Science and Religion: Beyond Warfare and Toward Understanding

by Joshua M. Moritz

Overview

What happens when religious faith meets scientific facts?




Many believe that conflict defines the relationship between science and religion, especially the Christian religion. But the war between faith and science is a myth--a very popular myth--that has endured for too long.




By investigating the root of this myth and reexamining its classic stories, Science and Religion: Beyond Warfare and Toward Understanding offers a more accurate relationship between science and religion. With a focus on Christianity, the text explores causes of contemporary conflicts and cases in which science and religion have interacted in mutually beneficial ways to demonstrate that, in the relationship between science and religion, harmony is more common than discord.





Joshua M. Moritz is a lecturer in philosophical theology and natural science at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and an adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of San Francisco.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599827155
Publisher:	Anselm Academic
Publication date:	01/01/2016
Pages:	318
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Joshua M. Moritz is a lecturer of philosophical theology and natural science at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and an adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of San Francisco.

Table of Contents

Contents




Introduction


With Science and Religion One Size Does Not Fit All


Defining the Boundaries of Science and Religion


Religions and Sciences in Conversation


Resources for Discussion and Further Exploration


A Note on Science and Religion Typologies





Chapter 1: Science versus Religion: The War That Never Was


Science and Religion at War: The Birth of a Modern Myth


How Columbus Didn't Prove the World Was Round


How Galileo Never Went to Jail


How the Scopes Monkey Trial Was Not about Science versus Religion





Chapter 2: The Role of Faith in the History of Science


The Religious Roots of the Laws of Nature


Religion and Earth History in Eighteenth-Century Geology


Darwin's Sacred Cause: The Unity of Humanity


The Beginning of the Big Bang: The Cosmic Quest of Faith





Chapter 3: The Boundaries and Limits of Science and Faith


What Is Science?


Why Science Needs Faith


Why Religious Faith Needs Science





Chapter 4: Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science and Faith without Limits


Scientism: Denying That Science Has Limits


Fideism: Denying That Faith Has Limits


The Role of Interpretation in Science and Scripture





Chapter 5: Creation and the Cosmos


Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?


Scientific Views of the Cosmos: The Big Bang and Beyond


Human Beings at Home in a Finely Tuned Universe


Metaphysical Explanations for Cosmic Fine-Tuning





Chapter 6: The Forming of Life: From Cosmic Dust to Consciousness


Does God Create through Natural Processes?


Describing God's Creation of Life through Science


Where Is the Evolutionary Process Going?





Chapter 7: From Consciousness to New Creation: The Nature and Destiny of Humanity


Human Nature and Human Uniqueness: Perspectives from Scripture


Human Nature and Human Uniqueness: Perspectives from Science


Humans as the Unique "Image and Likeness of God"


The Destiny of Humanity





Chapter 8: Miracles and the Laws of Naturer


What Is a Miracle?


Does Science Prove That Miracles Are Physically Impossible?


The Scientific Possibility of Miracles





Chapter 9: God, the Problem of Suffering, and the Natural Sciences


Does Anything Justify the Suffering of God's Creatures?


Could God Have Created a World without Any Suffering Due to the Laws of Nature?


Why Would an All-Loving God Create through Evolution?


Chapter 10: The End of All Things and the New Beginning


The Cosmic Future: "A Foundation for Unyielding Despair"?


Is the End of the Physical World the End of Religious Hope?





Glossary





Index

Editorial Reviews

"Joshua Moritz's Science and Religion dispels the myth of the conflict between religion and science by showing that no science can be done without some important presuppositions and that any good theology incorporates the best results of scientific investigation. The book covers all key topics in science-religion conversation from the 'beginning' to the 'end.' Listing of resources and a glossary further strengthen this book's value."





--Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen


University of Helsinki, Finland





"One of the many virtues of Joshua Moritz's well-structured and wide-ranging introduction to the relation between science and religion is its resourceful use of historical scholarship to illuminate the origins and the limitations of an all-pervasive conflict model. Ambitious in its bid to replace conflict with peace, Science and Religion will be accessible and stimulating, as well as a successful student text."







--John Hedley Brooke


University of Oxford





Joshua Moritz's Science and Religion is a stunning contribution to the dialogue between the scientific and religious communities. Moritz first offers a convincing argument that the purported warfare between science and religion is a myth propounded by outspoken, antireligious scientists. He then provides a detailed and promising assessment of several key areas. I strongly recommend Science and Religion. It is a must-read for scientists, religious scholars, high school teachers, clergy, and the general public interested in the possibility of a creative interaction between science and religion.




--Robert John Russell


Graduate Theological Union

From the Publisher