Georgetown University celebrates Distinguished Research Professor John Haught, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Center for Christogenesis earlier this month.
Haught, an emeritus professor who served in the Department of Theology from 1970 to 2005, is a leading expert on religion and science and author of over 20 books, as well as 100-plus articles and book chapters.
"John Haught has helped to shape conversations on Christian faith and science for many years," says Leo Lefebure, the Matteo Ricci, S.J., Professor of Theology at Georgetown University. "He boldly challenges scientists and believers to view religion as constituting a new epoch in a developing universe."
Connecting Theology and Science
Haught is known for connecting theology and science, stressing how the two disciplines can complement one another since both look for different levels of meaning and truth.
That approach was first inspired by a prominent Jesuit priest and scholar: Rev. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.
Teilhard de Chardin: His Importance in the 21st Century. Haught speaks on the legacy of Teilhard de Chardin at a 2015 Georgetown event.
“When I was in my early twenties, I began reading the works of the Jesuit geologist and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, prompting my early interest in science and religion,” recalls Haught.
Building on the work of Teilhard, Haught has published on a wide variety of subjects at the nexus of theology and science, from Darwinian evolution to cosmic history. His next book, God after Einstein, will be published by Yale University Press in 2021.
“Any scholarly discussion of science and religion will have to appreciate the work of Jack Haught,” says Peter C. Phan, the Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J., Chair of Catholic Social Thought at Georgetown.
Critical scholarship on theology and science continues across the Georgetown campus, from the Department of Psychology to the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Department of Theology and Religious Studies.
Faith and Science in the Public Square
Haught is not only a prolific scholar but also a leading public voice advocating for the serious contemplation of religious faith and scientific thought.
Science, Faith, and the New Atheism. Haught gives a talk sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute in February 2015.
“His books have opened new windows of insight, enabling scholars around the world, as well as the general public, to understand why science and religion belong together,” says Sister Ilia Delio, OSF, founder of the Center for Christogenesis.
In 2005, Haught was the sole theologian to provide expert testimony in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, a U.S. Supreme Court case on teaching intelligent design in public schools.
“I supported the argument that intelligent design is at heart a theological rather than a properly scientific resource, and therefore it has no justifiable place in public school education,” Haught says.
The testimony helped the plaintiffs secure a victory against intelligent design in the biology classroom. For his part, Haught won a Friend of Darwin Award from the National Center for Science Education.
Inside Our Awakening Universe: What’s Really Going on? | John F. Haught. Haught gives a lecture at the Oblate School of Theology in November 2018.
“No scholar has more cogently assessed the implications of cosmic and neo-Darwinian evolution for Christian faith than Jack—our Teilhard of the twenty-first century,” says colleague Charles A. O’Connor, III, who authored the introduction to A John Haught Reader (2018).
His contributions to both scholarly and public discourse have allowed Haught to foster hope for the productive role of religion in contemporary society.
"Jack is skilled in the habit of hope," says Elizabeth McKeown, professor emerita in the Department of Theology. "His major resources are Evelyn Haught and Teilhard. They have helped him shape his myriad talents into a sustained gift to all of us."
A Wonderful Colleague
Haught has left a lasting impression on Georgetown colleagues, long after his retirement some 15 years ago.
“Jack Haught has taught me much, not only in his ideas but in his clear manner of presentation, in his gentleness in debate, and in his warmth of character,” says Anthony Tambasco, professor emeritus in the Department of Theology.
Students of Haught also know the professor as an engaging teacher who brought his cutting-edge research into the classroom.
“As a student, mentee, and friend of Jack Haught over the last 40 years, I’ve enjoyed a privileged view of his creative intellectual development and magisterial written output on science and faith—and what an exciting adventure in learning he’s provided,” says O’Connor.
As an incisive and personable thinker, Haught remains a valued colleague in the Department of Theology.
“Besides being a theologian of great stature, Jack is also a wonderful colleague, unpretentious and full of humor,” says Phan. “Congratulations to you, Jack, for this well-deserved honor!”