Science & Revelation

Revelation Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown Two Main Categories General Revelation (also called natural theology) Special Revelation (also called revealed theology) Nature Reason History Bible Miracles Jesus Deduced naturallyDivine intervention

Why revelation is important God’s way of communicating with humans – shows God exists and cares Contains the truth about God and humanity Reveals the purpose of creation For many Christians Bible contains no errors and should be trusted, others believe it is inspired and contains truths

General Revelation or Natural Theology Universe Reveals God The universe exists. Everything that exists has a cause. God is the cause of the universe The universe is complex. Complex things require design. Design requires a designer. God is the designer of the universe All humans have a sense of right and wrong. There is a common code of what is right and what is wrong across cultures. God provides the common code. Reason Reveals God History Reveals God Humans have developed ways of knowing God throughout history. Religion has progressed from pagan beliefs to monotheism Humans have learned about God’s nature throughout history. Humans have learned about God’s morality throughout history

special Revelation or Revealed Theology Revelation in the Bible Men were inspired to write God’s words God inspired primitive people to describe Creation and the Fall The Ten Commandments The prophets foretold the future The Gospels and the news of Jesus The teachings of Paul the Apostle The decisions of the early Church The work of the Holy Spirit Revelation in the Miracles The miracle of creating the universe out of nothing. The escape of the Hebrews in Exodus to carry his message to the world The miracles of Jesus to demonstrate his love of humans and divine power The Resurrection of Jesus to conquer death and show God’s love for the world Revelation In Jesus Christ The Virgin Birth The Baptism of Jesus The Temptations The Teaching and Miracles of Jesus The suffering and death of Jesus The Resurrection of Jesus All show God’s sovereignty over and love for the world

Theophany: appearance in some form e.g. Burning Bush Voice from Heaven: people hearing God’s voice e.g. Adam and Eve Angels: people being visited by angels with Messages e.g. angel tells Mary about baby Vision: seeing God e.g. Isaiah the Prophet saw God sitting on a throne Natural stuff: earthquakes, floods, good harvests all at the command of God Other Forms of Special Revelation

Leads humans to fulfilling their potential Key Features of Revelation Can come from within the individual Can come from the Bible Can be a combination of the two Can come from nature Affirms God as creator Affirms Jesus as his son Affirms humans have a special purpose Approaches are changing all the time

High degree of interpretation involved of Bible, history and personal experience Problems/Weaknesses of Revelation Veracity of the Bible Authority of the Bible Variety of interpretations of the Bible Range of revelatory experiences Reliability of revelatory experiences Limited understanding of human psychology Finite beings trying to understand an infinite being Ignorance of whether or not the revelation is complete My word against yours Other world religions Not based on empirical evidence

Personal experience of God is beyond everyday experience so it will always be difficult to understand using everyday human knowledge and experience Strengths of Revelation Consistency of message. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. High degree of agreement amongst Christians of key principles Flexibility - God allowed to approach us in his own way Empirical evidence is not required to support many human experiences Other world religions answer the same needs as Christianity Evidence, empirical or otherwise, is open to interpretation in all fields of human knowledge

Biblical Interpretation 1.Fundamentalist- inerrant word of God. 2.Conservative- divinely inspired with some factual errors. 3.Liberal- documentary hypothesis

Fundamentalist STRENGTHS It is absolute and certain. No scope for interpretation. No picking and choosing what is to be read literally. Clear for believers.

Fundamentalist WEAKNESSES Ignores inconsistencies. Ignores contradictions does not account for cultural considerations. interpretation is always done no matter what the approach.

Conservative Strengths Recognizes the problems of literal interpretation. Takes into account new discoveries. Retains the core facts and teachings of scripture. Not a radical move away from the Bible as a source of divine revelation.

Conservative WEAKNESSES Ignores inconsistencies. Ignores contradictions Does not fully account for cultural considerations. Interpretation is always done no matter what the approach. Picks and chooses what is literal and what is not.

Liberal Strengths It is absolute and certain that the Bible must be understood in its context. Accepts new discoveries and scholarship. No picking and choosing what is to be read literally- none of it should be. Clear for believers, do not read literally.

Liberal WEAKNESSES Confusing for believers. Weakness- Undermines much of Christian teaching. Weakness- casts doubt even on the mission and purpose of Jesus. Weakness- which liberal interpretation is right? Weakness- too skeptical.

Scientific Method Method used by scientists to understand the universe ObservationHypothesisExperimentVerification Look at different things in nature and watch what is happening Whilst looking at different things in nature explain what is going on Experiment to see if the explanation is right Peers to check it,open to further modification and change ONLY HIPPOS EAT Vomit

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Deduction & Induction

Tools of the Trade Hypothesis An idea used to explain something which has not yet been proved Model A picture or model of something that cannot be seen e.g. gas or atoms Paradigms The current thinking and rules in science. E.g.gThe Big Bang started the universe Inductive Reasoning If something happens in all observed situations then it must happen in all situations no matter where. Deductive Reasoning If something is an established fact then it can be applied in all situations Falsification Scientist must be prepared to have their theory disproved or modified Occam’s Razor The simplest explanation is usually the correct explanation

Strengths Bases statements on what is observed Uses empirical evidence. Evidence has to be tested by peers. No absolutes Methodical and standardized. Lack of emotional investment. No pre-requisite of having faith. It is open-ended. Does not claim anything it cannot support. Scientific Method Scientists are influenced by their historical context and their peers. There is always an element of guesswork in science. There is more to the world than what you can sense Scientists put faith in their theories. Science can be influenced by non scientific things Scientists disagree Disagreement about the best way to approach descriptions of reality. Weaknesses

The Christian World View God created the world and everything in it God appointed humans to have a special purpose in it God cannot be known only through nature There is more to the world than its physical appearance Humans are Comprised of body, mind and soul Humans are alienated from God through sin The universe is where God is working out His plan for all things Through Jesus our sins are forgiven

The Scientific World View The universe began with a huge explosion Life is the result of evolution Everything has a scientific explanation Humans are one of many billions of living species The Earth has no special place in the universe What cannot be observed cannot be studied Human morals are naturally developed not divinely given Life after death is a matter of faith not a matter of fact

Revelation and Science Both try to explain reality. Both require a degree of faith. Both can accept that present knowledge of the universe is not complete. Both interpret reality based on the paradigms of their communities. Both are influenced by their social, cultural and historical context. Both recognize that there are limits to what we can know about reality. Both make mistakes. SimilaritiesDifferences Science uses physical evidence alone Spiritual truths cannot change like scientific theory Religion is based on belief Science is based on fact Religion is subjective Science is objective Scientific statements are testable and verifiable Religion is based on the assumption that God exists Science has no assumptions Science explores how the Universe works Religion explores why the Universe works