Science, Faith, and the Stars Align for This Eagle's Trace Resident

With bachelor's degrees in theology and chemistry and a doctorate in physical chemistry, Robert "Bob" J. Hesse had an extensive career traveling the world as an oil industry engineer.

But after experiencing a restoration of faith, he felt inspired to teach on the connection between science and the divine.

"I was teaching a graduate course in faith and science, but there were really no textbooks that broad," recalls Bob, who was encouraged to start writing his own book. "But I felt it was too dry, so a few people suggested I write my personal journey of discovery."

While composing his manuscript, Bob made the move to Eagle's Trace, an Erickson Senior Living community in West Houston, Tex. There, he met his future editor--a fellow resident--at an on-campus pub.

"Little did I know where my journey would lead me," Bob writes in his 2022 book, Faith and Science: A Journey into God's Mystical Love. Well, now he knows!

Since moving into his maintenance-free apartment home, Bob has enjoyed more time to travel and write--not one, but three books.

Seeking connection

Bob's real-life experiences read like Jules Verne and Rudyard Kipling adventures. He has lived the life of a deeply dedicated scientist, engineer, and seminarian, who experienced a crisis of faith and turned his back on the Catholic Church for 23 years.

What restored his faith? Science: The wonders of the natural world and the complexity of the universe. Filling the unexplained gaps with a belief in something larger than himself provided comfort and connection.

"After reading Fr. Thomas Merton and Fr. Thomas Keating's books, I began to move toward connecting with God through what is called 'contemplative prayer,'" Bob recalls. "Eventually, I went to a Trappist monastery in Snowmass, Colo., and attended a ten-day retreat. That's where I had a profound mystical experience. From then on, it is what drove me."

He began to see God and the divine everywhere in nature: in waterfalls in Venezuela, the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, the Alps, and the Andes.

From there, he visited and studied with major figures practicing contemplative prayer from every religion and spiritual discipline. His experiences grew into presenting talks, seminars, research, clinical studies, and published findings on how interfaith contemplative prayer practices can positively impact people dealing with neurological issues, including depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and Parkinson's.

This work is especially important and personal to Bob, as his wife of 45 years struggled with bipolar issues. She died in 2013.

The journey continues

Inspired by his experiences and learnings, Bob wanted to bring this near convergence of theology and science to others.

Based on his first book, he and some colleagues organized and planned the Faith and Science Conference: Enhanced by Art, Music and Interfaith Mysticism, which is taking place in Rome, Italy, in June 2025.

Experts from across scientific and interfaith fields--astrophysicists, astronomers, mathematicians, biologists, biochemists, priests, rabbis, and Sufi leaders--will be in attendance. Conference venues include the Pontifical University conference center in the shadow of St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Observatory, and the Sistine Chapel.

Bob is looking forward to bringing the second Faith and Science Conference home to Houston--a city known for science, medicine, and spirituality, with NASA's Johnson Space Center and the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center.

"We're doing preliminary research on PTSD in Cuba. All these types of neurological issues have anecdotal incentives for preliminary research, but we've got to get to the next step," Bob says. "I'm hoping the book, and our international conference, will launch us. God is using us to touch a lot of people."

More free time

It took Bob three years to write Faith and Science, and he swore he'd never write another. But thanks to the extra time that the maintenance-free lifestyle at Eagle's Trace affords him, he did.

His second book, Face to Face, draws from his firsthand encounters with the divine while visiting more than 100 countries and seven continents. His third, a set of personal homilies, is underway.

Bob has lots of other reasons to love Eagle's Trace, including the variety of on-campus restaurants to choose from. Before he moved to the community, he quips, "I got tired of eating my own food." He adds, "The food here is wonderful."

He continues, "And I don't have to worry about the grass and all that maintenance. The expenses of our large house were nuts. Now, when I want to travel, I just lock the door and leave. That's one reason I came to Eagle's Trace in the first place."

Now, Bob is also a proud member of the resident-led physics group at Eagle's Trace--recently discovering that the first person to sign up for his conference was a physicist from the group!

To learn more about the ways Eagle’s Trace supports residents’ interests and passions, visit EaglesTrace.com or call 281-661-1403 to speak to a member of the sales team.