Science and Christianity

Do you have to choose?

In my opinion… no Spiritual ‘Laws’ Spiritual Events Theology

Physical ‘Laws’

Physical Events Science

But… this is not an option for Christians….. Absolute truth for a Christian dictates: interpretation of God’s Word in the Bible

AND interpretation of the world through scientific investigation

SHOULD/MUST tally with each other in the end Spiritual ‘Laws’ Spiritual Events Theology

Physical Laws Natural Theology

Physical Events Science Physical Laws Physical Events Science

“Spiritual Laws” “Spiritual Events” Human Philosophy/ Theology SCIENCE: CHRISTIANITY: Relationship between How the world works physically God and humans Iterative uncovering of mechanisms -History, literature and spirituality Empirical data driven Time scales nsec billions of years bible nm

human interpretation of the bible

Spatial scales Christian literature years - Light Search for unifying theories -Physics (GUT) -Biology (Evolution) SCIENCE: CHRISTIANITY: Relationship between How the world works physically God and humans Iterative uncovering of mechanisms (History, literature and spirituality) (experimental design, data measurement & analysis) Primary literature – Primary literature – -hierarchy of journals -bible – fixed reference -citations and influence of an article -authors and their past work Exegesis by: Secondary literature – Reviews Literary scholars, Historians -hierarchy of journals Theologians -citations and influence of an article -authors and their past work

Writers Tertiary literature Christian leaders -textbooks Reference literature (commentaries etc)

General Public General Public Media Christians Documentaries Media 1. Science and Christianity don’t work the same way

2. Science and Christianity don’t solve internal disputes and disagreements the same way

3. Science and Christianity are not focused on the same outcomes Can you be a Christian and a Scientist? - yes

•Scientists are explorers, they seek wisdom, they are not satisfied with status quo answers, they search for meaning, seek order in uncertainty.

•Historically many of the world’s major scientific organisations and universities were established by Christian’s under Christian principles.

•There is a legacy of Christians who have been scientists in such roles over hundreds of years.

•The world today has many Christian’s who are active, well respected and award-winning scientists across all types of universities and research institutions. Any high profile current examples? - yes

Martin J Rees Francisco J. Ayala, Francis Collins Astrophysicist Evolutionary geneticist Martin Nowak Geneticist and molecular biologist Mathematician and theoretical University of Cambridge biologist Director of the NIH University of California Harvard University My Journey

Grew up in Canberra Grew up in a Baptist church community in Canberra BSc and PhD at the Australian National University Became a Christian at ~12 – committing (Biochemist and Molecular Biologist) to follow Christ as Lord and Saviour

HFSP Post Doc Fellow Active CU member at University at ANU University of Oxford Active member of evangelical churches ARC Research Fellowships at UWA since in Canberra, Oxford and Perth

Director of an ARC National Research Seeking to live as a ‘forgiven person’ Centre – 120 people and explain to others what that life is like

Publish on protein biochemistry, mitochondrial function, evolution of proteins and proteomes, epigenetics, cellular function Why is being a Christian and a scientist perceived to be ‘hard’? -history of antagonism between science and theology, church and the state, church ‘interference’ with the operations of universities.

-media perception that the two are ‘opposites’.

-Christian mis-understanding of science

-creation science debate in US schools, and the rise of the New Atheist movement opposing it

-links proposed between evolutionary thought, the ‘meaninglessness’ of life, and social problems in western societies. Polarised Views In Science and Christianity

Scientificevidence

Polarised views in the media creationism/evolutionism debate ethical use of biotechnology debate Origin of universe etc Evolution – data, theories and the foundation of interconnections in modern natural sciences vs ‘Evolutionism’ (e.g. the New Atheists) - proof of meaninglessness, denial of creation or God’s existence, criticism/countering of religion and superstition.

Creation -biblical accounts, Christian theology, foundational principles of God’s relationship with humans. vs ‘Creationism’ (e.g. Creation Science Movement/Institute for Creation Research) - Literal scientific interpretation of specific scriptures, focus on education, litigation and research on evidence against evolution. So is there a solution? • Exegesis of ancient scriptures is complex and debated for linguistic and exegetic reasons amongst Christians:

e.g what kind of literature is Genesis 1 and Genesis 2? -history, poetry or polemic (an argument)

how do we interpreteother sections of the bible that quote or refer to Genesis?

Should any of the Bible be read as a scientific document?

Who were the audience and what was the central message of passage X?

Who was the author and how was the information provided to him? dream, vision, narration So is there a solution? • You don’t always need the miraculous (physically unexplainable events) for their to be meaning and purpose in events. (Consider symbolism in communion)

• Many things we previously did not understand how they happened, now science can explain in process - this is a good thing.

• Still many things science cannot explain in process or considers highly improbable events (mechanism unknown or outcome unusual)

• Explained, improbable or unexplainable ≠ true, unlikely and false evidence My opinion: A Christian who ignores scientific evidence and answers is missing out on what 100s of years of human endeavour has taught us about the world So is there a solution? Boundaries of science are complex and debated

When science finds no meaning (eg in evolutionary processes) it does not mean there is no meaning, just that science can’t find it

When science finds no practical reason to apply ethical constraints it does not mean we should have no boundaries in our ethics

- Art, Literature, Language, Law, Philosophy all have their own methods distinct from science.

-Christianity argues that God’s view overrides human views and we discover these boundaries through relationship with God.

My opinion: A scientist who thinks science answers every aspect of our lives is missing out on what 1000s of years of human experience has taught us So what about Evolution..

A potted history of evidence and the theories to explain it Progression of evidence as a basis for evolution

Evidence of age of the earth Astrometry, rock formation processes, rock layers, ocean mud, ice layers, radioisotope decay etc etc

Evidence of time elapsing in the biological world

Evidence of progressive complexity of organisms

Evidence of extinction, divergence of populations along biogeographic lines, evidence from isolation and differential selection

Genetic /DNA evidence of relationshipsbetween organisms ‘Perfect creations’ in an ‘unchanging world’ is not what is observed by scientific investigation

• extreme climate change over millennia

• physical environment changes across continents

• predator and competitor changes

• extinctions

• physical isolation by land movement and island boundaries

• adaption through selection over many generations

Biological organisms adapt and modify, they evolved in the past and continue to evolve today,

The same is seen in the birds, the bees, the flowers, and in humans Progression of Principles and Philosophy of Evolution Lamarkian explanation (~1790s) - passing on characteristics to offspring that are acquired during a lifetime of struggle- as a means of evolution

Darwinian explanation (~1860s) -survival of the fittest by selection of traits over generations as a means of evolution (natural selection)

-survival of the selected (sexual selection)

Neo-Darwinism explanations -Mendelian Darwinism (~1930s) -synthesis of Darwinian evolution through natural selection with Mendelian genetics gives the mechanism of inheritance and the molecular basis of variance

-Kin Selection Theory (~1960s) – an explanation of evolution in social species – helping of related individuals to maximise inheritance of genes ‘like’ you own So what about Creation..

How do Evangelical Christians understand Genesis 1 and its impact on Christian Theology - exegesis - explanation or interpretation of a text Ancient Hebrew words have many meanings and are translated through context

“And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.” Gen 1:5

echad yowm boqer hayah ereb hayah one day morning and exist evening and exist first time dawn be dusk/darkness be other times clearing follow blurring follow age ending beginning to be hot breaking forth mixing order chaos Central assertions of Genesis 1 shared by all exegetical positions of mainstream Christianity

1. God made all that constitutes this universe in which we live 2. God was pleased with his creation 3. Humanity was the climax of God’s creation 4. Humans have a God given responsibility over the rest of the created order. 5. God sustains the created order to this day Interpreting Genesis 1 Position 1 Position 3 “Literal scientific reading exegesis” “Non-scientific reading of the text and exegesis” -6 days (yowm=24h) creation sequence -creation ex nihilo by the Word of God -focus on what the passage tells about -instantaneous species and living God as creator kingdom establishment -focus on poetic nature and structure of -often but not always -young earth and universe the narrative and its meaning Position 2 -’polemic‘ theory for the origin of its meaning “literal scientific reading with old -’7 days of revelation’ to the author earth and period of time theory of its origin -parable presentation of an exegesis” unknowable work of God (see also Job 38) -6 periods of time presented as creation sequence (yowm=age) -creation initiated by the Word of God -slower establishment of species and living kingdoms in line with scientific evidence -old earth and older universe So is there a solution? Constructive conversations between science and Christianity – not in the media….

-respect each other’s histories

-understand each others approaches and methodology of solving uncertainty …. patience is required

-recognise they focus on different aspects of the same reality

-recognise that science and Christianity are both based on absolute truth – so….

-for Christians this means seeking God’s wisdom to find it -for scientists this means building data and testing hypotheses -for Christians who are scientists , this means doing both.