Here is a very incomplete list of just a few top-notch scientists who are also Christians, listed alphabetically by last name. Currently the list only includes people who have earned doctorates in science related disciplines. (For example, biology, chemistry, physics, math, but not psychology, sociology, law, etc.) It also includes graduate level theology degrees if the person has earned any, and any particularly noteworthy accomplishments. For those unfamiliar with the nomenclature, a DPhil degree is usually considered equal to a PhD and is primarily offered by European universities. The University of Oxford for example does not award PhDs, Oxford awards DPhil degrees.
Note that this list does not aim to prove anything about the truth of Christianity, it merely suggests that Christianity and science need not be foes as it is so often portrayed in popular media.
If you have suggestions please contact me and let me know. Note that I don’t necessarily agree with everything each of the people listed believe (ex, Polkinghorne). Also the list includes those who are young-earth creationists, old-earth creationists, theistic evolution proponents, framework proponents, and people who might just say “I’m open to several of those options, what I can say for sure is that God did it and how exactly isn’t so important to me.” (I’d put myself in that last group.) There is a much longer list here of Christian scientists but I have not verified the list so be sure to double-check its accuracy.
Dennis Alexander – Chemistry
PhD Neurochemistry , University of London (King’s College)
Edgar H. Andrews – Physics
PhD , DSc Physics , University of London
Francisco J. Ayala – Biology
PhD Biology , Columbia University
Stephen Barr – Physics
PhD Physics , Princeton University
Michael Behe – Chemistry
PhD Biochemistry , University of Pennsylvania
John A. Bloom – Physics
PhD Physics , Cornell University
PhD Ancient Near Eastern Studies , Annenberg Research Institute
MDiv , Biblical Theological Seminary
Raymond Bohlin – Biology
PhD Molecular & Cell Biology , University of Texas at Dallas
Walter L. Bradley – Engineering
PhD Materials Science and Engineering , University of Texas at Austin
Christopher Cagan – Math
PhD Math , University of California, Los Angeles
MDiv , Talbot Theological Seminary (BIOLA)
PhD Religion , Claremont Graduate School
Ben Carson – Medicine (Neurosurgeon)
MD , University of Michigan Medical School
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (highest civilian honor the USA awards)
Awarded more than 50 honorary doctorate degrees
Robert W. Carter – Biology
PhD Marine Biology , University of Miami
Joan Centrella – Astrophysics
PhD Astronomy , University of Cambridge
Dorothy Chappell – Biology
PhD Biology , Miami University (Ohio)
Paul Chien – Biology
PhD Biology , University of California at Irvine
Francis Collins - Chemistry
PhD Physical Chemistry , Yale University
MD , University of North Carolina
Former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (sequenced the human genome)
Russell Cowburn – Physics
PhD Physics , University of Cambridge
Catherine Crouch – Physics
PhD Physics , Harvard University
William Dembski – Math, Philosophy
PhD Math , University of Chicago
PhD Philosophy , University of Illinois at Chicago
MDiv , Princeton University
Satyan Devadoss – Mathematics
PhD Mathematics , John Hopkins University
David DeWitt – Biology
PhD Biology , Case Western Reserve University
Don B DeYoung – Physics
PhD Physics , Iowa State University
Sharon Dirckx – Neurology
PhD Brain Imaging , University of Cambridge
Jonathan Doye – Chemistry
PhD Chemistry , University of Cambridge
George Ellis – Physics
PhD Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics , University of Cambridge
David Glass – Physics
PhD Theoretical Atomic Physics , Queens University Belfast
MA Philosophy , Queens University Belfast
Guillermo Gonzalez – Astronomy
PhD Astronomy , University of Washington
Andrew Gosler – Biology
DPhil Eco-morphology , University of Oxford
Deborah Haarsma – Physics
PhD Physics , Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Loren Haarsma – Physics
PhD Physics , Harvard University
Brad Harrub – Medicine
PhD Anatomy and Neurobiology , University of Tennessee Medical School
Daniel Hastings – Aeronautics
PhD Aeronautics , Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Katharine Hayhoe – Atmospheric Science
PhD Atmospheric Science , University of Illinois
Rodney Holder – Astrophysics
DPhil Astrophysics , University of Oxford
Sir Colin Humphreys – Physics (Head of Materials Science & Metallurgy dept)
PhD , University of Cambridge
DSc (Honorary) , University of Leicester
Ian H. Hutchinson – Nuclear Science, Engineering
PhD Engineering Physics , Australian National University
Randy Ingermanson – Physics
PhD Theoretical Physics , University of California, Berkeley
Pierre Gunnar Jerlström – Biology
PhD Molecular Biology , Griffith University
Stuart Judge – Neuroscience
PhD Neuroscience , University of Keele
Robert Kaita – Physics
PhD Nuclear Physics , Rutgers University
Michael N. Keas – History of Science
PhD History of Science , University of Oklahoma
Carl S Keener – Biology
PhD Biology , North Carolina State University
Donald Knuth – Computer Science
PhD Math , California Institute of Technology
Author of “Art of Computer Programming,” referred to as “The bible of all fundamental [computer programming] algorithms”
Denis O. Lamoureux – Biology , Dentistry
PhD Biology , University of Alberta
PhD Theology , University of St. Michael’s College
DDS Dental Surgery , University of Alberta
John Lennox – Math
PhD Math , University of Cambridge
DSc Math , University of Wales, Cardiff
DPhil , University of Oxford
Arthur C. Lind – Physics
PhD Physics , Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jason Lisle – Astrophysics
PhD Astrophysics , University of Colorado
Ard Louis – Physics
PhD Theoretical Physics , Cornell University
Ernest Lucas – Biology
PhD Biology , University of Kent
PhD Old Testament , University of Liverpool
Heinz Lycklama – Physics
PhD Physics , McMaster University
Alister E. McGrath – Molecular Biophysics
DPhil Molecular Biophysics , University of Oxford
DPhil Theology , University of Oxford
Robert Marks – Engineering
PhD Electrical Engineering , Texas Tech University
Jim Mason – Physics
PhD Experimental Nuclear Physics , McMaster University
David Menton – Biology
PhD Cell Biology , Brown University
Alexander Metherell – Engineering, Medicine
PhD Engineering , University of Bristol
MD , University of Miami
Stephen C. Meyer – Philosophy of Science
PhD Philosophy of Science , University of Cambridge
Kenneth R Miller – Biology
PhD Biology , University of Colorado
Simon Conway Morris , Palaeobiology
PhD Palaeobiology , University of Cambridge
Robert C. Newman , Astrophysics
PhD Theoretical Astrophysics , Cornell University
Martin A. Nowak , Biology, Math
PhD Biochemistry & Math , University of Vienna
Don N. Page , Physics
PhD Physics , California Institute of Technology
Post-doctoral work with Stephen Hawking at University of Cambridge
Gary Parker , Biology
EdD Biology & Geology , Ball State University
Perry G. Phillips , Astrophysics
PhD Astrophysics , Cornell University
MDiv , Biblical Theological Seminary
MA Hebrew , Jerusalem University College
William D. Phillips , Physics
PhD Physics , Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics
Rosalind Picard , Computer Science
PhD Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
John Polkinghorne , Physics
PhD Physics , University of Cambridge
Vern S. Poythress , Math
PhD Math , Harvard University
MLitt New Testament , University of Cambridge
ThD New Testament , University of Stellenbosch
Lawrence M. Principe – Chemistry
PhD Organic Chemisty , Indiana University at Bloomington
PhD History of Science , John Hopkins
Alexander R. Pruss – Math, Philosophy
PhD Math , University of British Columbia
PhD Philosophy , University of Pittsburgh
Vinoth Ramachandra – Nuclear Engineering
PhD Nuclear Engineering , University of London
Fazale Rana – Chemistry
PhD Biochemistry , Ohio University
Barry Ritchie – Physics
PhD Physics , University of South Carolina
David Rogstad – Physics
PhD Physics , California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Hugh Ross – Astrophysics
PhD Astrophysics , University of Toronto
Allan Sandage – Astronomy
PhD Astronomy , University of Illinois
John C Sanford – Horticulture
PhD Plant Breeding/Plant Genetics , University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jonathan Sarfati – Chemistry
PhD Physical Chemistry , Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Henry F. Schaefer III – Chemistry
PhD Chemical Physics , Stanford University
Jeff Schloss – Biology
PhD Ecology , Washington University
Rupert Sheldrake – Biochemistry
PhD Biochemistry , University of Cambridge
Neil Shenvi – Chemistry
PhD Theoretical Chemistry , University of California, Berkeley
David W. Snoke – Physics
PhD Physics , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Andrew Steane – Physics
DPhil Physics , University of Oxford
Esther Su – Chemistry
PhD Biochemistry , University of Michigan
John Suppe – Geology
PhD Structural Geology , Yale University
Lionel Tarassenko – Biomedicine
DPhil Medical Electronics , University of Oxford
James M Tour – Chemistry
PhD Chemistry , Purdue University
Troy Van Voorhis – Chemistry
PhD Chemistry , University of California, Berkeley
Larry Vardiman – Meteorology
PhD Atmospheric Science , Colorado State University
Tas Walker – Engineering
PhD Mechanical Engineering , University of Queensland
Leslie Wickman – Biology
PhD Human Factors & Biomechanics , Stanford University
Jennifer Wiseman – Astrophysics
PhD Astronomy , Harvard University
Jeffery Zweerink – Astrophysics
PhD Astrophysics , Iowa State University
