History of Science
The emergence of modern science from Christian Europe reveals deep connections between faith and reason—connections that the 'conflict thesis' obscures.
Christian Scientists
The founders of modern science were overwhelmingly Christian believers. They saw science as 'thinking God's thoughts after him.'
Kepler spoke of 'the book of nature' written by God. Newton wrote more on theology than physics. Faraday was a devout Sandemanian. Maxwell composed prayers. This is not incidental but integral to their work.
- Galileo, Kepler, Newton: The giants of the Scientific Revolution saw science as studying God's creation. Kepler: 'I was merely thinking God's thoughts after him.'
- Faraday, Maxwell, Kelvin: 19th-century physics was built by devout Christians. Maxwell's equations came from a man who prayed daily and saw science as worship.
- Lemaitre, Collins, Polkinghorne: Major scientists today continue the tradition of faith and science. Lemaitre proposed the Big Bang; Collins led the Human Genome Project; Polkinghorne was a particle physicist and priest.
- Nobel Laureates: Many Nobel Prize winners have been believers. The supposed incompatibility of science and faith is contradicted by the lives of scientists.
The Conflict Myth
The 'warfare' between science and religion is a 19th-century invention. Draper and White's 'conflict thesis' has been thoroughly debunked by historians of science.
The Galileo affair was about politics, personality, and biblical interpretation—not a simple faith vs. science conflict. The Church supported science for centuries; the conflict narrative is propaganda, not history.
- Historical Fiction: Draper and White's 'conflict thesis' is rejected by historians of science. It was ideological, not historical.
- Galileo Affair: The real story is complex—not a simple faith vs. science conflict. Galileo had powerful Church supporters; his enemies used theology as a weapon.
- Complementary Domains: Science and theology address different questions—how and why. They are not competitors but partners in understanding reality.
- Convergent Epistemology: Science and theology are both truth-seeking enterprises. They use different methods but converge on the same reality. Truth cannot contradict truth.