Tags
creation, deity, evolution, genesis, middle ground, science, spirituality
(written by Lyn Beattie and Mitzi Tuke)
On the last day in September, a group of eight brave people organized (and implemented) a public presentation in the North-Eastern region of Melbourne. ‘Evolving Biology, Evolving Theology’ was the title they used and the forum was held in an Anglican Church hall. Seventy people attended the forum and it was comprised of two 20-25 minute talks followed by a comment/question time with a panel of four (three scientists with active Christian faith and one Vicar).
Here is a summary of the kind of material that was handled during the talks:
The goal of the evening was to explore how humankind seeks to understand the matter of the universe and how it was formed. The first presenter (a scientist with faith) focused on the unfolding of matter and life on earth. We looked at human stories, myths and narratives that arose to comprehend the universe and our place in it, and also how modern science developed and evolved to examine and understand the physical nature of the universe. The speaker invited us to ponder how it is that life emerged from the dust so that it may speculate and observe itself. So the first talk considered ‘science’.
The second talk explored our spiritual intuition and God’s creation and belief that the universe has agency in God. The speaker (an Anglican Vicar) took us on a journey through history looking at how mankind has understood, and related to, Deity at different times up until the present day. The concept of atheism was considered and we were given a fresh look at the creation story recorded in Genesis. The presenter contended that science and spirituality can, and should, complement one another and draw synergy from each other. It was demonstrated that the theological underpinnings of science are that God created a rational and intelligible universe which humankind can investigate.
(image by Natalie Tuke)
These talks, therefore, were concerned with the ‘middle ground’ between science and spirituality, and invite us to consider that science and belief in God are in fact complementary and draw strength from each other. Often people experience challenges in reconciling the two and feel that they are mutually exclusive.
Over the next six weeks, we will further explore this topic. The posts will be written by a variety of people and we would encourage you (the reader) to engage with the discussion and express your opinions through making comments or asking questions. Everybody’s contribution is valuable and adds to the wisdom of ‘Evolving Biology, Evolving Theology’.
God and me 
Who has not gazed up in wonder and delight at the firmament on a clear night, seen the heavens full of glittering stars and not pondered how they came to be and why? How we came to be and why? Since human beings and thought dawned and we were able to ask these questions, narratives have arisen alongside to seek explanations and provide a context for these mysteries. Modern science has developed an understanding of the physical matter of the universe, and together with stories, legends, narratives, and philosophical thought and spiritual faith through the ages, all these elements have combined to form a collective truth of the formation of the universe and our place in it.
The talk/discussion evening, “Evolving Biology, Evolving Theology” looked at the contributions of modern science and Christian faith in exploring our fundamental questions of existence. People often experience challenges in reconciling belief in God and the findings of science, but the talks invited us to consider that the two are in fact complementary and draw strength from each other.
For me, the talks and discussion were illuminating. The talk on science gave us a grand panorama of scientific understanding of the formation of the universe and life on our own planet, while the second talk gave us the distinction of the material world (consideration of which is offered by science) and the functional relationships that exist between humans and Deity, (which is the domain of spiritual belief in God). Belief that the universe has agency, that ultimately there is a fundamental truth (the exact nature of which cannot be fully understood by human beings), has more to do with relationships than understanding of how matter is composed, and the material. Agency is something that involves creation by a transcendent God with designs, and the fundamental truth involves our intuition that God is creator (though God is a mystery and unknowable).
I feel a connection with a transcendent being when I look up into the sky at night. It does seem to me that there is agency and purpose, and that ultimately it is good. If I am reaching out to a transcendent being, then surely that part of me that is reaching out contains a part of that wider being that is seeking to connect with it, in other words, there is a part of God in me.
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Thank you Mitzi. You have captured the WONDER of it all.
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Sounds like an exciting series coming up! It would be so exciting if science and religion could work together in exploring the world and our humanity. I have experience immense wonder when viewing the world from both perspectives. Perhaps they are more one than we have realised.
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Thanks for your comment Steven. You will enjoy a comment made by davesdiurnal after the post ‘Hope and Experience‘ (a couple of posts back). L’chayim!
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