Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 1 HON-3230 Chance, Emergence or Design Science & Religion

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 2 Material World Spiritual World Material/Spiritual World MaterialSpiritual World Non-overlapping Magisteria How does science and religion interface?

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 3 Worldviews Naturalism –Material universe is the sum of all reality –Atheism, Humanism, Existentialism Transcendentalism –Spiritual nature to all reality –Pantheism, Animism, Polytheism Theism –Belief in a transcendent God –Deism, Finitism, Traditional Theism

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 4 What about God? Theological Possibilities –No God, only nature –Religion/nature completely independent –Finite Creator –Distant Creator –Personal Creator How does this affect our view of Scripture? –Compromise between scientific accuracy and scriptural literalism.

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 5 Small Hermeneutic Shift Changing interpretation of Scripture leads to new questions. –Can there be a universe w/out God? –From whence does evil come? –What is the nature of sin? –What is the nature of the curse? –What is the nature of salvation?

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 6 Augustine “Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books.”

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 7 Greek and Mystic Jews Kabbalism –Some things undefinable –Some things unobservable –Some things unknowable –Hidden parts of universe –Probabilistic - all things likely, just some are more so –As are interpretations, scientific theories are revisable –Time of creation, universe has an age Greek –All things definable –All things deducible –All things (potentially) knowable –Logic reveals all –Deterministic –Once logically argued, no revisions are needed (or accepted) –All is immutable and uncreated

Steven Gollmer Cedarville University Religion: Page 8 Limits to Science Physical (Finite knowledge to be known) –Cosmological (Physical and temporal extent) –Complexity (Chaos & Intractability) –Quantum (Uncertainty principle) Intellectual (Limited capability of the mind) Psychological (Ability to conceptualize) Technological (Ability to manipulate matter & energy) Social (Acceptability of research) Economic (Limit to resources committed)