October 2023
The God of Monkey Science: People of Faith in a Modern Scientific World
Ever since the Scopes Monkey Trial in the early twentieth century, American evangelicals have considered scientists public enemy #1. But this antipathy to modern science turned deadly during the COVID-19 crisis, when white evangelicals snubbed precautions and vaccines. Herself an evangelical Christian and a science educator, Janet Kellogg Ray explains how we got here and how to fix it.
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Get to Know Janet
What led you to write Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? in the first place?
When you’re told evolution and faith aren’t compatible, the options are bleak: you can either reject a vast body of scientific evidence or you can reject God. Instead of an outright rejection of science, many Christians make the evidence fit Genesis or make Genesis fit the evidence. The mental gymnastics required to do so can be exhausting. Young earth creationism is my history, too. Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? is written for the nonscientist, and specifically, the nonscientist with questions about creationist explanations for scientific evidence.
Who do you think this new study guide will be best suited for?
The study guide invites those with questions into a deeper conversation. Many readers, raised as I was with a literal six-day, young earth, special creation interpretation of Genesis may be uneasy when told they must reject scientific evidence and the consensus of the scientific community.
The study guide is suited for use in small groups or in larger classes and works well for independent learners, too. Readers are invited to analyze and critique ideas in the original book and to examine personal positions. My favorite part of the study guide is the “Digging Deeper” sections – new content, stories, and expansions on the topics in each chapter.
What are three things about yourself that most people don’t know?
I’m a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan, and that takes perseverance!
I have a life-size replica of the famous “Lucy” in my home office. I found her on sale in an import shop; nobody there knew what it was! I felt very Indiana Jones-ish.
Natural history museums are my happy place.
What do you do when you’re not teaching, writing, reading, or answering questions for EerdWord?
I’m currently managing a herd of five dogs–only two of which are by choice; it’s a long story!
I lead a book club. We’re from different churches and different backgrounds. We choose books (and sometimes podcasts) that may challenge our long-held beliefs.
And always: reading, thinking, researching, and writing the next book!
What can you tell us about your next release with Eerdmans coming this Fall, The God of Monkey Science ?
Evolution was the area of science that first offended, but in evolution denial, evangelicals developed a whole way of talking about science.
Evolution-denial arguments were retooled and relaunched to serve another day in the evangelical response to climate science and to the COVID-19 pandemic. The God of Monkey Science explores the political and religious drama that got us to where we are today.
Who did you write these books for?
What most people who reject evolution know about evolution comes from anti-evolution resources. We build a straw man out of arguments no one is actually making, then we tear the straw man down. These books are written in an accessible, popular-science voice for readers who want to know more about the evidence for evolution, climate science, and the pandemic.
Could you describe your overall goal and dreams for your writing and research in a sentence or two?
Conventional Christian wisdom says that accepting evolution is a one-way ticket to atheism. But that’s not what research tells us – to the contrary, it is a rejection of science that is shipwrecking faith.
I want my readers to be people of faith who embrace modern science without fear.
Anything you’d like to say about anything?
Science moves on, with or without us. We can deny it, pretend it’s all a conspiracy, or politicize it, OR we can speak as people of faith in a modern scientific world.
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