Christian Theology and Scientific Culture

by Thomas F. Torrance

How do we react to the claim that physics must now be regarded as one of the liberal arts, for in its description of the universe it sets the stage for the drama of human life? If modern science has now become the dominant culture, how does Christianity look within it? What difference does the Christian idea of the contingence of nature make to science today? What difference does it make for Christian thought and culture to move away from the old idea of the world as a closed mechanical system of cause and effect into the new idea of the world as an open dynamic system configured by the behavior of light, the fastest messenger in the universe? These are some of the questions discussed in the light of James Clerk Maxwell's discoveries of the mathematical properties of light, and of Albert Einstein's generalization of the new understanding of light for a radically new and exciting view of nature that has made space travel possible and enabled us to trace the expansion of the universe back to conditions near its beginning. This is not a defensive book about science and religion in the usual vein. It is concerned rather with the deep mutual relation and respect of Christian and scientific thought for each other, and shows how this relationship throws new light upon basic Christian doctrines. This volume also warns against the dangers of a reactionary retreat from the rigors of scientific thought into fuzzy mythological interpretations of the incarnation, and calls for a deeper appreciation of the Nicene Creed upon which all Christendom rests.

Genres: Theology

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Thomas Forsyth Torrance, MBE FRSE (30 August 1913 – 2 December 2007), commonly referred to as T. F. Torrance, was a Scottish Protestant theologian. Torrance served for 27 years as Professor of Christian Dogmatics at New College, Edinburgh in the University of Edinburgh. He is best known for his pioneering work in the study of science and theology, but he is equally respected for his work in systematic theology. While he wrote many books and articles advancing his own study of theology, he also edited the translation of several hundred theological writings into English from other languages, including the English translation of the thirteen-volume, six-million-word Church Dogmatics of Swiss theologian Karl Barth, as well as John Calvin's New Testament Commentaries. He was also a member of the famed Torrance family of theologians.
Torrance has been acknowledged as one of the most significant English-speaking theologians of the twentieth century, and in 1978, he received the prestigious Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion.[1] Torrance remained a dedicated churchman throughout his life, serving as an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland. He was instrumental in the development of the historic agreement between the Reformed and Eastern Orthodox Churches on the doctrine of the Trinity when a joint statement of agreement on that doctrine was issued between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Orthodox Church on 13 March 1991.[2] He retired from the University of Edinburgh in 1979, but continued to lecture and to publish extensively. Several influential books on the Trinity were published after his retirement: The Trinitarian Faith: The Evangelical Theology of the Ancient Catholic Church (1988); Trinitarian Perspectives: Toward Doctrinal Agreement (1994); and The Christian Doctrine of God, One Being Three Persons (1996).

Reviews

[Krocht Ehlundovič]

Som nadšený a zároveň šokovaný. Hneď na začiatok (si) musím napísať, že i túto knihu musím ešte raz prečítať. Hlavne poslednú tretinu, ktorá mi troška uniká môjmu pochopu - bude to jazykom a vstúpením do veľmi abstraktných oblastí; jedným dychom dodávam, logických i teologických zároveň. Paulinko, uži si to.

Som nadšený a zároveň šokovaný. Veľmi ma fascinuje ako sa pán teológ zahryzol do problematiky s decentne silným presvedčením. Autor je zároveň teológ i filozof, ktorý má úctu a ohromný rešpekt voči vede, ktorú pokladá za neoddeliteľnú súčasť Božieho sveta, tak isto ako Kresťanstvo je neoddeliteľnou súčasťou skúmaného sveta a vedy ako takej; jedno bez druhého nemôže byť - jeho hlavné tvrdenie. Je pravdou, že som vždy pochyboval o tom, že veda a náboženstvo nemôžu byť spolu; Torrance ponúka krásny príklad ako sú prepletené a ako spolu súvisia. Pri tejto myšlienke ma hneď napadli: "Jezuiti" - elita Rímskokatolíckej cirkvi. Títo používali rozum na to, aby vedeli presvedčiť, že ich viera je ta pravá... a pri tejto knihe som sa ich letmo dotkol a už sa mi to nezdá tak nemožné ba priam smiešne; skôr obdivuhodné!

Neuveriteľne sa mi páči ako autor jemne spája tieto dve "protichodné" oblasti. Využíva pri tom svoje hlboké poznatky o fyzike, matematike, logike a filozofie s jazykom tým prislúchajúcim. Nie je to kniha o kontrastoch a bojoch (tu má zaujímavú tézu, že nie je možne poznať Boha tými nástrojmi akými sa skúma veda, tak ako sa nepoužívajú nástroje fyziky na popísanie hodnoty krásy umenia), je to kniha o tom, ako veľa majú tieto póly spoločné a rovnaké.

Ďakujem za túto perspektívu, som rád, že som mohol otvoriť ďalšie dvere ako nazerať na veci a neustupovať z pozície racionálna.

[Lucas G.]

This book originated as a collection of talks given by Torrance. In each section he reflects on how Christianity ought to be understood in relation to the ever-deepening scientific understanding of the world. While his approach pertains to science in general, he spends most of the time discussing how developments in physics can shed light on our theological understanding.

By and large, Torrance advocates for a model in which science and theology can coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship. For example, he discusses several principles of physics that he believes help illuminate certain aspects of Christian theology. While he is careful to point out that none of these amount to a perfect parallel, he nevertheless demonstrates that we can gain theological insights by reflecting on modern science.

Admittedly, this isn't the easiest read, and the writing style is fairly dry. However, it is a short enough book that it can be easily tackled in a few sittings. Over all, it is a fine book, but I wouldn't consider it an essential text.

[Stephen Morrison]

Essential reading for understanding TF Torrance's "reformulated" natural theology.

[Martin]

Torrance, Thomas F. 1980. Theology and Scientific Culture. Belfast et al: Christian Journals Limited.

World of contingent events (23) (vs Newton absolute mathematical time and space, dissolution of meaning (24))
= fields of force where relationships between bodies just as real as bodies themselves => interrelationships and transformation (27)
Unity Form and Being (28)
Variety and unity of rational order (31) [Uni-versity, not Multi-versity]
Detachment ontological reference to reality finally renders thought and speech empty and meaningless (34)
- God’s word not severed determinate structures of physical creation (Newton’s God – medieval Unmoved Mover and Bacon’s “constant and everlasting laws which we call nature…began in force when God rested from his work and ceased to create” (43)
Locke: radical dualism – nothing in mind except what is first in the senses – Aristotelian (45), empiricist theory of knowledge – sharp distinction faith and reason. Belief is private opinion of the mind, not based evidence of the senses. Rational knowledge comes from experience.

Lapse into scepticism (*eliminate ontology and objectivity), uncertainty and dismiss our senses
Relation is most NB thing to know (Maxwell)
Between “abstract theorising” and “pure experimentation” (Maxwell)
Mysteries creation all scientific knowledge = limited and provisional. Revised till eternal Truth
Maxwell: Active, loving Father revealed in Jesus Christ, is not impersonal, mechanistic outlook of Laplace and determinism
Newton and Kant: fundamental concepts a priori status vs Eistein
Is [economy] comprehensive? Why? On what basis?
Einstein: Regulative beliefs is not “primitive guesses” but rational insights. Objective universe = law, harmony, beauty
Restrictive epistemological foundations natural science: Maxwell/Einstein: prior belief in rational knowledge, Polanyi: no knowledge even material apart from personal activity of a knower, demand that personal factor in scientific inquiry be brought in the open and given due place in philosophy of science (61). personal vs dualism mind and matter.
Belief or intuitive apprehension as source of knowledge (Polanyi) (62) [what faityh is he talking about?]
Belief: scientists = intelligible nature of reality independent of themselves and its capacity to disclose itself in an indeterminate range of yet unknown and perhaps unthinkable ways (64).
Polanyi: Restore to its proper place in knowledge the responsible activity of the human person as a rational centre of consciousness
Epistemological foundations science: Polanyi – fundamental belief is objectively grounded, response to inherent intelligible vs Locke – belief is ungrounded persuasion of the mind or subjective feeling, subjective state of consciousness
Polanyi: “ the freedom of the subjective person to do as he pleases is overruled by the freedom of the responsible person to act as he must” (67)
In belief direct contact with reality
Ultimate intelligible ground universe = personal, beyond Einstein impersonal: “natural knowledge expends into knowledge of the supernatural”

Augustine’s epistemological dualism between intelligible and sensible realms and his psychological approach to understanding of Christian experience and doctrine (99)
God: divine interaction empirical world vs Unmoved Mover (Lombard) (100)

Science: need to ask reason for rationality inherent in universe
Theology and science: both presuppose objective rationality in inquiry. Truth is discovered, not invented (110)
Contingent universe is not self sufficient, is given rationality and reliability in empirical reality – depend on God’s own rationality and reliability (116).
But, deepest secret of universe is outside our contingent reality (117)
Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh = God’s unique and exclusive language to mankind.
Contingent realities (nr or word) have final truth in God’s Word (123)?
Dilemma esp since Newton: natural science or humanities (125).
Kantian model = dualism noumenal and phenomenal.
Escape human spirit from “oppressive tyranny of omnicompetent causaility” (133)
Detach basic knowledge faith from given fabric of empirical reality – nominalist formalism – no claim ontological structures in reality (135)













See
William P Alston. 1991. Perceiving God.
John Reuchlin
St John of the Cross, collected works