Natural Theology, Philosophy of Science, Resources, Uncategorized

Resource: Reasons to Believe

If you are interested in the intersection of the Christian faith and the facts of science, you might find this resource helpful. I’ve found this site helpful as I have investigated various interpretations of cosmology and issues surrounding the origins and development of the universe and its being and becoming as an orderly system. Christians fall in many different schools regarding the origin of the universe such as the literal 24-hour position, the so-called “Old Earth” school, and what is known as the “Framework Hypothesis”. There are other positions but those three are the most significant. Reasons to Believe belongs to the Old Earth tradition of creation and believes that an old earth interpretation of the Biblical data makes the most sense out of reality as we know it.

It is possible to be a solid Christian and belong to any one of these groups (24 hour, Old Earth, Framework). The reason is, for those of us who belong to a Reformation tradition (such as Anglican, Lutheran, or Reformed), the matter is not a confessional issue. Neither is it mentioned in any of the ecumenical creeds. Christians have the freedom to apply the ministerial use of reason in their investigation of the critical issues central to the creation of the cosmos and Biblical revelation.

I personally don’t agree if everything that Reasons to Believe promotes but we never should accept everything anyone puts forward uncritically. We should always think rationally and carefully about the things we are learning and discovering. That said, if you are curious about the Old Earth interpretive scheme or just want to learn more about the origins of the universe, I think you’ll find Reasons to Believe a helpful point of departure. I think it would be of particular interest to those interested in natural theology.

Reasons to Believe

Metaphysics, Natural Theology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Resources, Uncategorized

Resource: The Quantum Thomist

Photo courtesy of Nathan Perkins

A large part of this blog seeks to explore the intersection of physics and metaphysics from the standpoint of classical philosophy (I am not a physicist). Metaphysics is the study or theory of reality — what the ancient and medieval philosophers called Being. The questions metaphysics seek to explore are: What is reality? What can be counted as real? Are there things such as numbers, mathematics, or the logical axioms and propositions of all human reasoning that are not strictly empirical? In what ways do the physical laws and rules of logic point to extra-empirical, supernatural, or a transcendent reality?

Lately, I’ve been reading through this website called The Quantum Thomist by Dr. Nigel Cundy. If you are interested in how the study of physics points to metaphysics and transcendent reality, read this site. Dr. Cundy is a physicist who understands the connection between physics and metaphysics. I hope you enjoy it.