The Relation Between Christian Faith and the Natural Sciences

1. The Relation BetweenChristian Faith andthe Natural Sciences Steve Badger and Mike Tenneson Evangel University

2. How do you know that you know something?

3. Your “theory of knowing” will largely determine what you embrace as “truth” or as “knowledge.”

4. Propositions • What is knowledge? • How do we know? Truth Knowledge Belief

5. Belief & Knowledge • You can believe something that is not true. • You can fail to believe something that is true. • People often try to find ways to justify their beliefs (prove them to be true, knowledge).

6. Justifying Beliefs • Empiricism • knowledge is a product of human experience • Idealism • what we refer to and perceive as the external world is in some way an artifice of the mind • Common Sense Realism (naïve realism) • there is a real world (external to us) and our perceptions are caused directly by that world

7. Justifying Beliefs • Phenomenalism • objects are not distinct substances that exist; rather our perception of the object is all that really exists • Pragmatism • it’s knowledge if it solves our problems • Rationalism • there are ideas that are not derived from sense experience; but these ideas may be justified by experience

8. Justifying Beliefs • Skepticism • philosophical skepticism: you can never have sufficient justification in a belief to call it knowledge • scientific skepticism: you should accept claims only on the basis of solid evidence • And others too…

9. Foundational Questions • Should the knowledge gained in the natural sciences inform our Christian doctrine? • Should the knowledge gained in the natural sciences inform our Christian praxis? • What do you think?

10. We believe… That all truth should help us understand Bible truth and how we live out our faith. The “General Revelation” & the “Special Revelation” both reveal God’s truth.

11. What do you know? • Name something (not spiritual) that you “know.” • Tell how you gained this knowledge.

13. Theories of Truth Major Theories of Truth From Geisler and Feinberg’s Introduction to Philosophy: A Christian Perspective

14. The Correspondence Theory of Truth • Something is considered true if the proposition corresponds to the elements and a similar structure. • This theory maintains that the truth of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world, and whether it accurately describes (i.e., corresponds with) that world.

15. The Correspondence Theory of Truth • It presupposes an objective world and is antagonistic to theories that reject objectivity (such as skepticism or relativism). • So truth means correspondence with the facts.

16. The Coherence Theory of Truth • A statement is true if and only if it coheres (is consistent) with all of the other statements of that system. • Coherence theories of truth do not merely claim that coherence and consistency are important features of a theoretical system—they claim that these properties are sufficient to its truth.

17. The Coherence Theory of Truth This has some merit…we tend to reject a statement that is self contradictory (or contradicts what we have already embraced as truth, or contradicts our experiences or observations)

18. The Coherence Theory of Truth • Coherence is a necessary condition of truth, but not a sufficient condition. • A statement may be coherent with one system and incoherent with another. • A statement may be coherent with a system but not applicable to the real world. • Two different—mutually exclusive, but coherent—systems are logically possible.

19. Other Truth Theories • The Pragmatic Theory of Truth • The Performative Theory of Truth • The Identity Theory of Truth Now let’s look at two important principles

20. Verification Principle • For a statement to be meaningful (true) it must be either 1) purely definitional or else 2) verifiable by one or of more of the five senses. • All other statements (theological, ethical, etc) are nonsense or meaningless • A.J. Ayer (1910-1970) • Self-refuting

21. Falsification Principle • Anthony Flew & Karl Popper • Flew used it to challenge belief in God • But Flew changed his mind (2004) Karl Popper Anthony Flew

22. Falsification Principle • Any statement or proposition is meaningless unless it is subject to falsification (at least in principle) • Self-refuting

23. What’s a Christian to think? • Who should shape our convictions on these matters? • Does the Bible have anything to say about knowledge and truth? • The Bible has much to say about “truth” and about “knowledge” (“Wisdom” too!) • Truth is a biblical value.

24. Integrating Science and Faith

25. Our Goals We hope to help you… • Understand how different people relate knowledge gained in different ways • Choose the best method for relating knowledge gained in different ways

26. Interrelated Factors • Worldview • Presuppositions • Epistemology

27. These patterns were adapted from Richard Bube’s Putting It All Together: Seven Patterns for Relating Science and the Christian Faith.Univ. Press of America, 1995.

28. In this presentation, science refers to the natural sciences, and theology refers to conservative, Evangelical, biblical theology.

29. “NO COMMON GROUND”COMPARTMENTALISM “Science and theology tell us different kinds of things about different things.” #1

30. “NO COMMON GROUND”COMPARTMENTALISM Conflict is impossible by definition because natural science and biblical theology have no common ground. #1

31. “NO COMMON GROUND”COMPARTMENTALISM Each discipline should address only those issues in its own domain. #1

32. “NO COMMON GROUND”COMPARTMENTALISM This pattern is also known as The Two Worlds View or as Non-Overlapping Magisteria (NOMA). #1

33. Compartmentalism Two Worlds View or NOMA Natural Science Biblical Theology #1

34. “BOTH ARE RIGHT”COMPLEMENTARISM “Science and theology tell us different kinds of things about the same things.” #2

35. “BOTH ARE RIGHT”COMPLEMENTARISM When true to its capabilities and limitations, each discipline provides valid insights into the nature of reality, but from different perspectives. #2

36. “BOTH ARE RIGHT”COMPLEMENTARISM An adequate and coherent view of reality can be obtained only if people (and professional communities) integrate these two disciplines. #2

37. Natural Science + Biblical Theology Complementarism #2

38. Natural Science + Biblical Theology Complementarism Natural Science BiblicalTheology #2

39. “BOTH ARE WRONG”CONCORDISM “Science and theology should tell us the same kinds of things about the same things.” #3

40. “BOTH ARE WRONG”CONCORDISM The inability of natural science and contemporary biblical theology to agree is due to human imperfection in both disciplines. #3

41. “BOTH ARE WRONG”CONCORDISM Both science and theology need to find new approaches to achieve an integrated understanding of reality. #3

42. Concordism Natural Science + Biblical Theology #3

43. Concordism Natural Science NaturalScience + BiblicalTheology Biblical Theology #3

44. SCIENCE & FAITH IN CONFLICT “Religion and science will always clash.” Time, Nov. 2, 2006 “God vs. Science” David Van Biema Dr Paul Bloom Psychologist Yale University

45. SCIENTISTS KNOW BESTCONFLICTISM #1 “Science and theology tell us the same kinds of things about the same things. When they conflict, both cannot be right.” #4A

46. SCIENTISTS KNOW BESTCONFLICTISM #1 In any conflict, science is always right. #4A

47. Conflictism Natural Science over Biblical Theology Natural Science Biblical Theology #4A

48. SCIENTISTS KNOW BESTCONFLICTISM #1 Contemporary biblical theology must be redefined and rewritten in order to be consistent with the developments and discoveries of modern science. #4A

49. THEOLOGIANS KNOW BESTCONFLICTISM #2 “Science and theology tell us the same kinds of things about the same things. When they conflict, both cannot be right.” #4B

50. THEOLOGIANS KNOW BESTCONFLICTISM #2 In any conflict, theology is always right. #4B