Science and Religion Through History
Mike Ervin
Science
and Religion Through History A Visual History
Ancient World (Before 500
CE)
- Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Thought
-
Natural philosophy, astronomy, and medicine emerge within religious and
mythological frameworks.
- Hebrew Scriptures
-
The natural world is seen as God’s creation, ordered and purposeful.
- Greek Philosophers (Aristotle, Plato)
-
Ideas about causation and the cosmos influence both science and theology
for centuries.
Medieval Period (500–1500)
- Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th c.)
Scholars like Alhazen (optics) and Avicenna (medicine) advance science
while grounded in Islamic theology. - Christian Scholasticism
Thinkers like Thomas Aquinas integrate Aristotelian philosophy with
Christian doctrine. - Medieval Universities
Founded by the church, they become centers for study of both theology and
natural philosophy.
Early Modern Period
(1500–1700)
- Copernicus (1543)
Proposes heliocentrism; initially received cautiously, but challenges
traditional cosmology. - Galileo (1610–1633)
Telescope observations confirm heliocentrism, sparking conflict with
church authorities. - Newton (1687)
Publishes Principia Mathematica, describing laws of motion and gravity - often seen as revealing God’s orderly creation.
Enlightenment & 18th
Century
- Natural Theology
Many scientists see studying nature as a way to understand God’s design. - Deism
Some thinkers embrace a “clockmaker God” who sets the universe in motion
but does not intervene. - Skepticism & Secularism
Enlightenment philosophy raises challenges to traditional religion.
19th Century
- Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859)
Evolution by natural selection provokes debate about human origins and
biblical interpretation. - Science Professionalizes
Scientific societies and journals grow, sometimes at odds with religious
institutions. - The “Conflict Thesis”
Writers like John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White popularize the
idea that science and religion are historically at war.
20th Century
- Einstein and Relativity (1905–1915)
New physics sparks philosophical and theological reflections about space,
time, and causality. - Big Bang Cosmology (1920s–1960s)
Initially resisted by some scientists, but welcomed by some theologians as
evidence for creation. - Evolution and Education (Scopes Trial, 1925)
Legal battles in the U.S. highlight tensions over teaching evolution. - Quantum Physics
Raises questions about determinism and reality, sometimes inspiring
religious or philosophical speculation.
Late 20th – 21st Century
- Bioethics (1960s–present)
Religious traditions weigh in on genetic engineering, stem cells, and
medical ethics. - Neuroscience and Consciousness
Raises questions about free will, the mind, and the soul. - Climate Change and Ecology
Many faith traditions frame environmental stewardship as a religious
responsibility. - Dialogue Initiatives
Growth of interfaith and interdisciplinary organizations (e.g., Templeton
Foundation, Vatican Observatory). - Surveys and Public Attitudes
Research shows that most people see some compatibility between science and
religion, despite media portrayals of conflict.
Today
Science and religion
continue to meet at the frontiers of knowledge and ethics: artificial
intelligence, space exploration, genetic modification, and the search for
meaning in an age of technology.
Science and Religion Through History