Creation And Christians

University Name

The Harmony between Science and Theology on the Question of Creation

Science and Theology on Creation

By

Name

Location

30/05/2019

The Harmony between Science and Theology on the Question of Creation

Ever since Galileo was coerced to give up his scientific theory that the earth is a moving object, science and faith are generally considered to be at loggerheads. However, in the heading ‘The Doctrine of Creation and Modern Science’ the author argues against the apparent conflict between scientific and theological understanding of the world and its creation. He argues that indeed they are in harmony with each other and the congruence between the two can be explored without insisting on proof or disproof from either side.

He highlights a fundamental principle to be recognized before endeavoring to seek coherence between science and theology on the question of creation. It should be noted that the language employed by each is different from the other. One uses data, cause-effect relations, probabilities, and empirical evidence. The other uses rich images and symbols. Therefore, the symbolism and metaphorical affirmations of biblical stories should not be compared at face-value with scientific assertions CITATION Mig91 \l 1033 (Migliore, 1991).

It was almost surprising for me when the author goes on to say that a person may hold on to the evolutionary theory and at the same time believe in God to be the creator. There is nothing inherently inconsistent in holding on to both simultaneously. The author suggests that despite the difference in style, the two languages are not mutually exclusive. To avoid the cognitive dissonance of holding both beliefs, he suggests that we should extensively revise our previous outdated assumptions regarding time span and processes involved in God’s creation of the world. The revision does not affect the fundamental belief that God indeed is the creator.

Thinking about this problem, I realized that the claim of some scientific minds that the theory of evolution rejects God is only as strong (or weak) as the claim that belief in God rejects the theory of evolution. Therefore, we must avoid reductionist attitude in science and imperialist attitude in theology.

With this approach, a great consensus between science and theology can be evolved with both influencing and enriching each other. As science expands its scope to vague areas such as the size of the universe, black holes, and dark matter, with limited to no available evidence, scientists are increasingly using creative imagination (a feature of religion and not strictly science) in their inquiry.

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY Migliore, D. L. (1991). The Good Creation. In D. L. Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology (pp. 92-116).