Author Photos
Photo credit: Karli Hollister
Cover Art
Design credit: Julie Chen
Illustration credit: Jago Silver
Design credit: Julie Chen
Illustration credit: Jago Silver
Media Alert
Author Biography
Full Version
Rachel G. Jordan is a professional marine biologist and lay theologian. A self-professed Jesus-loving coral nerd, she was raised in Idaho and has since traveled the globe chasing her passion for faith and science. She has an MS in marine biology and ecology from James Cook University (Australia), a BS in ecology from Seattle Pacific University (USA), and a certification in biblical studies from Bodenseehof Bible School (Germany). In addition to working as a coral biologist for the US National Park Service, Rachel has worked in marine aquaculture research, organic chemistry laboratories, veterinary research facilities, the pet industry, and a museum. When not diving or writing, she can be found reading C. S. Lewis, growing wildflowers, and exploring creation with her husband. You can also find her on Instagram @shorelinesoul or at rachelgjordan.com.
Short Version
Rachel G. Jordan is a professional marine biologist and lay theologian with a MS in marine biology and ecology, a BS in ecology, and a certification in biblical studies. She is passionate about helping others understand science accurately, represent Jesus fully, and engage in conversations respectfully.
Book Blurb
The ocean is filled with scientific discoveries― and God’s presence.
For marine biologist Rachel Jordan, both science and scripture are means of knowing creation and Creator. In If the Ocean Has a Soul, Rachel considers the natural world through a spiritual lens, meshing marine biology with biblical truths in a keen and current take on faith and science. With engaging storytelling and deep knowledge of the Bible, she asks and answers questions like:
- How can Christians reconcile religion and science when the two seem opposed?
- What do suffering and death teach us about the character of Jesus?
- How do we care for the environment when there seems to be little hope for repair?
- What do the ocean and its sea creatures, specifically, reveal about God?
In these pages, Rachel recounts fascinating aquatic phenomena alongside the sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic stories of animals she has known. You’ll lose yourself in the shadows of an underwater labyrinth; hear spiritual wisdom from a great-grandmother coral the size of a Volkswagen Beetle; and fall in love with Porky, the pudgy porcupinefish greeting visitors at the Windjammer shipwreck. And along the way, you’ll see how the promise of restoration unfolds in both physical and spiritual ways. Rachel’s thoughtful scientific and theological insights encourage us to know the Creator of the sea and everything in it.
Book Info
If the Ocean Has a Soul: A Marine Biologist’s Pursuit of Truth through Deep Waters of Faith and Science
United States
Softcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Tyndale Refresh (June 3, 2025)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 979-8400505843
Rachel G. Jordan | Christian Marine Biologist 
