Science and religion are two words that are assumed to oppose each other due to the factual, logical basis of science and the faith in the unknown presented in religion. Yet these two disciplines share many commonalities and interactions that lead to the development of a field of study. Alfred White Northhead, a Protestant theologian, exceptionally expressed that God and nature work as one, indicating any change in the science nature, should lead to an alteration with how society comprehends God. (Olsen, 2) Throughout this paper it will be clear that science and religion are a field due to the commonalities the disciplines share, the overlap of knowledge seen in both topics and importantly the dispersion of the work among academics. This
…show more content…
To begin, the rise of the field of science and religion was heavily influenced by the public figures that had made advancements in the understanding and application of the field. Church Fathers were a number of these individuals who took the extrinsic value of science to use in combination with the teachings of the church. One example was St. Augustine of Hippo. He was educated in pagan philosophy and in his adulthood found Christianity. (Adam, "When does the history of science begin") He claimed that to truly understand biblical references, one must have some knowledge of nature to understand references in scripture. An example was that when snakes shed their skin they become stronger, which can play an important role when referenced in scripture. (Adam, "When does the history of science begin") He is clear that one should never connect the specific stories from the bible to theories of nature as falsification of the theory can destroy the power of the scripture. St. Augustine 's views have been constantly referenced for centuries throughout the field of science and religion as it has continued to grow and develop. (Adam, "When does the history of science …show more content…
(Mastin, 2008) Despite the lack of scientific methods and factual basis, it was still deemed as scientifically friendly. Eventually, a transition occurred where analytical philosophy was based out of metaphysical schools. This development allowed for a closer connection between science and religion leading to its rise, as well as the field of philosophy of religion. (Fehige, "Contributions of Philosophy") Through the field of philosophy and religion, science could begin to appear in academic articles in conjunction with topics like creationism. Although the philosophy of religion helped lead to the development of the field, it did not lack its controversies. Devoted catholic philosophers voice their opinions with John Schellenberg stating that it was basically theology due to the fact it was governed by Christians. He believes that science needs to be incorporated into the field for a much need renewl. Hilary Putman voiced the opposite opinion, stating that it involved too much metaphysics. She stated that this transition was a mistake as religion should not need science to understand the scriptures. (Fehige, "Contributions of Philosophy") This was not the only event in philosophy that lead to the merge, but it was a substantial event despite a lack of backing from many analytical philosophers. (Fehige, "Contributions of
To begin, the rise of the field of science and religion was heavily influenced by the public figures that had made advancements in the understanding and application of the field. Church Fathers were a number of these individuals who took the extrinsic value of science to use in combination with the teachings of the church. One example was St. Augustine of Hippo. He was educated in pagan philosophy and in his adulthood found Christianity. (Adam, "When does the history of science begin") He claimed that to truly understand biblical references, one must have some knowledge of nature to understand references in scripture. An example was that when snakes shed their skin they become stronger, which can play an important role when referenced in scripture. (Adam, "When does the history of science begin") He is clear that one should never connect the specific stories from the bible to theories of nature as falsification of the theory can destroy the power of the scripture. St. Augustine 's views have been constantly referenced for centuries throughout the field of science and religion as it has continued to grow and develop. (Adam, "When does the history of science …show more content…
(Mastin, 2008) Despite the lack of scientific methods and factual basis, it was still deemed as scientifically friendly. Eventually, a transition occurred where analytical philosophy was based out of metaphysical schools. This development allowed for a closer connection between science and religion leading to its rise, as well as the field of philosophy of religion. (Fehige, "Contributions of Philosophy") Through the field of philosophy and religion, science could begin to appear in academic articles in conjunction with topics like creationism. Although the philosophy of religion helped lead to the development of the field, it did not lack its controversies. Devoted catholic philosophers voice their opinions with John Schellenberg stating that it was basically theology due to the fact it was governed by Christians. He believes that science needs to be incorporated into the field for a much need renewl. Hilary Putman voiced the opposite opinion, stating that it involved too much metaphysics. She stated that this transition was a mistake as religion should not need science to understand the scriptures. (Fehige, "Contributions of Philosophy") This was not the only event in philosophy that lead to the merge, but it was a substantial event despite a lack of backing from many analytical philosophers. (Fehige, "Contributions of