At the Intersection of Science and Theology

Do science and theology intersect? In 1997 Natural History magazine published an article by Stephen Jay Gould in which he said that science and theology are two non-overlapping magisteria. Each domain has its own teaching authority and they do not overlap. Science is about the physical world in which we live, and theology is about the spiritual world we cannot see. Science focuses on explaining physical evidence, while religion focuses on explaining God and man’s relationship to him.

Contrary to what Gould believed, science and theology do intersect. More specifically, theology about origins ostensibly based on the Bible definitely intersects with scientific theory about origins based on physical evidence. The Bible presents God as a powerful creator who made the heavens and earth and all therein (plants, animals and mankind). Mainstream scientific theory (which demands naturalistic explanations) posits that the universe and all therein are due to random, undirected, purposeless, natural change without divine influence or intelligent cause of any kind.

Can science and the Bible agree about origins? Are there any points about which they can harmonize? Two books address this issue in a roundabout way. The Real Genesis Creation Story: A Credible Translation and Explanation at Last-Third Edition presents a new “out of the box” approach to understanding the Genesis creation story which allows for extensive time. Twenty-First Century Science: Philosophy, Principles and Practice discusses the foundational principles of science and how it allows for intelligent cause.

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