The views expressed in this article are of the author only and do not necessarily represent those of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
Science & Religion: A New Introduction
Alister E. McGrath
Wiley-Blackwell (2010). 252 pp.
Alister McGrath is Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford, President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, and associate priest in a group of Church of England village parishes in the Cotswolds. McGrath began his studies at Oxford in 1971 by focusing on quantum theory, eventually going on to gain a doctorate in molecular biophysics. He proceeded to study theology at both Oxford and Cambridge, focusing on the interaction of science and religion during the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. This volume is an introduction to the dialogue between the Christian faith and the natural sciences, written specifically for those with very little scientific or religious background knowledge. The book serves as a starting point for exploration of this important field, a cracking of the door to further reflection. The volume, which is divided into four main parts, consists of thirty-four succinct chapters. Each chapter concludes with a list of resources for readers who desire to take their thinking further.
In Part One of the book, McGrath explores key historical debates. He first considers the importance of the increasing realization that the earth did not stand at the center of the universe (i.e., the Copernican revolution). He next turns to the achievement of Isaac Newton and the emergence of the mechanical worldview. This paves the way for a consideration of the nineteenth-century Darwinian controversy. Having considered three debates of considerable importance to the dialogue between science and religion, McGrath devotes the second part of his work to a discussion of general themes in the field, such as proofs for God’s existence, the doctrine of creation and the natural sciences, and divine activity in the world. Part Three focuses on contemporary debates. Here McGrath interacts with the atheist propagandist and scientific popularizer Richard Dawkins. His attention then turns to significant debates in contemporary cosmology concerning the origins of the universe. Subsequent chapters in this section deal with quantum theory, the biological sciences, evolutionary psychology, the psychology of religion, and the cognitive science of religion. The final part of the book investigates ideas and approaches found in ten contributors to the dialogue between science and religion (e.g., Thomas Torrance, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and Philip Clayton). The purpose of this fourth section is simply to give the reader a basic knowledge of some representative contributions to the field and how these came to be developed.
The constant flow of books and documentaries dealing with God and physics, spirituality and science, and the mysteries of human nature and destiny indicates growing interest in this area, and yet evangelical pastors, by and large, seem hesitant to contribute to the conversation. In his important work You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church … and Rethinking Faith, David Kinnaman explains that in this age of science countless young people are abandoning the church because they do not see the mutually complementary relationship between faith and science.
The church needs pastors who dare to deal with the supposed antagonism of Christian theology and scientific discoveries. Perhaps the reason many pastors remain silent on this subject is that we are ill-prepared. Of course, we have our shelf of canned answers: “God created out of nothing,” and “God is in control of all things.” But we haven’t found the time to do the wide reading that is necessary for intelligent engagement. Or maybe we have had the time, but didn’t know where to begin reading. This is precisely where McGrath’s work comes to our aid. It acquaints us with the most pertinent historical debates, theological concepts, and scientific developments, while also pointing us to additional sources that will help us develop our understanding of the different facets of this field. McGrath’s introduction is invaluable because it helps us think our way into the discussions about faith and science that are happening all around us.
Dillon T. Thornton (PhD, University of Otago) is the Lead Pastor of Faith Community Church in Seminole, FL. Dillon’s latest book is Give Them Jesus: Raising Our Children on the Core Truths of the Christian Faith. He is a member of the St. Peter Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
