April 2013
volume 25 (1)

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Articles

Editorial: A Change of Editor

Denis Alexander
Pages: 2-2

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Science and Religion in the Writings of C.S. Lewis

Michael Ward
Pages: 3-16

Abstract

Although he was a literary historian, not a scientist, C.S. Lewis has much to say of interest regarding the interface between science and religion because of his scholarly study of the sixteenth century and, in particular, of the imaginative effects of the Copernican revolution. He regards science, properly speaking, as a subset of religion. He believes science to be a fundamentally imaginative enterprise. He argues that scientific statements, because they tend to be univocal and strive to be verifiable, are actually rather small statements, all things considered. He argues that there is always a mythology that follows in the wake of science and that both scientists and non-scientists should take care not to put excessive weight on particular scientific metaphors. We should hold our scientific paradigms with a due provisionality, because new evidence may always turn up to overthrow those paradigms. Even the best and most long-lasting paradigm is merely a lens or linguistic stencil laid over reality, not reality itself.

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God as First Cause – a Review of the Kalam Argument

Peter J. Bussey
Pages: 17-35

Abstract

The Kalam argument for God states in its traditional form that everything that comes into being must have a cause; thus, the universe has come into being and so must have a cause, which is surely God. This argument apparently relies on the universe not being infinitely old. Modern reiterations of this position, especially as advocated by William Lane Craig, assert that physical infinities are not acceptable and that the universe is in any case not infinitely old. Here I review this position. Quantum physics, it seems, enables a causal ‘arrow of time’ to be identified better than classical physics does, making better sense of the idea of a First Cause. There are indeed serious problems with physical infinities, implying that an argument for an infinitely old universe has to be rigorously stated. The most important modern cosmological models are discussed. Considerations involving increase in entropy production, stability and the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem suggest that the universe or any time-extended cosmos is very likely to have had a start in time. From this it follows that the Kalam argument holds, but it should also be seen in the context of wider theological viewpoints.

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Science and the Eastern Orthodox Church: Historical and Current Perspectives

Christopher C. Knight
Pages: 37-52

Abstract

Current trends in Orthodox theological writing challenge the traditional Western popular perception of the Eastern variant of Christianity as little more than exotic and heretical. Nowhere is this more evident than in the increasing acceptance of and developing involvement in contemporary scientific debate. While a minority of Orthodox writers remain essentially anti-scientific in attitude and others are suspiciously cautious, there are those whose assessment of the Western science faith dialogue is altogether more positive. Indeed, Eastern Orthodox Christianity has a key role to play in developing theological responses to the sciences – responses that can be identified as having their roots in the rich heritage of Orthodoxy itself.

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Book reviews

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Reclaiming Genesis

Melvin Tinker (Ernest Lucas)
Pages: 53-54


Science and the Spirit: A Pentecostal Engagement With the Sciences

James K. A. Smith Amos Yong [eds.] (John Bryant)
Pages: 54-56


Keeping God’s Earth: the Global Environment in Biblical Perspective

Noah J. Toly Daniel I. Block [eds.] (Graham Nevin)
Pages: 56-57


On Being: A Scientist’s Exploration of the Great Questions of Existence

Peter Atkins (Philip H. Bligh)
Pages: 57-59


The Heavens Declare: Natural Theology and the Legacy of Karl Barth

Rodney Holder (David Girling)
Pages: 59-60


Emergence in Science and Philosophy: Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Science 6

Antonella Corradini Timothy O’Connor [eds.] (Amos Yong)
Pages: 60-61


Theological Anthropology, A Guide for the Perplexed

Marc Cortez (Peter G.H. Clarke)
Pages: 61-63


Creation and the God of Abraham

David B. Burrell Carlo Cogliati Janet M. Soskice William R. Stoeger [eds.] (Ignacio Silva)
Pages: 63-64


Decoding the Language of God – Can a Scientist Really Be A Believer? A Geneticist Responds to Francis Collins

George Cunningham (Andrew Bowie)
Pages: 64-66


The Language of Science and Faith

Karl W. Giberson Francis S. Collins (Gavin Merrifield)
Pages: 66-67


Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical, Historical and Theological Perspectives

David G. Horrell, Cherryl Hunt Christopher Southgate Francesca Stavrakopoulou [ed.] (Jonathan Moo)
Pages: 67-68


Rethinking Human Nature: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Malcolm Jeeves [ed.] (Calum Miller)
Pages: 68-70


The Fallacy of Fine Tuning: Why the universe is not designed for us

Victor J. Stenger (Paul Wraight)
Pages: 70-71


Teaching Religion and Science: Effective Pedagogy and Practical Approaches for RE Teachers

Tonie Stolberg Geoff Teece (John Ling)
Pages: 71-72


The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

John H. Walton (Gordon Wenham)
Pages: 72-73


Am I My Keeper’s Brother: Human Origins from a Christian and Scientific Perspective

Philip Pattemore (Ken Mickleson)
Pages: 73-75


Biological Evolution: Facts and Theories. A Critical Appraisal 150 Years After ‘The Origin of Species’

Gennaro Auletta Marc Leclerc Rafael A. Martínez (R J [Sam] Berry)
Pages: 75-77


Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere

Deane-Drummond Heinrich Bedford-Strohm [eds.] (Ron Elsdon)
Pages: 77-78


The New Sciences of Religion: Exploring Spirituality from the Outside In and Bottom Up

William Grassie (Robert Stening)
Pages: 78-80


Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science

John C. Lennox (Robert Stening)
Pages: 80-81


The God Species: How the Planet Can Survive the Age of Humans

Mark Lynas (Colin Bell)
Pages: 81-82


Christianity in Evolution. An Exploration

Jack Mahoney (Fintan Lyons)
Pages: 82-84


Atoms and Eden: Conversations on Religion and Science

Steve Paulson (Keith Fox)
Pages: 84-84


Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism

Alvin Plantinga (Jonathan Jong)
Pages: 85-86


Is Religion Irrational?

Keith Ward (William Simpson)
Pages: 86-88


The Lion Handbook of Science & Christianity

R. J. Berry [ed.] (Tim Middleton)
Pages: 88-89


Ecology and the Environment: The Mechanisms, Marring, and Maintenance of Nature

R. J. Berry (Malcolm S. Buchanan)
Pages: 89-91


Science and Religion Around the World

John Hedley Brooke Ronald L. Numbers (James Hannam)
Pages: 91-92


Atheism’s New Clothes: Exploring and Exposing the Claims of the New Atheists

David H. Glass (Paul Wraight)
Pages: 92-93


The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus

Colin J. Humphreys (Peter Walker)
Pages: 93-94


Monopolizing Knowledge: A Scientist Refutes Religion-Denying, Reason-Destroying Scientism

Ian Hutchinson (Meric Srokosz)
Pages: 94-95


God in the Age of Science? A Critique of Religious Reason

Herman Philipse (Patrick Richmond)
Pages: 96-96