Where Science And Christian Theology Meet Today

I do not know whether you are into the philosophy behind modern science. I suspect that most of my readers are not. Philosophy tends to be abstract, even arcane and modern sciences certainly require a background that many of us do not have. Nevertheless, I struggle with it, because I'm very convinced that Biblical theology must come to grips with scientific studies so that the message of Christ may be clearly presented.

AND . . . behind all science is some kind of philosophy. By philosophy I mean the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, of what is real and of who are we as humans. Every scientist has some kind of philosophy behind his study, his work. It guides him, even controls him and keeps him focused.


That's why I'm reading a fascinating book. If you're into building a bridge between theology and science at all you need to read it. It is called  Information and the Nature of Reality, a series of essays by prominent scientists and theologians, with Paul Davies and Niels Henrik Gregersen as Editors.


In their introductory remarks Davies and Gregersen point to the concluding essays by Gregersen and Michael Welker. They point to the new scientific perspective of matter and information brought on by the pursuit of quantum mechanics and the possibility of quantum computing. In this perspective matter is no longer the foundation for reality, for what is. Matter is rather another name for the Unknown. "It is perhaps not an overstatement to say that the developments in physics briefly summarized here provide a powerful empirical refutation of that materialist world view"("Unsolved dilemmas" - Philip Clayton, Kindle location 1117).

Gregersen and Welker tell us that "The Johannine vision of divine Logos being co-extensive with the world of matter may be sustained and further elucidated in the context of present-day concepts of matter and information . . ."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1-5, 14 ESV

To say that the divine Logos of John 1:1-5, 14 is co-extensive with the world of matter is to affirm that when God became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth He assumed not only the flesh of the boy from Nazareth, "but also a human being, an animal, and the material stuff itself. In Biblical language, God became a human being, a sparrow that flies and falls to the ground, became the green and withering grass, in order to become one with earthly matter (sarx). . . Logos is present—as Creator and as Redeemer—at the very core of material existence" (Gregersen). The "flesh" of the material world is saturated by the presence of the divine Logos. He has united himself with the world of creation. He creates differences. He shapes and reshapes the creation. He creates vibrations between organisms and their environments that enable them to absorb and connect. He makes meaning and communication possible. He is the One who enables us to "make sense" of things. God's creative power is at work in every and all levels of creation.

The letter to the Hebrews points to this amazing insight as it begins.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, - Hebr 1:1-3 ESV

Paul put another way in his talk with the Greeks at Athens when he quoted Epimenedes of Crete and  Aratus’s poem “Phainomena”:

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' - Act 17:26-28 ESV

The concept of Shekinah refers to this in the OT. Although it is not a word found in the Bible, Shekinah is a form of a Hebrew word that literally means "He caused to dwell." God's Shekinah-presence became evident to the Israelites led by Moses from Egypt in the pillar of fire by night and as a cloud by day.

And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. - Exd 13:20-22 ESV

The amazing thing happening in our day is that this vision of God totally present to create the entire universe and to sustain and give meaning to all things —to be the source of all information—is where scientists are being forced to go by their studies of quantum mechanics and the foundational reality of information.

Immortality Through Technology Is Still On The Horizon

It is the season of Advent as I write. We are busy preparing to celebrate again the birth of our Lord Jesus. As we make such preparations, we are also reminded about those who do not have the means to celebrate. Churches and various non-profit organizations appeal to us on behalf of the poor, the sick and the homeless. We Christians also pray to our Lord to rescue and restore them. And this he does—often through us, the members of his body (Rom. 7:4).

One such prayer reached Jesus (John 11:1-3). Two wealthy women of the village of Bethany, beloved friends of Jesus, appealed to him on behalf of their brother Lazarus. He was deathly sick and no matter how wealthy they were, they were helpless in the face of his illness. They needed Jesus, the Great Physician (Luke 5:31) who had healed many (Matt. 8:16; 12:15; 14:14, etc.). Jesus responded to their prayer in a strange manner.

But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. - John 11:4-6 ESV

I call this response strange, because Lazarus did die. His illness did lead to death. However, it did glorify Jesus, the Son of God, as he raised Lazarus from the dead. An important question arises at this point. What death or what type of death is Jesus speaking about? Its an important question, because modern science now suggests that we are in sight of conquering both illness and death within the next generation. And if that is so, we won't need Jesus any longer.

Here's a quote from the Postive Futurist:

Cutting-edge science and technologies, experts say, will one day provide everyone with radically increased intelligence, futuristic healthcare that prevents sickness and disease from ever happening, and a lifespan approaching immortality. . . 

Futurist Ray Kurzweil, in The Singularity is Near predicts that between 2025 and 2030, nanobot "cell-repair machines” will cruise through our bodies to prevent aging and stop pathogens before they cause harm. Nanobots will reprogram DNA where necessary keeping us forever young and in perfect health. . . 

In the 2040s, our 100% non-biological body will boast a zero failure rate. Even if a destructive accident were to occur, molecular nanotech would immediately construct a new body, retrieve our mind and memories, and allow life to continue; dying would be about as disruptive as a bee sting, and would take even less time to forget it even happened. 

Can this "magical future” without death become reality? This positive futurist believes it can!

Actually, I've examined this future in previous blogs over a year ago.

• Fear Not, The Technium Will Save Us! 
• Ray Kurzweil, MIT graduate, futurist and inventor believes that we're approaching a moment when computers will become . . . more intelligent than humans and that science will ultimately discover the causes of biological death and eliminate them. . . Information defines your personality, your memories, your skills. And it really is information. And we ultimately will be able to capture that and actually recreate it. So then we will back ourselves up.

Michael Lindvall, a theologian and pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, pegs Mr. Kurzweil’s Singularity dogma as a modern iteration of the Gnosticism prevalent in the second and third centuries.

Gnosticism “was basically the idea that people save themselves by being smart,” Mr. Lindvall said. “By knowing these secret things, you would become cognoscenti, one of the few, elitist. Gnostics looked down on the hoi polloi Christian masses.”

As you may have guessed, Kurzweil and his followers are atheists. They don't need any God. Their technology is their god. So we are back to the days of the tower of Babel and human hubris.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. - Gen 11:1-6 ESV

More on this in my next post.

Fifteen Ways The World Has Changed

The Day of Rest
Biblical Teaching About Time
— An online book about rest and worship—
By Dr. Al Franzmeier

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Below are fifteen ways life in the United States—and the world—changed in the the twentieth century. It is a brief summary of the first and second chapters of this book. I do not want to suggest that it is all there is to say. The changes are only suggestive and intended to point toward where life has gone and is going. Your comments are welcome.

1. Advances in technology have changed our way of life - Our ability to communicate, share, store and retrieve data is increasing at exponential rates. Computers and the Internet are prime. Every aspect of life is now touched by them. We now have ability to communicate with one another and share data of all sorts and kinds never before known or imagined in all of human history.     
2. Communication technology has changed everything  - Our ability to communicate, share, store and retrieve data is increasing at exponential rates. Computers and the Internet are prime. Every aspect of life is now touched by them. We now have ability to communicate with one another and share data of all sorts and kinds never before known or imagined in all of human history.
   
3. We are empowered and engulfed by information - People who understand how to use and manipulate this information have power. They are able to influence and control others. However, so much information easily engulfs most people. They are left with uncertainty about what to believe and whom to trust.
4. Technological changes have increased the rich-poor gap - The new super-rich are those who provide and control the use of information technology. Examples abound. Meanwhile, those who do not understand the technology are less and less able to thrive or even survive in such a culture. The gap increases between the rich and the poor.
5. Pop-art replaced classical and folk-art - Classical and folk art, including music and graphic arts, are becoming far less significant than the ever-changing scene of pop-art, pop-music, movies and TV.
6. Clothing styles changed - Clothing reflects the emphasis upon novelty and change. People of all ages are influenced by a desire to be a part of the modern scene, to own and to wear what is new, to be accepted by the in-group.
   
7. Novelty is valued, even worshiped - Such an emphasis upon novelty presents a danger of becoming all important. Whatever is first in one’s life is that which is worshiped. Many are the new American Idols.
8. Old people, old ways are no longer trusted - Whereas other cultures, including that of the United States, formerly trusted seniors and the experience they bring, the emphasis now is upon the future. Those of the past with its outmoded thinking and ways must be rejected. Hope, promise and true value rest with young, innovative and experimental men and women who understand the new world. 
9. Traditional norms and principles are rejected - As a consequence of the emphasis upon novelty and experimentation, norms and principles handed down from the past are no longer trusted. New circumstances, new understandings, new discoveries and new ways of communicating require new norms.
10. Sexual and family mores have also changed - Changes in family and sexual mores are prime examples of the changes demanded. The definition of marriage has changed. There is now a strong push toward redefining marriage as a loving relationship between two humans, regardless of sex. Some suggest that the definition of marriage will eventually change even more than that. There are no longer any objective standards by which to decide what is right or wrong in human relationships.
11. Everything is now relative, constantly changing - In matters of right and wrong everything is open now to change, even as the world around us is constantly changing.  The emphasis upon evolution and the survival of the fittest seems to suggest that the weak, sick and feeble who have nothing more to contribute should be terminated, regardless of age.
12. Everything is now subjective; objective standards are gone - Since there are no objective standards like the Ten Commandments, etc. and since evrything is relative, we may argue that what is right for you may not be right for me. As long as you allow me to do what I want, I will not attempt to interfere with you doing what you want.
13. The supernatural origins of the Bible are rejected - Christians who once believed in the Divine authority of the Bible are left with uncertainty. The book once seen as the inspired Word of God is now viewed as a collection of writings by men influenced by the thinking and culture of their time. Little, if anything, can now be declared to be of Divine origin.
14. At the same time human intuition is lifted up as trustworthy - Since scholars have only scattered pieces of past Biblical writings—so it is claimed—they must rely upon educated guesses about what was and what was not given by God. Judgments about theological truths are now subjected to human intuitions.
15. The United States no longer has a master narrative - Since the United States is now a multi-cultural and multi-religious nation, there is no longer one story or one set of myths that unite and guide us. This is to say we have great difficulty looking back at our history in order to define ourselves as we move into the future.

As the 20th century began, advances in science, communication and transportation moved the people of the United States from a rural to an urban culture. We will never be able to return to a simpler way of life, even though many long for it.

So the question remains. Where do we go from here? The preposterous claim of this Blog and of this online book is that the Bible remains the inspired Word of God and the one and only, yes also infallible, guide to the future of life on this planet, of hope for eternity and for daily life. Readers are invited to draw their own conclusions. Watch for the next chapter.

As I said above, your comments are invited.