Harry and Hazel Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy and Director of the Religion and Public Policy Program
How can scientists interact with religious beliefs that increasingly shape public policy? Must there exist a separation between faith and science?
Michael O. Emerson sits with Neal F. Lane, the Baker Institute’s senior fellow in science and technology, and Heidi Russell, the director of the Center for Health Policy, to dive into the complex, often misunderstood relationship among faith, science, and public policy. They explore how religious values and scientific evidence collide, and sometimes coexist, from the courtroom to the hospital bedside.
This is the third episode in a four-part series, “Between Pulpit and Policy,” exploring the rising influence of faith, particularly Christian nationalism, in Texas politics — and how it’s transforming public policy and governance. The series was produced in partnership with the Baker Institute Student Forum.
This conversation was recorded on Nov. 7, 2025.
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“Texas Briefing” brings expert insights to the policy challenges shaping life in the Lone Star State. Through topical miniseries, institute scholars and their guests untangle issues in health, the economy, climate resilience, and more to understand how policy matters are impacting communities from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast.
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