Source: Wikipedia
In this part Barbour provides an overview of how scientific discovery has had an impact on theology through out the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The major scientific discoveries made in the 17th century included those made by Galileo and Newton. The scientific discoveries made by Galileo and Newton began to describe and explain the natural and physical laws by which the earth operates. These discoveries drastically changed the way that man viewed the world and nature. This in turn caused shifts in theological thought. Natural theology emerged, where God was able to fill the scientific gaps and was responsible for the orderliness of nature. The idea of God as the "Divine Clockmaker"( the argument states that design implies a designer) and the beginning of Deism(in the philosophy of religion is the standpoint that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that a supreme being created the universe) can also be traced back to the 17th century.
During the 18th century the Age of Reason and Romanticism greatly shaped views on science and theology. Deism became very popular during this time among many Enlightenment scholars. Romanticism on the other hand lead to an appreciation of the underlying spirituality in nature and in man, and God's personal relationship with man and nature. This in turn lead to the concepts of moral and religious experience (is the argument from experiences of God to the existence of God), which focused on man's intuition and imagination in relation to their religious experience.
The theory of evolution was developed by Darwin in the 19th century. This essentially eliminated the "God of the gaps"(refers to a view of God as existing in the "gaps" or aspects of reality that are currently unexplained by scientific knowledge, or that otherwise lack a plausible natural explanation) that had come about in the 17th century. Liberal theologians accepted the theory of evolution, and held the opinion that God works continuously through the evolutionary process. On the other hand conservatives still insisted on Biblical literalism, and they rejected Darwin's theory. For the most part theologians began to focus more on the human experience for their basis of theology.
Definitions – from Cambridge Dictionary online (only for reference purpose)
Religion - the belief in and worship of a god or gods, or any such system of belief and worship
Christianity - a religion based on belief in God and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and on the Bible
Science - (knowledge from) the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical world, especially by watching, measuring and doing experiments, and the development of theories to describe the results of these activities.
Barbour’s Models relating science to faith
Source: Wikipedia
1. Conflict, stating the disciplines contradict and are incompatible with each other.
2. Independence treating each as quite separate realms of enquiry.
3. Dialogue suggesting that each field has things to say to each other about phenomena in which their interests overlap.
4. Integration aiming to unify both fields into a single discourse.
Doesn’t evolution disprove the Bible?
Source: Timothy Keller – The Reason for God
If ‘evolution’ is…elevated to the status of a world-view of the way things are then there is direct conflict with biblical faith. But of ‘evolution’ remains at the level of scientific biological hypothesis, it would seem that there is little reason for conflict between the implications of Christian belief in the Creator and the scientific explorations of the way which – at the level of biology – God has gone about his creating processes.
Since Christian believers occupy different positions on both the meaning of Genesis and on the nature of evolution, those who are considering Christianity as a whole should not allow themselves to be distracted by this intramural debate. The sceptical enquirer does not need to accept any one of these positions in order to embrace the Christian faith. Rather, he or she should concentrate on and weigh the central claims of Christianity. Only after drawing conclusions about the person of Christ, the resurrection, and the central tenets of the Christian message should one think through the various options with regard to creation and evolution
Bible verses
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Acts 17
11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Hebrews 4
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Romans 1
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse..
Romans 2
15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
Hebrews 1
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
2 Peter 1
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Revelations
General Revelation
- Natural revelation (Romans 1:20)
- Conscience (Romans 2: 15)
Special Revelation
- Bible (2 Timothy 3: 16)
- Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2)
My thoughts
Between Christianity and science, do I have to disregard one in order to embrace the other? Yes, I would have to do so if they are in absolute contradiction with one another. Then, both cannot exist together. Are they mutually exclusive? To me, they are not. However, I am not so sure about the relationship between them – integration or dialogue? One thing which I am convinced that: If God is the creator God, does not He the inventor of the laws of all the sciences?
Having discussed with friends, conflicts are existing between two (age of the universe was 13 million years old, dinosaurs existed before men, impossible to have water during the formation of the world due to intense heat, water is essential for the formation of life, scientists are looking backward using extrapolations). A conclusion by ML, we should not forget about the core of Christianity which is about Jesus Christ although we have these conflicts. Ultimately, people are saved not by believing of disbelieving evolution but having faith in Christ.
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