Science and the Christian Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed

by Christopher C. Knight

How do we understand and articulate our Christian faith in the age of science? Are the two in conflict? Fr Christopher Knight - a theologian who also holds a doctorate in astrophysics - is well-equipped to guide us through these questions. He argues that not only is there no conflict between faith and science, but our contemporary scientific worldview can be deepened and refined by engagement with the riches of the ancient Orthodox tradition. About The Christopher C. Knight holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics and serves as a priest of the Orthodox Church. He is a Senior Research Associate of the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, England.

Genres: Science, Christian

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2021

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Fr Christopher high marks for taking on this topic, which I do believe is the most important topic for us Orthodox to grapple with at this time in history. I don't think all the ideas he proposes are the best, and I think there are many questions to be raised concerning his thoughts, but he at least is helping Orthodoxy ease into the topic. I need time to digest what he wrote and will eventually on my blog post some thoughts about the book - both what I liked and the serious questions that remain. I think for me there are actually two levels of problems. There is first Orthodoxy just beginning to address issues that are raised by science, scientific materialism and scientism. Knight tries to show some possible ways that Orthodox thinks differently on issues than 'Western' Christianity and thus might offer a way out of the gridlock which polarizes and pits science against Western religion. He does offer some critique of certain Western Christians who are endeavoring to bridge the gap between science and religion and what he sees as the shortcomings of their approaches. The constant drumbeat that Orthodoxy is different than the West and not subject to the same problems and failures as the West become tiresome for me - for much of history Orthodoxy has embraced ideas from the West and they found their way into mainstream Orthodox thinking. There is no pure Orthodoxy uncontaminated by the West. I think it is wrong for Orthodoxy to suggest Orthodoxy is a monolith with one set of ideas (Orthodox tend to find a quote from a father and then suggest all the fathers held the exact same idea, which is nonsense). Perhaps Orthodox can clearly show how they differ from the West, but oftentimes Orthodoxy seems to have nothing positive to say, but only constantly faults the West for all the problems of the world. But second, and a bigger problem for me is that Orthodoxy through the centuries formed a rather impressive synthesis between Biblical/Christian ideas and the most popular and well accepted ideas of pagan Hellenism. The trouble is that Orthodoxy now seems to assume that once and for all the Fathers dealt with all the problems that ever could be raised regarding Chritian theology, and so Orthodoxy feels safe, confident and comfortable in simply repeating past formulas. My mind tells me the modern age really has a different philosophical bent than ancient Hellenism and Orthodoxy can choose to just live in the past and repeat safe theology, or it can face our contemporary situation and problems and have to deal with them creatively, forming a new synthesis with modern ideas, just as the Fathers did in their day. This may mean laying aside some well established ideas in order to better answer the new questions. Neo-Platonism had its philosophical assumptions about what it is to be human and Orthodoxy's theological synthesis took those ideas into account - soul, nous, psyche, spirit were all philosophical ideas used to reinterpret the Scriptures. A certain dualism common in Hellenism became part of Orthodox thinking. But now we face a philosophy that is not dualistic, but really is monistic. It denies there is a spiritual, a soul, even sometimes that there is a self - there is nothing but the physical. We have to be able to speak to this new world and its scientific ideas. We now have to figure out how what we think as Christians about what it is to be human relates to what science says - genetics, biology, physics, evolution, etc. We cannot assume the ancient ideas answer the modern questions because they were adopted with completely different philosophical assumptions. We cannot assume the old synthesis is capable of answering new questions. And if all were going to do is say "wrong questions" then we make ourselves irrelevant. Now we have to begin working a new synthesis within a new paradigm. The answers conceived in the ancient paradigm are still valid as long as you stay in that paradigm. But if you recognize that a new paraigm has developed, then you realize there are new questions which require new and creative answers. Which is how the Fathers approached the questions of their day.

[John Coatney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The relationship of science and faith, particularly Christian faith (and even more specifically Orthodox Christian faith) is of particular interest to me as a scientist and believer. Although I don't think I've studied the topic in-depth enough to come down firmly on any side (I know extremely intelligent, thoughtful, and pious individuals who are creationist, some who hold to intelligent design, and some who hold to some form of evolutionary creationism), I find myself most sympathetic at this time to evolutionary creationism.

I was particularly excited, therefore, to read Fr Christopher's book, which outlines a specifically Orthodox Christian approach to a form of evolutionary creationism. I found that Fr Christopher's discussions of such topics about essence and energies, St Maximos's discussion of the logoi and teloi of created beings, and others to be essentially along the same lines as my own (although more articulate and with extremely helpful citations). I also found it quite helpful in terms of a means of introducing me to the more academic level of dialogue, particularly between Eastern and Western Christian traditions.

Regardless of one's own position on these issues, I recommend this book as a solid guide and introduction to a sort of evolutionary creationism through an Orthodox Christian lens.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t going to finish this. It wasn’t written for a lay person, but I persisted. It got interesting and concepts more comprehensible starting in chapter 11. I would have preferred the starting point in that chapter and expanding concepts through to the end of the book. This book will go over the heads of a majority of people who want to delve deeper into God and science. There is a relation there that is acknowledged by our Eastern Orthodox faith that hasn’t been articulated because the technology and vocabulary didn’t exist, but our elders perceived. I would have preferred if the author delved and developed more on this concept instead. I felt that just as he was driving the point home how Orthodoxy could delve deeper, he desisted. If I understood the concept correctly (and I’m overly simplifying this). The Western Christian leadership tended to instill fear and demonize what they didn’t want to understand and could not control. Therefore around the Dark Ages, this impacted/limited the development of perceiving God, as knowledge of nature and science revealed a whole new world.

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As it's written by a now-priest who also has a PhD in astrophysics, I was perhaps a little naïve in thinking this would be right up my alley; a marriage between the values of faith and science in my life. Some chapters were great, perfectly digestible for someone with a background in the sciences. But there were also chapters that went cleanly over my head. The fault is most likely my own — a mismatch between assumption and outcome, but I do wonder whether it'd have a wider reach as a book if it'd been written a little more simply, or if the "takeaway" points were more clearly elucidated at the end of certain chapters that contained especially deep dives into scientific theories and equally complex Christian dogmas. Then again, maybe I was not the target audience. Either way, it's an enlightening book overall, just as long as one knows what they're getting into.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the Foundation Series published by SVS Press. Fr. Christopher has provided
food for thought that should be a challenge to the Community of Orthodox Scholars.