Integrating Science Into Faith Classrooms Through a Pedagogy of Compassion

ABSTRACT

This article examines the integration of science into Ambrose Seminary's curriculum via the Science for Seminaries grant. Utilizing Indigenous Métissage and Kimmerer's “braiding” metaphor, the authors weave pedagogical reflections from eight courses into a pedagogy of compassion. This framework rejects bureaucratic instruction, prioritizing ethical relationality to transform classrooms into creative spaces. By engaging neuroscience and evolutionary biology, faculty cultivates four core dispositions: awe, wonder, humility, and compassion. The article concludes that successful integration requires intentional course design and a scaffolded culture of trust to move students toward radical openness.