Science and religion: is it either/or or both/and?
Dr. Neil Shenvi
August 27, 2013
Christ Community Church
I. Definitions
A. ‘Science’ is the pursuit of truth through scientific method: observation, hypothesis, experiment, revision
B. In our context, ‘religion’ usually refers to monotheism , belief in the existence of God
II. Areas of purported conflict
A. Definitional – “Science is based on evidence, but religion is based on faith”
1. Biblical faith does not refer to ‘belief without evidence’ but to ‘personal trust’, which can be based on evidence
B. Metaphysical – “Science shows that Nature is all that exists”
1. Naturalism, the proposition that Nature is all that exists, is a statement of metaphysics, not physics
2. Methodological naturalism, which is often assumed by scientists, does not imply metaphysical naturalism
C. Epistemological – “Science is the only way to know truth”
1. Scientism, the proposition that science is the only way to know truth, is self-refuting
3. Scientism largely ignores the role of human testimony, which is a bedrock of science and normal human experience
D. Evolutionary – “Evolution shows that God does not exist”
1. Modern evolutionary theory rests on three pillars: 1) change in species over Earth’s history, 2) common descent, and
3) biodiversity through random mutation and natural selection
2. The real point of contention is the third pillar, which is difficult to assess scientifically for two reasons
a. Random mutations merely refer to mutations independent of the environment, not to metaphysical ‘randomness’
b. Macroevolution operates only huge timescales and is therefore largely inaccessible to experiment
III. Evidence for God from science
A. The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics
1. There is a deep, beautiful mathematical structure to the universe which is not logically necessary
2. Humans are uniquely capable of perceiving this structure; this capability is not necessary to our survival
B. The beginning of the universe
1. The vast majority of astronomers believe that the universe began to exist in the finite past
2. A non-eternal universe suggests the need for a cause in a way that an eternal universe would not
C. The fine-tuning of the universe
1. The fundamental constants of physics fall into an extremely narrow life-permitting range
2. If God created and designed the universe, this fine-tuning can be explained
3. The most plausible non-theistic hypothesis, the multiverse, leads to extremely bizarre consequences
D. The surprising implications of quantum mechanics
1. Few events –even ‘miraculous events’- are absolutely impossible
2. God can intervene in nature without violating natural laws
3. Not all elements of reality are accessible to observation and experiment
4. Some of the founders of QM believed that it demonstrated some form of mind-body dualism
E. The intrinsic goodness of truth
1. The scientific enterprise is founded on the intrinsic goodness of truth and truth-seeking
2. Without God, it is difficult to explain why truth is intrinsically good or why we ought to seek it
3. If a truth-loving God exists like the God of Christianity, then we can explain why truth is intrinsically good
IV. The hiddenness of God
1. Why isn’t the scientific evidence for God more clear?
a. Science is not the only way to know truth
b. Science is clearly not the best way for God to reveal himself to humanity
2. Why isn’t there more evidence of any kind for God’s existence?
a. Lack of evidence is not the ultimate reason we do not trust God
b. The desire to be our own gods keeps us from surrendering to God, regardless of the clarity of the evidence
3. The gospel is God’s ultimate answer to all of our questions about how to know him
a. The gospel is revelation; God is not known through human achievement, but through His grace
b. The gospel is God’s revelation to us in a person, something all human beings can respond to
c. The gospel is God’s message of rescue; we can’t change our hearts, but God can
Recommended books: The Reason for God - Tim Keller, Where the Conflict Really Lies – Alvin Plantinga, God’s
Undertaker – John Lennox; A Reasonable God – Greg Ganssle