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Harmonizing Science and Religion: Exploring Different Perspectives

Delve into the conflict, independence, and integration of science and religion, examining diverse viewpoints and the justification of faith through reason. Explore non-evidential views, challenges, and potential reconciliations between evolution and creationism.

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Harmonizing Science and Religion: Exploring Different Perspectives

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  1. Chapter 8: Science, faith, and reason

  2. Defining terms • Religion: a system of beliefs and practices primarily centered around a transcendent Reality, either personal or impersonal, which provides ultimate meaning and purpose to life • Science: the exploration, description, explanation, and prediction of occurrences in the natural world which can be checked and supported by empirical evidence

  3. Understanding relationships Conflict, independence, or integration?

  4. Conflict • Science and religion are in conflict with each other • View points • Scriptural literalists • Scientific materialists • Challenges • Scripture is not a scientific textbook. • Scientific method cannot verify itself

  5. Independence • Science and religion are completely independent forms of thought and practice which never come into contact • View points • Protestant neo-orthodoxy • Linguistic analysis • Problems • Religious engagement • Disparate domains

  6. Integration • Science and religion are integrated in some way. • Versions • Natural theology • Systematic synthesis • Positives • Single unified worldview, without discrediting science or religion • Exciting new prospects

  7. Religious belief and justification • Rational validation views of faith and reason • Non-evidential views of faith and reason • Fideism • Kierkegaard • Evidence not needed • The “leap of faith” • “The will to believe” • James • Deciding between hypotheses • Believing even if evidence is lacking

  8. Non-evidential views (continued) • Pascal’s wager: believing in God is a better bet than not believing

  9. Non-evidential views (continued) • Reformed epistemology • Plantinga • Belief in God can still be rational, even without evidence • Contradicts foundationalism • Belief in god is properly basic • Basic, but not groundless

  10. Questions for discussion • Which of the three views of the relationship between religion and science do you find to be most accurate given the ways religion and science are generally understood and practiced today? First characterize the view and then explain why you believe it to be so • Evolution and creationism are often considered to be diametrically opposed beliefs about the existence and development of flora and fauna. Can they be reconciled? • Are faith and reason mutually exclusive concepts? Can you have faith in something or someone while also having reasons for what you have faith in? Explain.

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