Dozens of Christian leaders have signed a statement defending science and calling on fellow believers to follow the advice of public health experts during the coronavirus pandemic.

The list of 76 leaders includes Christian writers, pastors, theologians, scientists, doctors and seminary leaders. They say they are deeply concerned about the polarization and politicization of science that is emerging in some Christian communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

The word science has become a weapon in the culture wars, the leaders wrote in the statement published Monday . Scientists are vilified and their findings ignored, while conspiracy theories go viral.

Thoughtful Christians may disagree on public policy in response to the coronavirus, but none of us should ignore clear scientific evidence, the leaders wrote.

The signers come from a wide range of theological convictions from the solidly conservative New Testament scholar N. T. Wright to the progressive Christian author and podcaster Mike McHargue. Timothy Dalrymple and Daniel Harrell, the president and editor-in-chief of the evangelical magazine Christianity Today, added their names, as did Mark Labberton, president of Californias Fuller Theological Seminary, Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and the popular Christian author Philip Yancey. More than 4,000 members of the public have also signed the statement.

All of the signers pledged to respond to the pandemic by praying, wearing masks, correcting misinformation, seeking justice for hard-hit communities and, eventually, getting vaccinated.