| Science & Theology | Nature & Scripture | Sources | Assumptions | Critiques | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Theology | Evidentialism: Science provides evidence for an intelligent Creator/Designer. | Concordism: The Bible contains hidden science that verifies it. | Hugh Ross, Moreland, Montgomery, McDowell, Thaxton, Morris (ICR) | Science & Genesis are both mainly historical narratives. God of the gaps. | Evidence yields a limited view of God; science becomes the basis for faith; rationalistic. |
| Compartmentalism | There is no common ground between them, so no conflict is possible. | Bible not literal or historical, but contains spiritual truths, esp. about Christ. | Karl Barth, Neo-orthodoxy | All natural theology is humanistic; God is found only in the Biblical revelation. | Total dualism; loss of unity of truth may lead to indifference. Neglects possible overlaps between Scripture and natural history. |
| Bible-only | Theology based on the Bible rejects much of modern science. | The Bible is inerrant and whatever it treats is true. | Morris (ICR), Bahnsen, Presuppositionalists, Theonomists, Reconstructionists. | We presuppose that the Bible is literally true. All knowledge follows from that. | Tempting, totally deductive system. But God wrote two books, not one. Presuppositionalism becomes another name for blind dogmatism. |
| Science-only | Scientism: Science has destroyed traditional theology. | Science has refuted much of Bible history. | Sagan, Provine, Dawkins, E.O. Wilson, Weinberg, atheists, humanists. | Science & Genesis are both mainly historical narratives. God of the gaps. | Scientism is a belief not demanded by science itself. Its reductionism rejects personal meaning in human experience. |
| Scientific Theology | Traditional theology must be redefined to be consistent with modern science. | The Bible is an ancient book of myths, perhaps with hidden psychological insights. | R. W. Burhoe, Teilhard de Chardin, Capra | Scientific mind rejects Biblical concepts; religion is wholly human; optimism rests on our growth in knowledge to save ourselves. | Highly intellectual but results in equating creation and redemption, and crude mixing of theology and science, with loss of integrity of both. |
| Complementarity | Two different perspectives on one reality; both are authentic sources of knowledge. | Nature is God's general revelation; the Bible is God's special revelation. | Augustine, Francis Bacon, R. Bube, H. Van Till, C. Hummel | God is the one Creator of all reality; reality is composed of levels; different levels require different kinds of descriptions; all complement one another. | Maximizes the demand for integration; comprehensive but most complex logical structure. Supports both authentic science & authentic Christian faith without dualism. |
| New Synthesis | Monism: Radical transformation of both science and theology into one reality. | What's the Bible? | McLaine, Pagels, New Age, Eastern religions, paganism, gnosticism, Christian science, Scientology | No creation. Monism: all is one. Rejection of reason. Secret knowledge. | Fatalistic; no solution to evil, nonrational; full of pseudo-science and pseudo-theology. |
This table is based on the analysis given in "Putting it All Together", by Dr. Richard H. Bube, Univ. Press of America (1995).
American Scientific Affiliation Web Site: http://www.calvin.edu/chemistry/ASA
Local ASA Section: Paul Arveson, 6902 Breezewood Terr., Rockville, MD 20852 (301) 816-9459