Dr. Michelle Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College who also writes extensively on theology, joins the Rhythms of Faith podcast to discuss the intersection of science, prayer, and contemplative living. She shares how she has prayed the Liturgy of the Hours for over 40 years and how the Psalms became a lifeline during her first husband's death, providing words when she could find none of her own. She describes bringing contemplative practice into her science classroom—asking students to silently observe wave functions for minutes at a time—and how doing fewer things more slowly leads to deeper learning. The conversation explores the inherent mystery of quantum mechanics, drawing parallels between phenomena like entanglement and theological concepts such as the Trinity, both of which can be contemplated but never fully grasped. She offers wisdom on discernment, describing how prayer and imaginative reflection help navigate life's choices, and shares how she prays the Examen by imagining herself watching the film of her day on the sofa next to God. Finally, she discusses her book Steeped, a molecular tour of a cup of tea that sparked an international controversy when she suggested adding salt to tea, her growing experience as a preacher, and what it means to be Church as the mystical body of Christ present in any gathering of the faithful.
0:00 \"Introduction & Welcome\"
1:27 \"Discovering the Liturgy of the Hours\"
4:54 \"The Psalms and Grief\"
6:29 \"Contemplative Practice in Teaching Science\"
11:22 \"The Value of Inefficiency & Silence\"
17:51 \"Quantum Mechanics & Mystery\"
22:48 \"Discernment & Prayer\"
26:40 \"Steeped, Preaching & Being Church\"
","author_name":"Rhythms of Faith"}