In response to an earlier post of mine regarding Biblical authority in
interpeting the natural world, Jim Blake asked,
"Did Augustine say that when the Bible suggests something is a miracle, and
we can't find a naturalistic explanation for it, then it is unreasonable for
us to think it might be a miracle?"
No I don't think this is Augustine's viewpoint, but I address that later.
At this juncture, it seems to me that the important issue has to do with the
way that we view naturalistic explanations vs supernaturalitic ones, or
miracles. For a Christian, it would seem to me that one is no less
wonderous than the other. In one case we see God's glory and in the other
case we see His mystery. However, how one handles these two ways of
understanding can profoundly affect one's view of God and of nature. Thus,
Newton claimed that it was what his science FAILED to explain that proved
the existence of God. Then, as scientists and philosophers began to view
the world in a more mechanistic way, many of these things that Newton failed
to explain and relegated to God's mystery, were gradually explained, causing
no little consternation among Christians. As the "miracles" of earthquakes,
reproduction of life, movement of the heavens, etc., became understood in
naturalistic ways, it was viewed by some as an assault on God.
In my opinion, the IMPORTANT QUESTIONS here are the following:
1. At what point does one accept that there are no naturalistic
explanations for something? The problem here, is that one has to look to
the future for things not presently understood.
2. Alternatively, if one is willing to consider that a naturalistic
explanation for something is at least in the realm of possibilities, what
does it do to her understanding of miracles and her view of God?
3. Depending on your answer here, can you think of other ways to synthesize
this apparent dichotomy between naturalism and supernaturalism that truly
eliminates the bias inherent in both positions?
Cheers,
Steve
____________________________________________________________________________
Steven S. Clark, Ph.D. Phone: (608) 263-9137
Associate Professor FAX: (608) 263-4226
Dept. of Human Oncology and email: ssclark@facstaff.wisc.edu
UW Comprehensive Cancer Ctr
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53792
"...a university is a collection of disparate academic entrepreneurs united
only by a common grievance over parking." Clark Kerr, former Chancellor
of the Univ. of California
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