What often is touted in the name of "science" is really an unscientific philosophy sometimes called "scientific materialism".

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Developing
a Biblical
Worldview
Science and Scientific Materialism
By
James C. Wright, J.D.
jcw@FulcrumMinistries.org

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Science and Stewardship
 The scientific method was
developed by Christians to
fulfill our mandate to be
stewards of God’s creation.
• God created humanity to oversee
and care for the earth and all it
contains. Gen. 1:28
• For example, Adam was given
authority to name (interpret) the
animals. Gen. 2:19-20
• The heavens, even the heavens,
are the Lords; but the earth hath
he given to the children of men.
Psalm 115:16

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Science is a Blessing . . .
 Science emerged only under a
Biblical worldview as
Christians sought to be faithful
stewards of creation
 It has produced great
blessings as scientists have
understood the richness and
wonders of creation
• Examples: Medicine,
transportation, communications,
information technologies,
agricultural revolution

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. . . And a Great Danger
 Apart from the Biblical doctrine
of stewardship (to serve),
science can be a great danger
 Science can run amuck
• Examples: Human cloning,
euthanasia, pollution, genetic
enhancement of deadly
pathogens
 Science needs a Biblical
worldview to both enable it and
to set proper ethical limits

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Scripture and Nature
“[L]et no man ... think or
maintain that a man can
search too far or be too well
studied in the book of God's
word, or in the book of God's
works; divinity or philosophy;
but rather let men endeavor
an endless progress or
proficience in both.”
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626),
the father of the scientific method

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The Scientific Method
 The scientific method was
developed by Sir Francis
Bacon
 Based on inductive
reasoning (hypothesis,
experimentation,
observation, reproducibility
and conclusion)
 It rejects deductive
reasoning from “a priori”
first principles

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A Biblical Worldview
Science could only emerge from a Biblical worldview
 Classical Age: Greek philosophy viewed pure thought
and ideas as more “real” than the material universe.
• Deductive method from first principles derived from pure reason
 Medieval Age: Reality known through deductive
reasoning from “a priori” first principles derived from a
blend of Greek philosophy and ecclesiastical tradition
and dogma.
• Catholic church (and early reformers) attack the ideas of
Copernicus and Galileo

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A Biblical Worldview
Science could only emerge from a Biblical worldview
 Non-Western Worldviews: Polytheism and pantheism
provide no basis for believing in consistent laws or
order throughout the material universe.

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Science and the Reformation
 Science was an out-
growth of the Reformation:
• Ultimately, the Reformation
valued an unencumbered
pursuit of truth through
both Scripture and science,
free from ecclesiastical
tradition and dogma
• As a result, Reformation
thinkers were willing to
challenge medieval dogma and attitudes in all areas
• Affirmed that both special revelation (Scripture) and general
revelation (creation) disclosed God’s nature

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Biblical Roots of Science
 Science arose from Christianity’s attempt to
understand God's creation - the natural world.
• Science is only possible if the material universe is
orderly, governed by a common set of laws throughout,
and human reason is able to inductively comprehend
those laws.
• These assumptions arise from a Biblical worldview,
rooted in God as the creator who made the universe as
a reflection of his own unchanging character and who
made man in his image (reason, creativity, ability to
perceive order and understand creation).

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Sir Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)
 The beauty and regularity of creation could only “proceed from
the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
 “The Supreme God exists necessarily, and by the same
necessity he exists always and everywhere."
 “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets,
could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an
intelligent Being.... This Being governs all things . . . as Lord of
all.”
 “Atheism is so senseless. When I look at the solar system, I see
the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper
amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance.”

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The Fallacy of
Scientific
Materialism
 Science can only know,
and is limited to, the
realm of material cause
and effect.
 Therefore, some mistakenly conclude that those limits
define all of reality.
 The great danger is when there are no objective ethical
limits – it becomes “science” run amuck

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Scientific Materialism
“The cosmos
is all that is, or
ever was, or
ever will be.”
-- Carl Sagan,
Opening to
Cosmos

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Scientific Materialism
 Scientific materialism
is not scientific!
 It rejects the
inductive scientific
method because it
is a deductive
philosophy that
defines reality based
on unproven a priori
assumptions (e.g., there is no God and all reality is
material).
 It does the very thing it falsely accuses Christians of doing
– a priori deductive reasoning!

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Follow the Evidence . . .
“[I]n natural philosophy (i.e.,
science), the investigation of difficult
things by the method of analysis,
ought ever to precede the method of
composition. This analysis consists
in making experiments and
observations, and in drawing
general conclusions from them by
induction and admitting of no
objections against the
conclusions, but such as are
taken from experiments, or other
certain truths.”
Sir Isaac Newton

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 The scientific method is incompetent in the realm of the
spiritual (non-material) and the miraculous (non-natural
cause and effect).
 It can neither prove nor disprove spiritual reality or
supernatural effects (e.g., miracles).
 Science, however, can recognize God’s impact on
nature.
• Design indicates a designer (the genetic code, the order of the
cosmos)
• First causes (the “big bang”)
But Know Your Limits . . .

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God is Not
the Author of
Confusion
Special revelation
(truth through Scripture)
and general revelation (truth through creation) ultimately
should agree because the both arise from a God who is
not author of confusion, and because both reflect the
consistent and orderly nature of God.
“For I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3:6

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 If there’s a conflict, Scripture trumps science because
it is direct revelation as to both material and spiritual
reality; of natural cause and effect and the
miraculous.
 In contrast, science is limited to the material realm of
cause and effect (although it can point to God).
 Where there is an inconsistency, we either don’t fully
understand the material universe of cause and effect,
or we don’t fully understand Scripture.
Scripture and Science

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 In the quest to know God and his creation, we need
Scriptural as well as scientific humility.
 In humility, we need to be willing to re-evaluate not
only scientific dogma, but also theological tradition on
issues where Scripture is silent or ambiguous.
 We need to encourage our youth to pursue the
sciences, while avoiding the fallacies of scientific
materialism.
 We must discern between true scientific method and
the philosophy of scientific materialism.
Scripture and Science