The Soul Of Science
Overview
This book surveys the development of science so that Christians may gain an understanding of its historical progression in light of their faith. It looks at science in its formative stages when Christianity was the backdrop to virtually all scientific discussion and then explores the key controversies that over the years have changed the face of science, including past revolutions in math and physics, and the biological revolution that is currently underway.
Top Highlights
“The order of the reasoning here is important. The early scientists did not argue that the world was lawfully ordered, and therefore there must be a rational God. Instead, they argued that there was a rational God, and therefore the world must be lawfully ordered. They had greater confidence in the existence and character of God than in the lawfulness of nature.” (Pages 26–27)
“Today a wide range of scholars recognize that Christianity provided both intellectual presuppositions and moral sanction for the development of modern science.” (Page 18)
“Not until the late nineteenth to early twentieth century did Christian faith lose its hold as a shared, public commitment and retreat to the realm of private, individual belief.” (Page 12)
“The truth is that we cannot really understand a Newton, a Descartes, or a Cuvier without delving into the religious and philosophical ideas that drove their scientific work.” (Page 12)
“Belief in a rational order in nature would have no practical benefit for science were it not accompanied by the belief that humans can discover that order. Historically, Eiseley says, science stemmed from ‘the sheer act of faith that the universe possessed order and could be interpreted by rational minds.’33 The latter is just as important as the former. It signifies that science cannot proceed without an epistemology, or theory of knowledge, guaranteeing that the human mind is equipped to gain genuine knowledge of the world. Historically, this guarantee came from the doctrine that humanity was created in the image of God.” (Page 29)
Reviews
1 rating
Russ White
12/3/2012
One of the more interesting intersections of theology and the reality is the philosophy of science. What impact does our worldview (which is founded in theology) have on our pursuit of science? The authors of this very readable book argue that without religion — without the Christian Middle Ages specifically — there would be no science as we know it. The authors begin with a simple question: Why should science, or rather scientific thinking, exist at all? Why is it that throughout the recorded history of man, “science” should be limited to “just so stories,” and pure math? Why is it that the “modern scientific method,” should only arise in Christian Europe? (You can read my full review here: http://thinkinginchrist.com/?p=18310)
