Respected scientist offers profound testimony of faith bridging science, art and spirituality

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – In The People of Pilgrim’s Progress: The Spiritual Journey to God of a Natural Scientist, Professor Shi-Ryong Park—a respected scientist and artist—offers a profound testimony of faith that bridges science, art, and spirituality.

As a natural scientist, Park has long grappled with the question, “How can one believe in an invisible God?” His answer is clear and compelling: “It is by drawing near to His intentions through divine wisdom, not the wisdom of the world.”

He reflects that before humanity even existed, when the universe began with the Big Bang, God had already planned to send Christ—taking on human flesh—to this small planet among countless stars. For Park, faith in Christ is nothing less than “the gift of life and salvation given to us through His Spirit.”

A life shaped by science and struggle

After first encountering Jesus in his youth, Park spent nearly 30 years leading research to restore the endangered oriental stork population. Yet his spiritual journey was marked by deep personal trials, most painfully through his daughter’s long struggle with alcoholism. Despite medical treatment, she could not find freedom, and Park, overwhelmed by despair, turned wholeheartedly to God in prayer.

During this season, he revisited John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress—a book he cherished in his youth—and began writing his own reflections, including the chapter “The Prison of Despair.”

A stunning fusion of art, science, and faith

In The People of Pilgrim’s Progress, Park reimagines Bunyan’s timeless allegory through delicate watercolors painted on traditional Korean paper. His artwork, paired with deeply personal reflections, brings Bunyan’s characters into a modern context while tracing his own journey through doubt, struggle, and renewal in Christ.

As a scientist, Park wrestled with faith amid skepticism, often challenged by figures like Darwin, Dawkins, and Wilson. Yet, like Bunyan’s Christian, he ultimately found redemption and rebirth. His reflections, shaped during daily climbs up Seoul’s Mount Inwang, unfold as meditations on life, death, and eternity.

This rare integration of science, faith, and art makes The People of Pilgrim’s Progress both a tribute to Bunyan’s enduring vision and a powerful contribution to contemporary Christian literature.

Who should read this book?
When asked who he hopes will read the book, Professor Park points to three groups:

Natural scientists without faith in Christ.
Park does not identify with creationism, yet he also believes evolution alone cannot explain the mystery of human origins. “A force within me, directed toward God, has taken root as life itself,” he writes.

Pastors and church leaders.
Park laments how many churches have become driven by money, prestige, and competition for positions, obscuring the true image of Christ who bore the cross. He hopes this book will call pastors and believers back to a life centered on Jesus.

Those who believe death is the end.
Park himself once doubted the resurrection. But through faith, he discovered that death is not the end, but a new beginning. “God is proving it to me now through the power of the Holy Spirit,” he testifies.

About the author
Professor Shi-Ryong Park is a renowned natural scientist and consultant for animal-related programs at KBS. He has published numerous works on natural science for general audiences, but The People of Pilgrim’s Progress is his first book to openly share his faith journey. Following the English edition, Korean and Japanese editions are expected soon.