1. Science, faith, and reason
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
Options
God exists
God does not exist
Outcomes
Believe in God
Great gain
No great gain
Do not believe in God

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.