Christianity and the Nature of Science: A Philosophical Investigation (Paperback)

~ J. Moreland (Author)
Key Phrases: scientific realism, contemporary epistemology, external conceptual problems, New York, The Limits of Science, Oxford University Press (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

I am enthusiastic about this book. I think it presents some important ideas that we, as Christians working in science, need to explore and discuss. The book should be very suitable for a text in a science course for non-science students, and I intend to use it for such a course. -- Bernard J. Piersma, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith

Moreland has undertaken to give Christians a clear-eyed conception of science that does its legitimate authority full justice but is sharply resistant to contemporary tendencies to take that authority as ultimate, global, and autonomous.... Christianity and the Nature of Science is a nice piece of work.... I can recommend the book very highly. -- Del Ratzsch, Calvin Theological Journal

Product Description

Are science and Christianity inherently incompatible? Is creation science a contradiction in terms? In this pioneering analysis, J.P. Moreland not only answers with a resounding no but makes an impressive contribution to the integration of Christianity and science.

Now back in print, this volume expands on concepts outlined in the authors previous book, Scaling the Secular City. Christianity and the Nature of Science encourages readers to think more clearly about the way science and theology interact. It dispels the notion that science is a matter of rational analysis and Christianity a matter of faith. And it demonstrates how the biblical record regarding the origin of life can and should be a legitimate consideration in scientific study.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Baker Book House; 2nd edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801062497
• ISBN-13: 978-0801062490
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #705,770 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Agree or disagree, you'll learn from this book, June 13, 2004

By A Customer

First, I'd like to encourage everyone who might be persuaded by the arguments of the disparaging reviewers to read the book, as Moreland answers arguments like the ones they raise quite well. I'd also encourage everyone to read and be fair even to arguments they find personally threatening to their worldview. The reaction of some people to questioning the authority of science are identical to the reaction of some people to the questioning of the authority of religion. And this is not a coincidence, we all react poorly when what we worship is questioned.

Finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I was very impressed. This book is an introduction to the philsophy of science but it's written as a refutation of scientism (the belief that only scientific knowledge is real knoweldge) and an apologia for creation science. However, Moreland's bias should not be taken as indicative of the depth of his treatment of his subject. He gives what seemed to my virgin ears to be a very substantial treatment of the demarcation problem, to the issue of scientific realism, and to the various alternatives to scientific realism. Despite what some might think, Moreland himself actually comes down on the side of "eclectic" scientific realism, which is the belief that some of the theories of science should be interpreted realisitcally (heliocentrism, for example) and other perhaps should not (wave/particle duality, string theory, etc.)

Moreland basically makes the case that scientism is self-defeating, that there is further no hard and fast definition of precisely what constitutes science, that scientific realism is problematic, that it is possible to account for the success of science without advocating realism, that it's an open question as to whether or not science "progresses" or whether scientific theories are replaced wholesale, that scientific theories are succesful to the extent that they embody certain epistemic values in the scientific community, that these values change over time, and that creation science, while currently viewed unfavorably in light of current epistemic values (like the exclusion of supernatural final causes) may yet be science, and may even by it's success change what the epistemic values in science in our age.

Moreland also gives a brief attempt in a final chapter at debunking some claims made against creationism. He tackles the ideas that creation science makes no predictions, creation relies on problems with evolutionary theory instead of solving problems on it's own, creationism uses religious concepts like "God" and therefore cannot be scientific, and several others. He argues that all of these objections to creation science fail, and that creation science can be appropriately considered science.

The book is out of print, so it's hard to get. It's a little involved for your average reader without some previous background in philosophy. Nevertheless, I will reccomend it to any Christian friends looking for a friendly introduction into this area and who may be scared of by books written by non-Christians. I'd also reccomend it to non-Christians for a philosophically sophisticated argument against scientism and for recognizing creationsim as a legitimate candidate for the status of science.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to the Issues in the Phil. of Science, February 15, 2002

By	Marc Swikull (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola Univsersity, does a great service to the Christian (and non-Christian) scholarly community in laying out the foundational issues in the philosophy of science and how they relate to Christian theology.

The work covers the definition, methodology, scope, and presuppositions of scientific investigation as well as a thorough examination of the "realism"/"anti-realism" debate within the philosophy of science. Lastly, Moreland gives a thorough treatment of "The Status of Scientific Creationism."

This book is intellectually rigorous. It is serves as a thorough introduction that is particularly encouraging to the Christian academic community. If you are either a student or a professor, you will come away much more educated.

The book also contains an excellent bibliography for those who are interested in further study.

Moreland is a bona-fide Christian scholar--not someone who is carelessly defending creationism. Rather, he writes from the perspective of a thoughtful philosopher.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Intro to Philo of Science & Religious Implications, January 16, 2000

By	Nate Jacobson "grublet" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Moreland's book is an excellent review of the issues philosophers of science (and some scientists) grapple with in evaluating the legitimacy and implications of scientific claims. Scientism, the view that science is the preeminent source of knowledge, is delineated and critiqued. Moreland gives good reason for a more critical view of naive scientific self-confidence, and he argues persuasively that theistic hypotheses can fall within the pale of science correctly understood.