Science and Faith Dialogue

Der am Institut für Evangelische Theologie der Universität Osnabrück lehrende Systematiker Gregor Etzelmüller (E.) legt eine theologische Anthropologie vor, die ihren interdisziplinären Sitz im Leben im Heidelberger Marsilius-Projekt "Verkörperung als Paradigma einer evolutionären Kulturanthropologie" hat.

Francis Schaeffer articulated the valuable notion of “freedoms and limitations” for one’s stance toward reading the creation account in Genesis. The literary insights of CS Lewis strengthen and support Schaeffer’s arguments, and together these two provide tools for a sturdy Christian apologetic.

Les dons de l'Esprit Saint sont comparables à des cadeaux qu'il faut prendre le temps de découvrir afin de pouvoir apprécier les joies qu'ils apportent et l'amour de ceux qui les ont donnés. Le Concile Vatican II est l'un des dons de Dieu pour notre temps. Le Renouveau Charismatique, dès ses débuts dans l'Eglise catholique, a été perçu comme une grâce de Pentecôte en réponse à prière du Pape Jean XXIII. On se propose ici de relire quelques étapes du déploiement de cette grâce : ces 50 dernières années montrent que les chemins de la Vie dans l'Esprit sont toujours inattendus et qu'ils dépassent nos espérances. Le Baptême dans l'Esprit Saint : une même réalité spirituelle fondatrice est partagée par des chrétiens de différentes appartenances A l'aube du XXème siècle une grâce d'évangélisation touche les courants protestants de réveil et donne naissance au mouvement Pentecôtiste. Ce courant se propage à la fin des années 50 dans les églises protestantes historiques avant d'atteindre en 1967 l'Eglise catholique, à partir des Etats Unis. Bien des descriptions ont été faites de cette grâce d'effusion/ou baptême dans l'Esprit, on retient le plus souvent qu'elle est une expérience de rencontre personnelle avec le Dieu vivant et Père révélé en Christ. Ces chrétiens « baptisés dans l'Esprit » font une découverte qui les marque durablement : les dons, les charismes 1 , les fruits spirituels qui mûrissent dans leur vie sont les mêmes, quelle que soit leur appartenance ecclésiale. Ils se reconnaissent comme frères en Christ et se nourrissent du témoignage de leurs « histoires saintes » 2. Pour la première fois depuis des siècles, les chrétiens disposent d'une « grammaire spirituelle » commune qui dépasse les pays, les cultures, les confessions, les milieux sociaux. Cet enracinement de la fraternité dans l'expérience du salut en Christ a un impact direct sur les relations entre les Eglises. Il ne s'agit plus de se regarder à travers le prisme réducteur des jugements préconçus, mais de goûter de la même plénitude de l'Esprit. Dès 1975 le Pape Paul VI déclare, en une intuition prophétique, à Rome au premier rassemblement international du Renouveau Charismatique catholique que le « Renouveau est une chance pour l'Eglise et l'Eglise une chance pour le Renouveau ». Le même Esprit Saint qui a suscité le Concile pour le renouvellement de toute l'Eglise, suscite le renouvellement des coeurs et le témoignage de foi. Il conduit tous et chacun à la Source de Vie et oriente vers la fin ultime : le rassemblement en Christ de tous les enfants de Dieu dispersés. La « grâce de Pentecôte » a semé un germe profond de communion pour l'évangélisation répondant ainsi à la prière insistante du Christ (Jn 17,21). 1 A la différence des 7 dons (Is,11, 1-3), les charismes (I Cor 12-13-14) sont donnés en vue des autres ou du bien commun, ils pour sont pour l'édification du corps ecclésial et le témoignage public de la foi en Christ. Quant au fruit de l'Esprit (Gal 5,22) il habite les coeurs renouvelés. 2 Le récit que fait chacun de son itinéraire de foi engendre de lui-même une fraternité à partir du Christ. C'est la pédagogie du Forum Chrétien Mondial qui organise la rencontre entre responsables d'églises traditionnelles et de communautés chrétiennes peu ou pas encore engagées dans le mouvement oecuménique : Un Forum Chrétien Francophone se tiendra à Lyon en octobre 2018.

PREVIEW ONLY - READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:
https://doi.org/10.33929/sherm.2020.vol2.no1.09
This essay argues for the rationality of truth claims arising from religious faith over against the contention that such claims are, at best, viewed as subjective "value" language or, at worst, strictly irrational. An argument will be offered for the epistemic warrant of faith-based claims, not for the objective veracity of the religious claims themselves.

How can the Christian in the pew read the Genesis 1 creation account and comprehend the 6 days of creation?  This essay explores how an engagement with Genesis 1 on its own terms suggests that a figurative interpretation of the creation account is favored over a literal view of six 24-hour days, and that such a reading is theologically enriching for readers.

Tesis Teológica, Facultad de Teología de la UCA, Buenos Aires, 2007

La moderna cosmología pronostica una disolución final de la armonía física universal, y la ulteriorior imposibilidad de generación de vida.  En contraste, la esperanza cristiana proclama, antes bien, una plenitud final de todo el cosmos, incluyendo la propia historia del hómbre.

Esta aparente contradicción es recogida y analizada por el autor en la presente obra (su tesis doctoral en teología dogmática, revisada y corregida).

Call for papers for a special stream of the ANZATS 2022 Conference: Future Theology (Sydney, 3-6 July)

Proposals due by 31 March. Full papers of new and emerging scholars due by 30 April.

Faith & Science

Convenors: Doru Costache & Nicola Hoggard Creegan

The conversation between theology and science is still an overlooked, albeit important, discussion in an increasingly secular culture dominated by science and technology. Two organisations in Australasia are prominent in advocating for and promoting this dialogue: ISCAST (the Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology) and NZCIS (New Zealand Christians in Science). Both organisations are committed to historical Christian faith and to actively promoting constructive conversations between theology and science broadly defined. Hence, they regularly seek conversation partners from theologians, philosophers, historians, educators, scientists, including social scientists, and technologists.

This stream, coordinated by ISCAST and NZCIS, welcomes papers and panels that engage with issues of science and Christian theology. For detailed information and to submit a paper or a panel proposal, please complete the ANZATS 2022 Online Submission Form.

In the record of the Bible, God created time as the first element; which is day and night (24hours) and then created mankind on the six day. This means God created time first and created mankind last.

God created the entire universe and equipped it with everything for the good and success and dignity of mankind who by default are co-leaders with power and authority. And they should have mastery over time.

As co-leaders of the earth, humans can set time for whatever they want and to accomplish a goal timely but they should not underrate or work against the time set by God for a particular matter.

That is why for example, humans did not set and cannot set the time of the day from 24 hours; just as no human being or group of people can change the time of human child birth from nine months to eight to ten months.  More so, humans cannot change the statutory time of prayers set by God. 

As long as Christians continue to neglect or refuse to use the time of God for effective fervent prayers; the earth will continue to experience great darkness and manifestation of evil. I hope you don’t want that to continue. And it is in your power to make a change from this day forward.

In this essay I will argue that a strong defense of Scripture as the inspired Word of God must include a defense of Noah’s Flood as a historical event. Next, I will argue that the views other than the Caspian Basin theory have serious problems- either Scripturally, scientifically, or both. Last, I will argue that viewing the Flood as a Middle Paleolithic event in the Caspian Basin fits the Biblical and scientific data well… A Caspian Basin Flood serves as a robust apologetic tool in defending Scripture and by extension Christianity… this Caspian Basin theory gives the most robust defense of the Bible as inspired and inerrant. With this theory, we do not need to compromise faithfulness to God’s Word in Scripture or His word in nature.

Да ли је атеизам логички врхунац развоја људске свести и као такав став супериоран у односу на веру? Можемо ли атеизам схватити као једини рационални закључак који стоји насупрот ирационалној вери, или је он сам својеврсна форма веровања? На који начин се може остварити богословска процена атеизма и обратно? У којој мери могућ дијалог верника и атеисте, и зашто је тај дијалог теже остварити са антитеизмом? Који је однос вере, разума, ума и (са)знања и у којој мери сусрет са природним наукама представља потешкоћу, а у којој мери подстрек вернику? Који је однос науке и вере?

This Paper, as the title indicates, is meant to look at the topic of ‘Design/non-design’ as well as the question of, “If a Designer designed the Universe, is there a point to science?” To treat this topic with due diligence we introduce to the reader Islamic Epistemology, different terms and methods of logical argumentation, the definition of science and its four major ‘types’ as well as the definitions used throughout. It is the objective of this paper to communicate to the reader, based on the research and findings of several great scientific minds, that we can safely and confidently infer through inductive reasoning that the world and everything in it is by Design rather than non-design. What is more, it is only through the inference of Design that man is capable of doing science; that is, without such constants, patterns and relationships, without organization, structure, function and natural laws, man would be unable to do science at all. In conclusion, rather than inferring Design over non-design hindering scientific progress, it serves as a motivation that drives science forward.

In origins discussions, many people appeal to the “figurative” nature of the account of creation week without really knowing how figurative language is processed. An introductory understanding of conceptual metaphor theory (a subdiscipline of cognitive linguistics) can equip people to discuss the figurative language of Genesis 1 more accurately and to defend figurative biblical interpretations that accommodate scientific realities. Specifically, identification of underlying conceptual metaphors and resulting source domain mapping can help explain how an account of a week of “normal” days does not automatically entail a literal interpretation. Since multiple conceptual metaphors can simultaneously be involved in conceptual mapping in a single text,
identifying one metaphor does not rule out the presence of other metaphors, and any new metaphors which are uncovered can provide potential lines of inquiry for future work in biblical interpretation.

What does it mean to be human? What is the nature of humanity? These questions are vital for any Christian theologian to ask, but what direction should one go to understand the nature of humanity? Our current cultural climate there is a belief that the realm of science and the realm of religion are in a fundamental conflict with one another. Science is concerned with evidence and facts but faith is only a subjective and regressive view, or so the narrative goes. The question then remains, does science adequately show reality as it is? Can we understand what it means to be human solely through the realm of the natural sciences? This paper will be concerned with two routes of argumentation. First is to show the superficial nature of the supposed “conflict” between science and religion and how the realm of science is not neutral or without metaphysical assumptions that cannot be proved through the scientific method. Second the question of the nature of humanity will be explored. The arguments of substance dualism and non-reductive monism will be examined, and I will be arguing that a non-reductive monist framework, through the lens of Scripture, theology and science is the best for understanding the nature of humanity. It is not an either/or scenario when it comes to science and faith, but a both/and. To quote the late Roger Scruton:

“Take away religion, however, take away philosophy, take away the higher aims of art, and you deprive ordinary people of the ways in which they can represent their apartness. Human nature, once something to live up to, becomes something to live down to instead. Biological reductionism nurtures this “living down,” which is why people so readily fall for it. It makes cynicism respectable and degeneracy chic. It abolishes our kind—and with it our kindness.”

Book review of :
Courant (Elsa), Poésie et cosmologie dans la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle: nouvelle mythologie de la nuit à l’ère du positivisme. – Genève: Librairie Droz, 2020. – 808 p. – 1 vol. broché de 15 × 22 cm. – 46,45 €. – isbn 978-2-600-06026-4.

La vicenda di Galileo è paradigmatica dell'apparente conflitto tra scienza e fede tanto per gli elementi che entrarono in gioco, quanto per la risonanza che il caso ebbe nella storia successiva. Nell'articolo si cerca di fare il punto della situazione, anche alla luce di alcuni recenti pronunciamenti di Papa Giovanni Paolo II al riguardo.

While faith seeks understanding, reason and science themselves rely on implicit assumptions about the intelligibility of the world. This article argues that these assumptions presuppose the existence and the attributes of the creator God of classical theism. Once this is acknowledged, faith and reason – while remaining methodologically separate – will cease to appear as enemies.

Philosophers and theologians are debating for a long time the enigmas concerning life and death. Most people believe that our body's soul makes us alive, and when the soul leaves our body, we are dead, but there are other points of view.
This article does not presume to decide which theological point of view is right.
Anyway, an article cannot present the vast quantities of information concerning life and death created by theologians and philosophers. Therefore this article deals only with the crucial question: "How does the soul get into the inanimate fetus?"

This article, in its first part, summarizes Noam Chomsky's ideas about human nature and their ethico-political consequences, language and its origin and the scope and limitations of science. Then, in the second part, and based on the author C. S. Lewis, a proposal will be made about the possible existence of an infused spiritual soul in humans and how it could connect with the linguist's ideas with respect to the origin of language. It will also serve to supply with some realism Chomsky's overly optimistic view about human nature.

La mort d'Stephen Hawking deixa al seu darrere la pretensió de conèixer i plantejar una «teoria del tot», un perquè de tot plegat que vagi més enllà dels plantejaments clàssics de la física. Hawking pretenia que els descobriments de la ciència física, que té més d'especulació, de pensament, fins i tot, que no pas d'experimentació, podia arribar, més d'hora que tard, a explicar la complexitat de l'univers, des de les grans galàxies i fenòmens còsmics, fins al sentit mateix de l'existència humana. En aquest discurs, un vocabulari farcit de la paraula «Déu» no fou estalviat per aquest pensador que, malgrat la seva precària situació personal, va deixar una empremta inesborrable en la mentalitat cultural de la humanitat sencera, es podria dir. En aquest article, es vol posar en relleu que el Déu de Hawking no correspon al Déu cristià sinó al del deisme, un déu utilitarista, a fi de comptes, que tan sols resultava vàlid per als científics del segle XVIII, però ja no per als del segle XXI. En aquest camp, tant la seva situació personal com la de la seva primera esposa, Jane, donen un toc de veracitat i credibilitat a una vida consagrada a la recerca de la veritat. En tot cas, caldrà donar la raó a Hawking quan arriba a afirmar que, per a ell, el Déu del deisme, de fet, no existeix, les lleis de la física l'han acabat de suplantar. Paraules clau: Física, Big Bang, Déu, Deisme. Abstract The Hawking's death leaves behind the pretension of knowing and posing a "theory of everything", why all that goes beyond the classic approaches of physics. Hawking claimed that the discoveries of physical science, which had more speculation, than thought, even from experimentation, could arrive, sooner rather than later, to explain the complexity of the universe, from the great galaxies and cosmic phenomena, to the very sense of human existence. In this speech, a vocabulary full of the word "God" RCatT 44/1 (2019) 165-185 © Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya

In a document penned under the direction of its then-president Cardinal Jo-seph Ratzinger, the Vatican's International Theological Commission observed that many neo-Darwinian materialists and their Christian critics share a misunderstanding of the nature of divine causality. This article explores the thought of Joseph Ratzinger in view of proposing the features of a path that seeks to eschew these faulty understandings of how God causes evolutionary change within our world, thus providing an alternative to the Intelligent Design movement's approach to creation.. Ratzinger has a deep respect for the integrity of nature, rejecting the notion that God is a "craftsman" who "tinkers" with the world. According to Ratzinger, evolutionary change occurs "precisely in the processes of a living being" even as human beings are "not the mere product of development. " Finally, the emeritus pontiff insists that creation is an ever-present act that unfolds "in the manner in which thought is creative, " a dynamic that he describes variously as a story, drama, melody, and symphony. Wedding these and other key insights, this article submits that Ratzinger's thought on evolution should lead us to conceive of creation less along the lines of an intelligently designed machine and more as a masterpiece story that is continually being told as its plot unfolds naturally over the course of time.

The Reverend John Augustine Zahm, CSC, (1851--1921) was a Holy Cross priest, an author, a South American explorer, and a science professor and vice president at the University of Notre Dame, the latter at the age of twenty-five. Through his scientific writings, Zahm argued that Roman Catholicism was fully compatible with an evolutionary view of biological systems. Ultimately Zahm’s ideas were not accepted in his lifetime and he was prohibited from discussing evolution and Catholicism, although he remained an active priest for more than two decades after his censure.

In Faith and Science at Notre Dame: John Zahm, Evolution, and the Catholic Church, John Slattery charts the rise and fall of Zahm, examining his ascension to international fame in bridging evolution and Catholicism and shedding new light on his ultimate downfall via censure by the Congregation of the Index of Prohibited Books. Slattery presents previously unknown archival letters and reports that allow Zahm’s censure to be fully understood in the light of broader scientific, theological, and philosophical movements within the Catholic Church and around the world.

Faith and Science at Notre Dame weaves together a vast array of threads to tell a compelling new story of the late nineteenth century. The result is a complex and thrilling tale of Neo-Scholasticism, Notre Dame, empirical science, and the simple faith of an Indiana priest. The book, which includes a new translation of the 1864 Syllabus of Errors, will appeal to those interested in Notre Dame and Catholic history, scholars of science and religion, and general readers seeking to understand the relationship between faith and science.

Attempts at Catholic bioethics are thus dismissed as veiled efforts to smuggle irrational religious prejudices into what should be a reasonable discussion. Such a perspective, however, misinterprets the Church´s rich understanding of the harmonious relationship between faith and reason as developed and clarified through concrete historic events. Faith indeed proposes that which exceeds the capacity of natural human reason, however, this transcendence should not be understood as a contradiction, but rather as a fulfillment of man´s universal quest to understand himself, the world around him and their common origin in God. The Church recognizes the autonomy of the natural sciences and encourages their advancement; hence she never resists science, but only its manipulation at the hands of ideologies whose distorted principles threaten man´s dignity.

This is a brief conceptual analysis of the limitations of 'scientific' empiricism which I tried to convey without any possible scientific or philosophical jargon which are commonly used by scientists or philosophers and which are difficult for others to understand. The terms which appear as jargon here do not need to be understood literally as they are supposed to convey mere examples rather than meaning. --- Also, See: https://youtu.be/RVFE4CXRVFs

El caso Galileo es paradigmático en cuanto a la posible conflictualidad de las relaciones entre fe y ciencia, no sólo por el conjunto de aspectos que entraron en juego en el proceso histórico concreto, sino también por la resonancia que tuvo a lo largo de la historia sucesiva. En efecto, una de las 'leyendas negras' de la Iglesia se ha centrado sin duda en el caso Galileo, presentado muchas veces de modo a-histórico y a-crítico. Esto no quita que se hayan cometido errores e incluso injusticias, pero para juzgarlos correctamente hay que tener en cuenta el concreto contexto histórico en que se sucedieron los hechos, sin caer en fáciles anacronismos y en simplificaciones baratas.

Stanley Jaki"s thought forms part of the contemporary debate about the Science-faith interaction. In that area of investigation his position can be deemed to be very original, as he contrasted and contested all those worldviews supporting the insubstantiality of faith and the absolute priority of the scientific approach. In what follows the main arguments of Jaki"s vision on the relationship between Science and faith are highlighted. The opinions expressed in his works can be summed up in the following points: a realistic worldview, the decisive influence exerted by Christian theology on the birth of Science, and a limit between the dominions of Science and religion.

Scientism is a relatively recent phenomenon in human history. However, it presents courageous claims along with the unfounded conviction that modern science, modelled according to natural sciences is the only source of true knowledge (Ian Hutchinson). Hence, whatever cannot be directly confirmed or refuted by the scientific methodology, cannot constitute 'true knowledge' and should be ultimately rejected. In my paper, I claim that the very approach of scientism is not a scientific but rather a philosophical notion, and a priori presupposition, a metaphysical expression which cannot be verified or refuted by scientific methodology. It is a myth derived from the metanarrative of logical positivism, which strives to proceed solely on the bases of induction, striving on the foundation of the structures of formal logic to extricate a ´true meaning' behind our language (as an excarnated and therefore objective reality)-an academically indefensible stance in a post-wittgensteinian world. Scientific knowledge, too, is an epistemological activity that consists of predicting, modelling, and confirming theories based on their correspondence with the cognitively perceived (and experienced) reality. As one of many theoretical activities, also science depends on language (is linguistically embodied) and needs an operative narrative to make its own scientific endeavor meaningful-given the narrative (not only biological) nature of human identity. The metana-rrative framework within which we develop our epistemological activities, determines to a large extent their methodology, scope, as well as general character (Thomas Kuhn), including the nature and content of the ensuing ethical reflections. Our scientific endeavor is not impartial, objective, and value/ethically neutral. To be able to gain 'true knowledge' of our world, we must see our epistemological, scientific endeavors in the context of (and mutual interdependence with) our individual and communal narrative identity. In addition, it is not legitimate to limit knowledge only to that which is scientifically justifiable.

This paper presents a discussion and an attempt to evaluate theological thomistic position on the issue of creating the world out of nothing on the example of treatise De Creatione by Antonio Piolanti (1911–2001) from the book Dio nel mondo e nell’uomo (Vatican 1994) in the light of the contemporary conditions of dialogue between faith (theology) and science. I am classifying the views of the Italian Thomist basing on the methodology of dialogue between theology and the sciences proposed by Dominique Lambert and Wojciech Grygiel. I am arguing that Piolanti's thomistic concept does not meet the criteria for a fruitful discussion with science, because despite the fact that it situates in the philosophical and theological paradigm, it assumes the discordism of science and theology as a premise and also presents the type of prescientific thinking.

La caridad no solo permite la tolerancia sino el reconocimiento de la belleza del otro aún en sus debilidades. La unidad que proviene de partes menos complejas podría tratarse en este caso de un ente espiritual conformado por una nueva familia humana dividida en dos: quienes se aceptan radicalmente y quienes se aceptan por razón de sus bienes (materiales o espirituales). Quienes aceptan el todo y quienes aceptan solo partes de éste (el poder, el lujo o los beneficios personales). Estas dos familias o grupos se fortalecen y se separan de tal forma que aún proviniendo de un mismo origen como las especies se convierten en imposible de ser mezcladas o procreadas entre ellas, pues su proceso “evolutivo o de adaptación” las ha convertido en especies diferentes.

Le scientifique chrétien élabore sa compréhension de la réalité à partir de deux sources : la révélation générale dans le monde d’un côté, la révélation spéciale dans l’Écriture de l’autre.
La science et la théologie sont des réponses humaines à la révélation divine sous ces deux formes. La méthode scientifique et la démarche théologique manifestent à la fois des similitudes et des différences.
D’une importance centrale est la reconnaissance des spécificités de la source d’autorité ultime dans chacun des deux domaines. Une bonne compréhension des méthodologies scientifiques et théologique est en particulier précieuse quand des tensions surgissent entre les connaissances élaborées dans le champ scientifique et ce que nous croyons sur la base de la lecture de la Bible. Le texte propose dix thèses pour guider l’interaction entre découvertes scientifiques et convictions théologiques élaborées à partir de l’Écriture.

Recognizing the need to identify ways in which conservation researchers and practitioners can work constructively with faith leaders and communities to conserve biological diversity, the Religion and Conservation Biology Working Group of the Society for Conservation Biology formally launched the Best Practices Project in March 2016 for the purpose of collecting recommendations from SCB members throughout the world. A survey of members in 2016, a forum at the 2016 International Marine Conservation Congress in Newfoundland/Labrador, a symposium, workshop and poster session at the 2017 International Congress for Conservation Biology in Colombia, and an e-mail request to RCBWG members in October 2017 yielded many recommendations that constitute Guidelines for Interacting with Faith-based Leaders and Communities: A Proposal by and for Members of the Society for Conservation Biology published by the SCB in May 2018. Members have been reporting the efficacy of following these guidelines in their projects, and five who worked with different faiths presented their experiences in the field during a symposium at the 2019 ICCB in Malaysia. Abridged versions of their presentations are shared in this article with focus on guidelines that proved most helpful for facilitating conservation-faith collaboration to achieve project goals. Discussed subsequently are ways in which conservationists and faith communities benefited from their joint efforts, reasons why conservationists should consider engaging faith communities in their projects, and impediments to collaboration that must be overcome. The SCB guidelines are listed succinctly, and conservationists are urged to consider using them in their projects.