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| Type | Title | Authors | Month | Year | Volume | Issue | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | S&CB 35-2 | complete issue | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Editorial board | Editorial Board | Editorial Board | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Table of Contents | contents | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Editorial | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | A Christian perspective on the place of nuclear energy in achieving net zero and national security Abstract We need energy. But what are potential solutions to achieving net zero? This paper presents a Christian perspective and overview of nuclear energy in the UK, and other countries, within the context of government policies to achieve net-zero emissions while ensuring national security. The growth of renewables is well-known but nuclear energy’s positive contribution is often unrecognised in our energy mix for producing electricity. Nuclear provides clean, low-carbon baseload electricity and has its place alongside variable renewables in tackling climate change. Besides large reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs) are being considered within energy strategies. Beyond electricity generation, future nuclear plants offer cogeneration. Furthermore, nuclear plants do not create the air pollution associated with fossil-fuel emissions. This paper encourages people to become more informed about the place of nuclear energy by looking at an evidence-based approach and encourages discussion in an open, honest, and respectful way about its merits in protecting people and our planet.clean, low-carbon, net zero, pollution, reliable, renewables, security, SMRs, waste | Robert S Dutch | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Supplementary | A Christian perspective on the place of nuclear energy in achieving net zero and national security | Robert S Dutch | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Galilei and Kepler on the Mathematical Beauty of the World as a Divine Gift Abstract The Scientific Revolution transformed the teleological view of the universe into a quantitative vision in which measurements play a key role in our understanding of nature. The contribution offered by Christian theology for achieving that new approach is well evidenced: the major protagonists of the modern scientific revolution, indeed, considered the universe to be a mathematical structure as the outcome of divine creation. Humans, in turn, are provided by God with mathematical archetypes for understanding the inner nature of the world, as an integral part of revelation. This paper focuses on the ideas expressed by Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler on the geometrical harmony of creation as a divine gift.Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, science and faith, mathematical universe, Scientific Revolution, Christian origin of science, Book of Nature, Creation, God’s design. | Alessandro Giostra | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial: Articles in Honour of Alister McGrath | Ravi Scott Jain | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Why Write Theology Books? A Reflection on Authorial Collaboration with Alister McGrath Abstract This article is a personal reflection on the process of collaboration between the author and Alister McGrath on a number of writing projects in the area of science and religion and natural theology. It sets out a biographical context, describes some of the projects in detail, and explores the motives and principles behind McGrath’s writing. It concludes that these principles should be intentionally employed by those who write for publication in these areas.Alister McGrath, self-esteem, writing, biography | Joanna Collicutt McGrath | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Conditional to What? Achieving Immortality in a Technological World Abstract Humanity has long sought immortality - but now, with the prospect of life extending medical enhancement technologies, immortality is closer than it ever has been previously. Or is it? And at what price? This paper brings together two important strands of Alister McGrath’s teaching and research – the history of systematic theology, and the science-religion dialogue. In this paper, I discuss the Christian doctrine of conditional immortality in relation to the prospects of technocentric immortality achieved through proposed radical transhumanist technologies. Drawing on the work of Brent Waters and Juraj Odorjak, I highlight the points of divergence between technocentric immortality and a recognisably Christian eschatology and, in relation to conditional immortality, I explain why the achievement of technocentric immortality is both theologically problematic and a futile objective in relation to the spiritual health of the Christian believer. I conclude by describing the implications of the doctrine of conditional immortality for the prospect of human enhancement, and vice versa, thus providing a preliminary worked example of the interaction of science and theology envisaged by Professor McGrath in A Scientific Theology.Immortality, transhumanism, eschatology, conditional immortality, theocentric immortality, technocentric immortality, hell | Stephen Goundrey-Smith | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Never in the Shallow End Abstract The report, by Nick Spencer and Hannah Waite of Theos, ‘Science and Religion: Moving away from the shallow end’, was published in May 2022 It makes a number of interesting observations, based on both quantitative and qualitative research, as to how the debate about the relationship between science and religion has changed over the last fifteen years. The report title draws on the humorous observation that in swimming pools all the noise comes from the shallow end. The debate certainly has been ‘noisy’ at times and their report outlines areas where serious discussion has moved into deeper waters and with recognition of multiple ways of approaching formerly contentious issues. Alister McGrath’s work over many years illustrates this concern for discussion and not confrontation, along with a concern for an inference to the best explanation as the way forward. In particular his taking up of Mary Midgley’s suggestion of ‘multiple maps of meaning’ has significant resonances with Spencer and Waite’s outline of the ‘areas of deeper concern’, key areas in the science and religion debate, and the evidence from their expert interviews. This paper considers these areas in the light of the deeper, ultimate decisive questions that all human beings need to ask of themselves, as referred to by McGrath in his approving use of the work of José Ortega y Gasset. It observes that McGrath, throughout his writings and verbal presentation, never inhabited the shallow end of discussions. The paper then considers what insights these considerations might have in the Christian tradition for a more grounded missiology in the twenty first century.McGrath, Theos, Midgley, Ortega y Gasset, missiology, Bosch, Polanyi, religion, science, world view | Mike Parsons | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Science and Theology as Abductive Responses to Reality Abstract This essay will address three of McGrath’s specific contributions to the field of science and religion which have helped lay foundations for this discourse. First, he insists that in both science and theology ‘ontology determines epistemology’. ‘The way things are’ should determine how we seek to know those things. Second, McGrath seeks to retrieve natural theology from its Barthian exile. Natural theology, according to McGrath, does not consist in trying to prove God without reference to revelation. Instead, natural theology shows that God’s revelation comports with human reason; it consists in seeing nature as creation. This point then leads to a third observation about one of McGrath’s signature lines of reasoning: the importance of abduction in both theology and science. The fruitfulness of “seeing as” is a sort of abductive argument. The essay concludes with further comments about the relevance of abduction for McGrath’s vision of natural theology. Together these themes emphasize McGrath’s analysis of the abductive aspects of science and theology as responses to reality.Alister McGrath, Natural Theology, Abduction, Ontology, Realism, Idealism, Stratified Reality, Charles Sanders Peirce, Thomas Aquinas | Ravi Scott Jain | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | The place of a scientific theology among theological disciplines Abstract The demand for a scientific theology arose from the progressive decline of dogmatic theology throughout the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. A variety of natural theologies emerged, intended to purge theology from its supernatural religious traces and language, to achieve the ‘purest form’ of a rational theology independent from cultural additions, such as Christology and the role of institutions such as the church. This movement produced at least two distinct reactions in the transition to the Nineteenth century: romanticism and systematic theology. Romantics reacted to the dryness of natural theology by emphasizing the supernatural and the narrow limits of human understanding, sometimes degenerating into irrationalism. Systematic theology, heavily inspired by German Idealism, tried to rehabilitate core theological concepts into a new, more respectable fashion. Friedrich Schleiermacher is a key name for both movements, and his theories are representative of the problems encountered by these enterprises. Later, under the influence of modern traditionalists such as Karl Barth and John Henry Newman, systematic theology stepped back to give space to a renewed dogmatic theology, which would take the basic and original claims of Christian revelation more seriously. The rehabilitation of a more traditional theology, however, created a renewed demand for the accommodation of theology to contemporary scientific knowledge. Alister McGrath’s Scientific Theology is among the most significant efforts in that direction.Theology, Science, Philosophy, Natural Theology | Humberto Schubert Coelho | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Revisioning ‘Wissenschaft’: Mining Alister McGrath’s development of ‘Pictures’ and ‘Imagination’ for the General Philosophy of Science Abstract While there seems to be a need to reconceptualize ‘Science’, little has been offered on how to do so. In this essay, McGrath’s more recent work is mined by asking how this work could support such a reconceptualization. It is argued that McGrath has increasingly made use of concepts such as ‘pictures’ and ‘imagination’ as means to conceptualize an alternative way of perceiving (and practicing) science, and in which a broader understanding of science – Wissenschaft – can hence be revisioned.McGrath, General Philosophy of Science, imagination, big pictures, theory-construction | Michael Borowski | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Magisteria | Nicholas Spencer (James Hannam) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Origin of Humanity and Evolution: Science and Scripture in Conversation | Andrew Ter Ern Loke (Graeme Finlay) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | At The Margins: A Life in Biomedical Science, Faith, and Ethical Dilemmas | D. Gareth Jones (John Wyatt) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Three Views on Christianity and Science | Michael Ruse, Alister E. McGrath, Bruce L. Gordon (Christina Biggs) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Bioethics for Nurses: A Christian Moral Vision | Alisha N Mack and Charles C Camosy (Gareth Jones) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The End of the Law? Law, Theology, and Neuroscience | David W. Opderbeck (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | What About Evolution? A biologist, pastor, and theologian answer your questions | April Maskiewicz Cordero, Douglas Estes, Telford Work (Ruth M. Bancewicz) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing | Justin L. Barrett with Pamela Ebstyne King (Thomas Ludwig) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism | Calvin Mercer and Tracy J Trothen (Gareth Jones) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Robot Will See You Now: Artificial Intelligence and The Christian Faith | John Wyatt and Stephen N. Williams (Editors), Justin Welby (Forward) (Brian Monahan) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | From Extraterrestrials to Animal Minds: Six myths of evolution | Simon Conway Morris (Graham Budd) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Cambridge Companion to Christianity and the Environment | A. J. B. Hampton and D. Hedley editors (Dave Bookless) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Eastern Orthodoxy and the Science-Theology Dialogue | Christopher Knight (Alexei Nesteruk) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Beyond the Evolution vs. Science Debate | Lamoureux Denis O. (Neil Laing) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Theology and Science in the Thought of Ian Barbour: A Thomistic Evaluation for the Catholic Doctrine of Creation | Joseph R. Laracy (Ricardo Lozano Cruz) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Cerulean Soul: A relational theology of depression | Peter J. Bellini (Angharad Gray) | October | 2023 | 35 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Editorial board | Editorial Board | Editorial Board | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Table of Contents | Contents | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Theodosius Dobzhansky: Paul Tillich, Russian Orthodoxy and Conjunctive Explanations Abstract Theodosius Dobzhansky is undoubtedly one of the most important biologists of the twentieth century. Not only is his contribution to genetics beyond valuation, he actively engaged in religion and science debates, and he is just as likely to be cited in relation to religious interpretations of evolution as he is genetics. While the influence of Teilhard de Chardin on Dobzhansky is widely acknowledged, the role that Eastern Orthodoxy and Paul Tillich played in his religious thought are mysteriously absent from discussions of Dobzhansky’s thought, which should strike one as odd given his self-identification with Orthodoxy and the use of Tillich’s idea of ‘ultimate concern’ in his one book length treatise of religion and science, Biology of Ultimate Concern. This paper will therefore explore to what extent Eastern Orthodox themes and the theology of Paul Tillich can contribute to a fuller appreciation of how Dobzhansky understood evolution.Theodosius Dobzhansky, Paul Tillich, Russian Orthodoxy, Ultimate concern, Teilhard de Chardin | David Brown | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Examining the Shortcomings of the Principle of Non-overlapping Magisteria (NOMA) and Proposing the “Process of Criteria Testing” (PCT) Abstract Defining the relationship between science and religion has never been easy. Science and religion are often portrayed as antagonistic fields by the popular media, but such a view is not shared by leading scholars. Ian Barbour, an American theologian and physicist, introduced a fourfold typology to understand the connections between science and religion in the early 1990s. Barbour distinguished four primary classifications: conflict, independent, dialogue, and integration. Each of these has strengths and weaknesses, and the best model to describe the dynamic relationship between science and religion has yet to be determined. Selection of a model will influence the meaning and values associated with science and religion, as well as how one might apply them to develop a worldview meant to uncover the meaning of life. The present study examines whether the independent model, represented by the NOMA principle, is adequate. The study contends that it is impractical systematically to classify inquiries into fixtures of independent magisteria. It is further argued that when conflict does arise between science and religion, it is limited to only the description of NOMA, and therefore, should be ignored as “false” or “frictional” conflict. It appears that NOMA does not succeed in serving as a conflict resolver and that its claim to promote peace is inconsistent and unsubstantiated. As a conclusion to this study, I propose a new vetting procedure - “Process of Criteria Testing” (PCT). An overview of the application of PCT for measuring the functionality and sustainability of various methods of handling the dialogue of science and religion is given.Faith and Science; Science and Religion, NOMA; Principle of Non-overlapping Magisteria; Peter Harrison, Stephen Jay Gould; Richard Swinburne; Scientific Explanation; Personal Explanation; Process of Criteria Testing (PCT); Science and Religion Dialogue | Vincent Chan | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Bioethical Challenges at the end of life: an ethical guide in Catholic perspective by Ralph Weimann (Essay Review) | Richard Hain | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | My Theology: Finding God In The Universe | Guy Consolmagno (Dave Gregory) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Priority of Mind | Keith Ward (Roger Trigg) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | After Science and Religion: Fresh Perspectives from Philosophy and Theology | Peter Harrison and John Milbank (Eds.) (Nick Spencer) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark? The Bible and Modern Science and the Trouble of Making it All Fit | Janet Kellogg Ray (Anne Srokosz) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Bible & Ancient Science: Principles of Interpretation | Denis O. Lamoureux (Nathan Jones) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | In Quest of the Historical Adam – a Biblical and Scientific Exploration | William Lane Craig (Denis Alexander) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | When Did Sin Begin? | Loren Haarsma (Paul Roberts) | October | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Christ, Creation, and the Fall: Discerning Human Purpose from an Evolving Nature | Simon R. Watson (Jonathan W Chappell) | October | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Acts: About Earth’s Children: An Ecological Listening to the Acts of the Apostles | Michael Trainor (Tyler Mark Nelson) | October | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | God’s Future for Animals: From Creation to New Creation | Raymond R. Hausoul (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Evolution and Eschatology: Genetic Science and the Goodness of God | Graeme Finlay (John Bryant) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers | Ethan J Brue, Derek C Schuurman and Steven H Vanderleest (Rob Heather) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Robot Theology: Old Questions Through New Media | Joshua K. Smith (Victoria Lorrimar) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Christian Apologetics | Douglas Groothuis (Paul Marston) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion | Rebecca Mclaughlin (Paul Marston) | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Full | S&CB 35-1 | Complete issue | April | 2023 | 35 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial - Electronic Publication | Keith Fox | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Rheticus, Realism and Scripture. An Analytical Assessment Abstract Rheticus was the only formal and personal disciple of Copernicus. In his recently rediscovered tract on science and religion, he claims that certain non-literal interpretations of some biblical texts that deal with the natural world are preferable, considering that their writers used popular knowledge when speaking about that realm. In this contribution, I specify the main tenets of Rheticus’ insights, together with a discussion on his position towards realism. Furthermore, I explicate how his accommodative approach, nursed by realism (might) affect the exegetical task. This helps to explain an important contradiction with his own rules on the part of Rheticus.Accommodation, Copernicanism, hermeneutics, Hooykaas,
instrumentalism, Osiander, realism, Rheticus, Roelants. | Daniel Blanco | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Richard Owen: Anti-Evolutionist or Champion of Theistic Evolution? Abstract According to several recent sources, the nineteenth-century paleontologist Sir Richard Owen was an anti-evolutionist. However a careful reading of Owen’s writings shows that he accepted the concept of biological evolution. More specifically, he advocated for theistic evolution: the view that biological evolution is part of God’s plan and is a means by which God creates. Owen not only accepted biological evolution but identified certain fossil groups as ancestral to certain others and identified certain fossil species as evolutionary intermediates between precursor and successor taxa. He insisted that God had directed the course of evolution to produce organisms that would benefit humankind. He asserted that the opening chapters of Genesis are not meant to be taken literally and supported that assertion with data derived from scientific studies. The idea that Owen was opposed to the concept of biological evolution appears to be based on misunderstandings of his writings, including his use of the word “archetype.”Richard Owen, Charles Darwin, Thomas Huxley, evolution, archetype, palaeontology, Genesis. | Philip J. Senter | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Lessons from the Proton for Trinitarian Theology? Abstract This article proposes a new analogy from modern physics for the Trinitarian relationships: one proton composed of three quarks. It is argued that a mereological hypothesis of the “Non-Attribution of Distinctive Properties” (NADP) can be derived from this comparison: Distinctive properties of the parts of a whole, that are essential to the identities of those parts, are not properties that are essential to the identity of the larger, inclusive whole. By way of introduction, biblical and theological justifications are offered for the use of such analogies from the natural world for the Trinity, and historical and scientific background relating to the modern physics of the proton are discussed. The principle proposed above (NADP) will then be explained and illustrated. It will be argued that the one proton/ three quarks comparison and the NADP principle sheds additional light on the “one and threeness” problem of the Trinity, and on the relationship of the identity of the One God of Jewish monotheism to the identities of the three persons of Christian trinitarianism, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.proton, quarks, Trinity, analogy, vestiges of the Trinity, one and threeness, Non-Attribution of Distinctive Properties (NADP) | John Jefferson Davis | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Divine Action and Emergence – An Alternative to Panentheism | Mariusz Tabaczek, (Ignacio Silva) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Integration of Psychology and Christianity: A Domain-Based Approach | William L. Hathaway and Mark A. Yarhouse (Angharad Gray) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | A Christian Guide to Environmental Issues, 2nd Edition | Martin J. Hodson and Margot R. Hodson (Robert Sluka) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Love, Technology and Theology | Scott A. Midson (Ed.), (Todd Kantchev) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Transhumanism and the Image of God: Today’s Technology and the Future of Christian Discipleship | Jacob Shatzer, (Pu Ji) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Identity in a Secular Age: Science, Religion and Public Perceptions | Fern Elsdon-Baker and Bernard Lightman (Eds.), (Nick Spencer) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Jonathan Edwards on Genesis: Hermeneutics, Homiletics and Theology | Brian Borgman, (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Why science and faith belong together: stories of mutual enrichment | Malcolm A. Jeeves, (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Exotheology: Theological Explorations of Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life | Joel L. Parkyn, (Lucas J. Mix) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science and the Good: The Tragic Quest for the Foundations of Morality | James Davison Hunter and Paul Nedelisky, (Carl Thomas) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Varieties of Atheism in Science | Elaine Howard Ecklund and David R. Johnson, (Mike Brownnutt) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | John Stott on Creation Care | R.J. (Sam) Berry and Laura S. Meitzner Yoder, (Hugh Reynolds) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | In God’s Image: An Anthropology of the Spirit | Michael Welker, (Daniel Lee Hill) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Could God Fail? The Fate of the Universe and the Faith of Christians | Ned Wisnefske, (Wilson Poon) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Secular Discourse on Sin in the Anthropocene | Ernest M. Conradie, (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Material Image: Reconciling Modern Science and Christian Faith | Donald Wacome, (David C. Lahti) | October | 2022 | 34 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial | Paul Ewart | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Apparent conflict between the Pentateuch and modern science: The early Church’s solution, the solution’s biblical origin, and ancient Christian approval of evidence-based reasoning Abstract Modern scholars often accept the view that the narratives within the Pentateuch are not records of actual events. That is because, when taken literally, they are at odds with the findings of the modern sciences of archaeology, palaeontology, geology, and biology. Such a view is not unique to modern scholarship but is also endorsed in the Old Testament, Jewish writings from the late centuries BC, the New Testament and several ancient Christian authors of the first few centuries. Such writings continue a longstanding tradition that sees the Pentateuch not as history but as m?sh?l and ?îdot (categories of writing with a double meaning).Pentateuch, Old Testament, New Testament, science, archaeology, evidence, m?sh?l, ?îdah | Philip J. Senter | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Supplementary | Apparent conflict between the Pentateuch and modern science: The early Church’s solution, the solution’s biblical origin, and ancient Christian approval of evidence-based reasoning | Philip J. Senter | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Immunity as unity in community: theology in immunology Abstract The immune system consists of innate and adaptive arms. Recent findings have shown that immune function has developed over phylogenetic time by mutations (exemplified herein by genome-modifying retroviruses and transposable elements) followed by selection of those mutations that are life sustaining. In our lifetimes, conventionally inherited genes underlie innate immunity, but inherited genes underlie only the potential capacities of adaptive immunity, which requires extensive education before it can engage specifically with the innumerable molecules arising from the environment. For example, in B cells, three antibody genes generate an uncountable diversity of protective antibodies. This paradox arises from the fact that in each developing B cell, antibody genes are randomised, and potentially useful ones selected. This system demonstrates both the power of Darwinian mechanisms of natural selection, and the fallacy of genetic determinism (the fatalistic notion that we passively submit to our autonomous genes), because antibodies (and their genes) develop only by engagement with an unspecifiable diversity of molecules originating beyond our bodies. The unity-in-diversity of immune cells provides a metaphor of the collaborating members who constitute the body of Christ. The immune system is a health/non-health discriminator and furnishes a metaphor of the church’s commission to bring wholeness to the world.immunity, natural selection, genetic determinism, body of Christ, unity, diversity, life-giving, interactive, dynamic development, pathology, discrimination, wholeness | Graeme Finlay | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Walton lecture: Thinking Machines? A Christian Perspective | Stephen N. Williams | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Response to Jonathan W. Chappell | David Trapnell | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Response to David Trapnell | Jonathan W. Chappell | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Origins: The Ancient Impact and Modern Implications of Genesis 1-11 | Paul Copan and Douglas Jacoby (Graeme Finlay) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | What’s with Free Will? | Philip Clayton and James W. Waters (eds.) (Roger Trigg) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Multiverse Theories: A Philosophical Perspective | Simon Friederich (Rodney Holder) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science in Theology: Encounters between Science and the Christian Tradition | Neil Messer (Cherryl Hunt) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | From the Big Bang to Biology: where is God? | Graham Swinerd and John Bryant (Andrew Halestrap) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Works of His Hands: A Scientist’s Journey from Atheism to Faith | Sy Garte (John Duff) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Through Dangerous Terrain: A Guide For Trauma-sensitive Pastoral Leadership in Times of Threat | Jennifer Baldwin (Roger Abbott) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Modifying Our Genes: Theology, Science and Playing God | Alexander Massmann and Keith R. Fox (Simon Kolstoe) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Seeing God Through Science: Exploring the Science Narrative to Strengthen and Deepen Faith in the Creator | Barry David Schoub (David A. Vosburg) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science and the Christian Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed | Christopher C. Knight (Keith Fox) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Positive Psychology in Christian Perspective: Foundations, Concepts, and Applications | Charles Hackney (Peter Hampson) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The War that never was; Evolution and Christian Theology | Kenneth W. Kemp (Michael Roberts) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Are We Slaves To Our Genes? | Denis R. Alexander (Chris Willmott) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | George Gabriel Stokes: Life, Science, Faith | McCartney M., Whitaker A. & Wood A. (eds.) (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2022 | 34 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | How the Laws of Nature were Naturalised Abstract When the notion of laws of nature first arose in the early modern period, it was an undisputedly theistic idea. Descartes and Newton believed there were laws because there was a divine Lawgiver. Today, the laws of nature have been thoroughly naturalized, but this shift away from a theistic understanding did not come about by accident. It was instead part of a larger programme to naturalise science in the nineteenth century. The most successful driver of this programme was a British group known as the X-Club, whose most prominent member was zoologist Thomas Henry Huxley. After briefly considering why the laws of nature became a foundational idea in science, we will trace how this reconceptualisation came about.laws of nature, X-Club, Huxley, Newton, Darwin, uniformitarianism, catastrophists, Divine Lawgiver, les philosophes, Hume, scientific naturalism | Jeffrey Koperski | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | From Deterrence to Abhorrence: How the Catholic Church Has ChangedIts Mind on Nuclear Weapons Abstract Nuclear weapons constitute one of the greatest current threats to world peace. While the Roman Catholic Church has been unequivocal in its condemnation of their use, Church teaching since the Second World War on possessing nuclear weapons as a deterrent has been less clear-cut. This article will lay out the principles of Just War Theory and demonstrate that the use of nuclear weapons is never morally justified. It will show how the thinking of the Church’s Magisterium moved from accepting the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent to teaching that the very possession of such weapons is intrinsically immoral. It will conclude with a call for the immediate abandonment of the policy of nuclear deterrence, together with unconditional unilateral nuclear disarmament, as the only moral imperative consistent with divine law.nuclear weapons, deterrence, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Just War Theory, Catholic social teaching | Jonathan W. Chappell | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Secondary school students’ perceptions of scientific and religiouspositions on miracles Abstract This paper reports on a study designed to discover how students characterise the scientific and religious positions on miracles and their access to a range of views on how science and religion relate. The study is part of a larger research initiative exploring the value of scholarly reasoning about the interactions between science and religion as a resource for educators, researchers and others seeking ways to advance young people’s epistemic insight. Teaching epistemic insight, ‘knowledge about knowledge’, includes considering the power and limitations of science in the context of different types of questions and how science relates to other ways of knowing. For many decades in schools in England and internationally the accepted practice has been to teach lessons about the nature of science within the confines of a subject (science) that focuses on teaching scientific content. This means that students’ opportunities for learning about science as a discipline in school can be limited to studying questions that are very amenable to science. The paper draws on the findings from a survey of 2,530 students and interviews with 61 students aged 14-19 to discuss the extent to which students seem to be accessing an appreciation of the power, relevance and limitations of science. The paper then examines some possible consequences of the findings and makes recommendations for science communication and secondary school education.Nature of science, epistemic insight, science and religion, miracles | Berry Billingsley, Keith S. Taber, Mehdi Nassaji | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Supplementary | Secondary school students’ perceptions of scientific and religiouspositions on miracles | Berry Billingsley, Keith S. Taber, Mehdi Nassaji | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Essay review | Chronology in Genesis 1-2 and the book Genesis 1-4 by C. John Collins | Paul Marston | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Response to William Horst | Stom Ambrose | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Response to Tom Ambrose | William Horst | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Christianity and the New Eugenics | Calum MacKellar, (D. Gareth Jones) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Physico-theology: Religion and Science in Europe, 1650-1750 | Ann Blair and Kaspar von Greyerz (eds.), (Nick Spencer) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | EcoTheology: A Christian Conversation | Kiara A. Jorgenson and Alan G. Padgett (eds.), (Dr Ruth Valerio ) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Bede and the Cosmos: Theology and Nature in the Eighth Century | Eoghan Ahern, (James Hannam) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Dinosaurs, volcanoes and Holy Writ: a boy turned-scientist journeys from fundamentalism to faith | James L. Hayward, (Hugh Rollinson) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Original Sin and the Fall: Five Views | J. B. Stump and Chad Meister (eds.), (The Revd Dr Ernest Lucas) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | On The Origin of Consciousness: An Exploration through the Lens of the Christian Conception of God and Creation | Scott D. G. Ventureyra, (Carl Thomas) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Cosmology Without God?: The Problematic Theology Inherent in Modern Cosmology | David Alcalde, (Dr Kevin Ralley) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Can we believe in people? Human Significance in an Interconnected Cosmos | Stephen R. L. Clark, (Mirjam Schilling) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Bioethics and the Character of Human Life | Gilbert Meilaender, (John Bryant) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science without God? Rethinking the History of Scientific Naturalism | Peter Harrison & Jon H. Roberts (eds.), (Nathan Bossoh) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Through a Glass, Darkly: Journeys through Science, Faith & Doubt - a memoir | Alister McGrath, (Steph Bevan) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Orthodox Christianity and Modern Science: Tensions, Ambiguities, Potential | V. N. Makrides, G. E. Woloschak (eds.), (Elizabeth Theokritoff) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Ramified Natural Theology in Science and Religion: Moving Forward from Natural Theology | Rodney Holder, (Shaun Henson) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | What Good is God: Crises. Faith. and resilience. | Roger Abbott and Robert White, (John Swinton) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Mind of God and the Works of Nature: Laws and Powers in Naturalism, Platonism, and Classical Theism | James Orr, (Steven Horst) | October | 2021 | 33 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | A Theory of Everything (That Matters): A Short Guideto Einstein, Relativity and the Future of Faith | Alister McGrath, (Jonathan Lyonhart) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Territories of Human Reason: Science and Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities to Einstein, Relativity and the Future of Faith | Alister E. McGrath, (Tim Henstock) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Neurology and Religion Theology in an Age of Multiple Rationalities to Einstein, Relativity and the Future of Faith | Alasdair Coles and Joanna Collicutt, (Malcolm Jeeves) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse: What Hawking Said and Why it Matters | David Hutchings and David Wilkinson, (Steve Bishop) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Secularity and Science: What Scientists Around the World Really Think about Religion | Elaine H. Ecklund, David R. Johnson, Brandon Vaidyanathan, Kirstin R. W. Matthews, Steven W. Lewis, Robert A. Thomson Jr., and Di Di | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Genesis, Science and the Beginning. Evaluating Interpretations of Genesis One on the Age of the Earth | Benjamin D. Smith Jr., (Peter J. M. van der Burgt) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Why Free Will Is Real | Christian List, (Rob Heather) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science, Religions and the Protestant Tradition: Retracing the Origins of Conflict | James C. Ungureanu, (Nick Spencer) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Time to Act: A Resource Book by the Christians in Extinction Rebellion | Jeremy Williams, (Matt Patterson) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says About the Environment and Why It Matters | Sandra L. Richter, (Abigail Patterson) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Caves, Coprolites and Catastrophes : The Story of Pioneering Geologist and Fossil-Hunter William Buckland | Allan Chapman, (Robert (Bob) White) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Genesis 1 - 11 | Rebecca S. Watson, (Ivan Haigh) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Sarah’s Laughter – Doubt, Tears, and Christian Hope | Vinoth Ramachandra, (Denis Alexander) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science and Religion in Education:(Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education) | Berry Billingsley, Keith Chappell and Michael Reiss (eds.), (Stephen Thompson) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Reformed Theology and Evolutionary Theory | Gijsbert van den Brink, (Nathan R. James) | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Theological Implications of Simon Conway Morris’s Portrayal of Convergent Biological Evolution Abstract Simon Conway Morris’s publications on convergent biological evolution often contain provocative theo-philosophical commentary that may be construed in different ways. First, it may be interpreted as an attempt at a natural theology apologetic using an ‘argument from design’. Alternatively, it may be viewed through the lens of a ‘theology of nature’ whereby convergent evolution is a special case of divine exemplarity in which nature is said to reflect divine excellencies. Both of these approaches are problematic. A third option is that the theological significance of convergent evolution lies not in its apologetic or dogmatic import, but in its emotional impact or ‘affective salience’, derived from the sacramental power of creation.Simon Conway Morris, convergent evolution, natural theology, argument from design, theology of nature, divine exemplarity, sacramental theology | Andrew Jackson | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | A response to Andrew Jackson | Simon Conway Morris | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Response to Simon Conway Morris | Andrew Jackson | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | A response to John Jefferson Davis’s article ‘The Spirit and the Glory’s Banishment from the Material World’ | Peter Mott | April | 2021 | 33 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial - Following the Science | Keith Fox | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Death through Adam: Two Different Senses in Two Different Pauline Letters Abstract Paul attributes death to Adam in Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:2122. Classically, these passages have been understood to indicate that humans became mortal because of the transgression of Adam and Eve, but evolutionary science problematises the notion that mortality ‘entered the world’ through Adam (Rom. 5:12). However, this difficulty is deprecated if one is attentive to differences in how the Adamic material functions within each of these letters. In 1 Corinthians, it is clear that death through Adam involves human mortality, but it is not clear that mortality is an intruder into creation. Rather, Paul appears to portray human mortality as natural. In Romans, it is clear that death is an intruder that entered creation through Adam, but it is not clear that ‘death’ refers to human mortality, and the text furnishes good reason to think that ‘death’ is instead a moral metaphor that describes slavery to sin (cf. esp. Rom. 6:6, 12-22; 8:2). In each of these letters, the proposed interpretation of death through Adam coheres with broader themes in how Paul addresses the circumstances of his audience.Adam, evolution, mortality, death, spiritual death, Paul, Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15 | William Horst | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | The Spirit and the Glory's Banishment from the Material World: Reimagining Divine Immanence in the Light of Later Modern Science Abstract This article first recounts the mechanisation of the world picture in early modern science and the elimination of secondary qualities in material objects that made it more difficult for Christian faith to imagine the presence of the Holy Spirit – and the glory and beauty of God – in the material world. It is then argued that developments in later modern science such as electromagnetic field theory can provide conceptual analogies for retrieving a vision of the real presence of the Spirit in nature, without falling into pantheism.Holy Spirit, divine presence, glory, beauty, immanence of God, Galileo, Maxwell, electromagnetism, electromagnetic field theory | John Jefferson Davis | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | The 'Marks of God's Wisdom' in Comenius's Panorthosia: A Biblical Commonplace at the Foundations of Modern Science Abstract Comenius was one of the early founders of modern scientific enterprise in that he, like Francis Bacon and Samuel Hartlib, facilitated the kinds of networks that are characteristic of modern science, particularly in Great Britain. His projects for pansophic science and public education inspired a generation of aspiring scientists to pursue various projects in a time when public support for science was minimal. Little known is the fact that Comenius’s confidence in the possibility of scientific endeavour was based on a long-standing theological tradition that combined Platonic philosophy with Old Testament wisdom (centred in a verse from the Wisdom of Solomon). I shall briefly survey the history of that tradition and show how it inspired a generation of early modern scientists and how it continues to inform the scientific enterprise even today.Comenius, creational theology, comprehensibility, Paul Davies, Albert Einstein, Wisdom of Solomon, Augustine, Gregory of Nazianzus, Johannes Kepler, James Clerk Maxwell | Christopher Barina Kaiser | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Supplementary | The 'Marks of God's Wisdom' in Comenius's Panorthosia: A Biblical Commonplace at the Foundations of Modern Science | Christopher Barina Kaiser | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Obituary - Sir John Houghton FRS | Robert White | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Welcoming the Mechanoids: A response to 'The Robot's Redemption' | Gavin Merrifield | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | A Response to 'Welcoming the Mechanoids': Theological Anthropocentrism and the Freedom to Love | Alan McGill | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Correspondence | Comment on article by John Mitchell | Peter J Bussey | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science and Humanity: A Humane Philosophy of Science and Religion | Andrew Steane (Joshua Fountain) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Science and Christian Ethics | Paul Scherz (John Bryant) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Religion Explained?: The Cognitive Science of Religion after Twenty-five Years | Luther H. Martin & Donald Wiebe (Joanna Collicutt) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Studying the Image: Critical Issues in Anthropology for Christians | Eloise Meneses (Daniel Lee Hill) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Faith , Hope, and Love in the Technological Society | Franz A. Foltz, Frederick A. Foltz (Todd Kantchev) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Our Common Cosmos: Exploring the Future of Theology, Human Culture and Space Sciences | Zoë Lehmann Imfeld and Andreas Losch (eds.) (Robert Bishop) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | On Animals vol. 2 Theological Ethics - 2019 | David L. Clough (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique | J. P. Moreland, Wayne Grudem, Christopher Shaw, Stephen C. Meyer (eds.) (Keith Fox) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Rethinking History, Science and Religion: An Exploration of Conflict and the Complexity | Bernard Lightman (ed.) (Nick Spencer) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Divine Action and the Human Mind | Sarah Lane Ritchie (Roger Trigg) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Cosmology in Theological Perspective - Understanding our Place in the Universe | Olli-Pekka Vainio (Paul Wraight) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Astrobiology and Humanism: Conversations on Science, Philosophy, and Theology | Julian Chela-Flores (Ted Peters) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Outgrowing God - A Beginner's Guide | Richard Dawkins (John Hastings) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Outgrowing Dawkins - God for Grown-Ups | Rupert Shortt (John Hastings) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Biotechnology, Human Nature, and Christian Ethics | Gerald McKenny (Alexander Massmann) | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Debate | A response to Lamoureux's reply | Andrew Loke | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Debate | A reply to Dr Andrew Loke's letter | Denis O. Lamoureux | October | 2020 | 32 | 2 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial | Paul Ewart | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Natural Law - 'God's Law in our Hearts' Abstract Human beings possess a sense of basic morality that is found to be similar in many cultures. It has often been termed 'Natural Law', and St Paul in his Epistles referred to even the gentiles as having 'God's Law in their hearts'. C. S. Lewis gave a broad basic justification for the existence of Natural Law, emphasising that a society that loses this will experience moral decay. The standard western presentation of the subject was given in the thirteenth century by Thomas Aquinas, and is used as the basis for our present discussion, amplified by some recent teachings of Pope John Paul II. There are two major challenges to these ideas. One concerns the objective validity of moral law of any kind. An examination of this question leads to the familiar conclusion that God's authority is required as a basis for absolute moral values and obligations. The second major challenge comes from the modern scientific picture of human beings emerging from an amoral animal kingdom - but we are moral beings. The issues that arise here are discussed with reference to evolutionary theory, palaeontology and anthropology. It is suggested that the key questions are resolved best if God acted directly in human history at some point in time, perhaps at the Middle/Upper Palaeolithic transition. Some implications of Natural Law in human affairs are finally examined.Moral value, duty, obligation, human rights, Natural Law, C. S. Lewis, Thomas Aquinas, John Paul II, evolution, palaeontology, culture, anthropology, kibbutz. | PETER J. BUSSEY | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | The Robot's Redemption: the Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Salvation of the Cosmos Abstract A view of creation as fallen prior to the fall of humanity implies that the non-human portion of the cosmos can exercise freedom of a kind, having in some sense strayed from its original holiness, while, at the experiential level, the reality of innocent suffering wrought by inanimate forces is difficult to reconcile with the will of a benign deity. Against this backdrop, the present paper proposes that artificial decision-making agents would represent a new phase in non-human creation's response to the divine. While these impersonal moral agents may lack any consciousness of God, their ability to select between options in a calculated manner could implicitly accept or reject grace along the lines envisaged by Karl Rahner, who views the fundamental option for or against God as played out in relation to decisions made in relation to created things and persons, not requiring explicit consciousness of the Creator.Artificial intelligence, freedom, moral choices, creation, salvation, consciousness, the Fall, grace, fundamental option, supernatural existential. | ALAN McGILL | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | We are probably not Sims Abstract In this article, I discuss the current state of the debate around the simulation hypothesis, the idea that the world we inhabit is a computer simulation in or within another universe. Considering recent work from a range of authors, I suggest that statistical arguments in favour of a simulated world are naive and fail to account either for Ockham’s Razor or for alternative existential possibilities besides base reality and a simulation. Most significantly, I observe that it would be computationally impossible in our own universe to simulate a similar cosmos at fine granularity. This implies substantial differences in size and information content between simulating and simulated universes. I argue that this makes serious analysis of the simulation argument extremely difficult. I suggest that Christian theology has no reason to reinvent itself to accommodate simulism; the two should be viewed as mutually exclusive world-views. Further, I note that the existence of a human soul or spirit, or indeed any non-reductionist explanation of human consciousness, could undermine the assumption of substrate independence that simulism requires.Simulation hypothesis, limits of computation, information, Ockham’s Razor, substrate independence, soul, spirit, consciousness. | JOHN B. O. MITCHELL | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Can Faith Be Empirical? Abstract It is sometimes said that religious belief and empiricism are different or even incompatible ways of believing. However, William James and notable twentieth-century philosophers representing Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity have argued that there is a high degree of compatibility between religious faith and empiricism. Their analyses suggest that there are three characteristics of empiricism - that an empiricist bases his beliefs on past experience, that he seeks to test his beliefs in future experience, and that he holds his beliefs with a degree of tentativeness in case future experience should uncover evidence against them. The epistemological insights of these philosophers, along with Augustine, show that Christian theology is consistent with empiricism. Indeed, reliance on faith fails to distinguish Christianity from science, and Christian theology is even to a significant extent both verifiable and falsifiable. Empiricism, epistemology, C. S. Lewis, William James, Augustine, Allama Iqbal | MARK J. BOONE | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Astrotheology: Science and Theology Meet Extraterrestrial Life | David Wilkinson (Ted Peters (ed.)) (Martinez Hewlett) (Joshua M. Moritz) (Robert John Russell) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Is there purpose in Biology? | Simon Kolstoe (Denis Alexander) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Prayer, Middle Knowledge and Divine-Human Interaction | Peter May (Kyle D. DiRoberts) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Huxley's Church and Maxwell's demon: From Theistic Science to Naturalistic Science | Nathan Bossoh (Matthew Stanley) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Warfare between Science and Religion: The Idea that Wouldn’t Die | James Hannam (Jeff Hardin (ed.)) (Ronald L. Numbers (ed.)) (Ronald A. Binzley (ed.)) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | The Myth of an Anti-Science Church: Galileo, Darwin, Teilhard, Hawking, Dawkins | John Hedley Brooke (Gerard Verschuuren) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Cambridge Elements: The Design Argument AND Cambridge Elements: Cosmological Arguments | Peter Bussey (Michael Almeida) (Elliott Sober) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | God, Evolution, and Animal Suffering: Theodicy without a Fall | Tim Middleton (Bethany N. Sollereder) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | A Climate of Desire: Reconsidering Sex, Christianity, and How We Respond to Climate Change | Meric Srokosz (Eduardo Sasso) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Dimensions of Faith: Understanding Faith through the Lens of Science and Religion | Paul Roberts (Steve Donaldson) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | God's Good Earth: The Case for an Unfallen Creation | Nathan R. James (Jon Garvey) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Can Science Explain Everything? | Ruth M. Bancewicz (John C. Lennox) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Mad or God? Jesus: The Healthiest Mind of All | Claire Wilson (Pablo Martinez) (Andrew Sims) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Modern Technology and The Human Future. A Christian Appraisal | Matthias Gallé (Craig M. Gay) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Book review | Blueprint - How DNA makes us who we are | Denis Alexander (Robert Plomin) | April | 2020 | 32 | 1 | Subscribers only |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Embodied and Socially Embedded ‘Self’: Understanding Jesus’s Bodily Resurrection and Believers’ Post Mortem Identity and Continuity Abstract Are human beings mere souls with disposable bodies or just physical bodies with no souls? While Cartesian dualism propounded the former, contemporary science promulgates the latter. The purpose of this paper is to engage with these notions and to steer away from such dualistic / reductionist tendencies towards a nonreductive account, to construct an embodied and socially embedded identity of ‘human self’. This paper will argue that Jesus’s post-resurrection self-identity and continuity were constituted by his embodied and socially embedded relationship and hence believers’ post mortem identity and continuity also should be an embodied and socially embedded reality. For this purpose, the author will engage with cognitive neuroscientific understanding and phenomenological consciousness.bodily resurrection, post mortem identity, science-religion dialogue, cognitive neuroscience | DAVID S. MUTHUKUMAR | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Dissolving Self? Dementia and Identity in Philosophical Theology Abstract Dementia has been the focus of significant work in pastoral theology, but has received relatively little attention in (impractical?) philosophical theology. Yet dementia raises acute questions in philosophical theology to which we must give an answer, such as the nature of personhood, death and its encroaching on life, physicality, resurrection and hope, and the like. This paper focuses on questions relating to memory and identity. What does it mean to be a ‘self’? How does that relate to memory and personal narrative? What happens to us, to our identity, when memory, the ability to remember the stories we use to define ourselves, fades? Do the acids of dementia dissolve our very selves? These questions, valid in their own right, are seen in sharp and deeply personal focus in the experience of those who endure dementia. I will outline a particular response to these questions in critical conversation with John Swinton’s practical theology of dementia, and suggest ways in which practical theology and ethics and philosophical theology can engage in mutually enriching conversation.dementia, identity, memory, John Swinton, narrative, time and eternity, agency | ANDREW SLOANE | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Untangling the Cords of Sheol: Dementia and the Eschatology of the Physical Universe Abstract Dementia raises important theological questions regarding human identity and hope. In this piece I propose that we understand dementia as an instance of cosmic entropic processes impinging on human neural systems. Theologically, such entropic decay can be seen as death encroaching on life – the cords of Sheol entangling the sufferer’s brain, with devastating consequences. Psalm 88 presents us with a lens through which to reflect on the nature of death encroaching on life, and so the problem that Christian hope needs to address. Resources for dealing with both cosmic entropy and its all-too-human effects can be found in David Wilkinson’s Christian Eschatology and the Physical Universe. He gives an account of space, time and matter that addresses the cosmic futility of entropy, and which can, in turn, ground a meaningful resurrection hope for people with dementia.dementia, entropy, death, Psalm 88, Sheol, eschatology, David Wilkinson, space, time, matter, resurrection | ANDREW SLOANE | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Bible and Ancient Science: A Reply to Andrew Loke Abstract In his October 2018 Science and Christian Faith paper, Andrew Loke criticizes my view that Scripture has an ancient understanding of the natural world. Rooting his views in the hermeneutics of G.K. Beale, he contends that the Bible has no “scientific errors” and it features what he terms is “unrestricted inerrancy.” To reply, this paper begins with a brief review of cosmology in the ancient Near East. It then turns to Scripture to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit accommodated in revelatory process and allowed the biblical authors to use the science-of-day in ANE as an incidental vessel to deliver inerrant spiritual truths. Next, I criticize the concordist and figurative hermeneutics of Loke and Beale. The paper closes by proposing a view that biblical inerrancy with regard to statements about nature in the Word of God. | DENIS O. LAMOUREUX | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles? | Ian Hutchinson (Rodney Holder) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Curious Science Quest: Greek adventure: Who were the first scientists? | Julia Golding Andrew Briggs Rodger Wagner (Ben Jordan) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Fragile World: Ecology and the Church | William T. Cavanaugh (ed.) (Robert Sluka) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Great Mystery: Science, God and the Human Quest for Meaning | Alister McGrath (Paul Marston) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation ex nihilo: Origins, Development, Contemporary Challenges | Gary A. Anderson (ed.) Markus Bockmuehl (ed.) (The Revd Dr Ernest C. Lucas) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Evolution of Human Wisdom | Celia Deane-Drummond (ed.) Agustín Fuentes (ed.) (Marc Cortez) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Environmental Attitudes Through Time | R.J. Berry (Revd Margot R Hodson) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | It Keeps Me Seeking. The Invitation from Science, Philosophy and Religion | Andrew Briggs Hans Halvorson Andrew Steane (Alexei Nesteruk) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The robots are coming: us them and God | Nigel Cameron (Peter Robinson) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Finding Ourselves after Darwin: Conversations on the Image of God, Original Sin, and the Problem of Evil | Stanley P. Rosenberg (General Editor) Michael Burdett (assoc. ed.) Michael Lloyd (assoc. ed.) Benno van den Toren (assoc. ed.) (Denis O. Lamoureux) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Are There Limits to Science? | Gillian Straine (ed.) (Malcolm S. Buchanan) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology in a Suffering World: Glory and Longing | Christopher Southgate (Jonathan W. Chappell) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Natural Novelty: The Newness Manifest in Existence | Richard Boyle (Kevin Ralley) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Brain, the Mind and the Person Within: The Enduring Mystery of the Soul | Mark Cosgrove (Peter Hampson) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Does Science Undermine Faith? | Roger Trigg (Ben MacArthur) | October | 2019 | 31 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Darwin among the Pagans: Secularisation and the Reception of the Theory of Evolution in Buenos Aires Abstract The study of the long-term reception of the theory of evolution in Argentina can be of assistance in the broader understanding of interactions between the dynamics of secularisation in a given society and the relationship between science and religion. Two stages can be discerned in this process. In the first, in 1884, Darwin and evolutionary theory were a rhetorical resource at the service of a political and ideological secularisation project identified with progress and modernity. At the height of positivism, around 1918, many meanings associated with evolutionism coalesced around the figure of the Argentinian palaeontologist Florentino Ameghino, whose anthropological theories about the origin of Tertiary human beings were debated as part of broader questions involving the relationship between science, religion and secularisation. As a whole, the story warns against any attempt at interpreting the reception of Darwin’s ideas in Iberian America (and elsewhere for that matter) as a triumphal march of reason against religious obscurantism. It also shows how issues of belief and unbelief determined the way evolutionism was received in a country in which church-state relationships were shaped after the French model of laïcité.science and religion; science and secularisation; reception of Darwinism; Ameghino | MIGUEL DE ASÚA | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Soteriology, Eschatology and Cosmology: Resolving the Dissonance and Providing a Lens Abstract Recent studies of the relationship between science and religion yield a growing scholarly consensus over the compatibility of each category’s truth claims, but there is continued dissonance in the relationship between the truth claims of cosmology and eschatology. On the one hand, cosmologists claim that the world ends in catastrophe; on the other hand, theologians working on eschatology claim that it is moving towards renewal and new creation. Recent scholarship responds to this dissonance by emphasising the bodily resurrection of Jesus. There is, however, another possible resolution to this dissonance that also provides an interpretive lens for understanding cosmology: using the Christian doctrine of soteriology as an analogy for eschatological claims. Through a comparative analysis of its own narrative with the narrative of cosmology, the Christian doctrine of soteriology lends a new perspective to the cosmological-eschatological dissonance while also providing a larger interpretive lens.soteriology, cosmology, eschatology, divine action, narrative theology, narrative of nature | MARIO A. RUSSO | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Science, Religion and the ‘New Reformation’ of the Nineteenth Century Abstract The concept of a ‘New Reformation’ has a long history among Protestant intellectuals. Protestant theologians, philosophers, historians and men of science have all called for another reformation of religion, a purification of Protestant Christianity rather than its abandonment. But in the hands of nineteenth-century scientific naturalists, dissident intellectuals and even liberal Anglicans, the trope of ‘New Reformation’ underwent a dramatic transformation. From a Protestant self-critique, the trope became a polemic against orthodox Christian belief. While the new ‘reformers’ continued to use the language of Protestants, they ultimately rejected the doctrinal beliefs of traditional Christianity.science and religion; Protestantism; Reformation; liberal Anglican; dissident intellectuals; scientific naturalists; secularism | JAMES C. UNGUREANU | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | A Response to ‘Miracles in Medicine’ | PAUL MARSTON | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Paul Marston and Meric Srokosz | PETER MAY | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Concordism | TIM WEATHERSTONE | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Jesus, Beginnings and Science: A guide for group conversation | Naomi Dawson | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion in the Anthropocene | Christopher Southgate | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design | Denis Alexander | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theological Neuroethics: Christian Ethics Meets The Science Of The Human Brain | Emeritus Professor Malcolm Jeeves, CBE. | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Primer in Ecotheology: Theology for a Fragile Earth | Meric Srokosz | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Cosmic Story: Inside Our Awakening Universe | John P. Slattery | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Mathematics of Infinity | Rob Heather | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Psychological Science and Christian Faith: Insights and Enrichments from Constructive Dialogue | Professor Justin Barrett | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Entangled Worlds: Religion, Science and New Materialisms | Tim Middleton | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress | Jonathan W. Chappell | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion vs. Science: What Religious People Really Think | Amy Unsworth | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Teacher’s Guide to Science and Religion in the Classroom | Benjamin Hinks | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | There is No Theory of Everything; A Physics Perspective on Emergence | Tom McLeish FRS | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and Ultimate Origins: A Novel Cosmological Argument | Gavin Merrifield | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mere Science and Christian Faith – Bridging The Divide With Emerging Adults | Clare Foster Jonathan Foster | April | 2019 | 31 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Interaction between genes and the relational environment during development of the social brain Abstract Humans have complex brains. These have evolved over a vast phylogenetic history. Scientists are discovering genetic innovations that may have contributed to brain development over evolutionary time. The science of comparative genomics reveals when during evolution each such formative genomic event occurred and the mechanism by which it arose. However, genetics are necessary but not sufficient to account for our mental capacities. For example, our ability to interact as persons (to practise theory of mind) is not genetically encoded, but is learned. During infancy and childhood, brains cannot follow normal developmental trajectories in the absence of attentive, loving caregiving. Human brain development and function require personal input. We share in the fullness of being human by interpersonal relationship, and a Christian interpretation of this fact is that human flourishing requires that people know, and are known by, God.social interaction, theory of mind (ToM), child neglect, stress, cerebral development, language, nurture, being human, knowing | Graeme Finlay | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Supplementary | Interaction between genes and the relational environment during development of the social brain | Graeme Finlay | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Does the Bible Affirm Scientific Errors? A Reply to Denis Lamoureux Abstract In recent years a number of scholars have argued that numerous biblical texts affirm what we now know are erroneous scientific notions. The sort of arguments they use and the biblical texts they cite have been well summarised in the writings of Denis Lamoureux. Lamoureux argues that these texts affirm erroneous notions concerning a three-tier universe, the movement of the sun across the sky, a solid firmament, flat earth, the mustard seed being the smallest seed, the death of the seed during germination, preformatism and creation de novo. I show that Lamoureux has not adequately considered Beale’s distinction between what the texts affirm and what the author believes. I develop various arguments based on this distinction and demonstrate that Lamoureux’s arguments fail to refute Beale’s position concerning biblical inerrancy and rule out an alternative view of divine accommodation which uses ancient common ways of expression without affirming scientific errors.divine accommodation, scientific errors, biblical inerrancy, three-tier universe, geocentrism, firmament | Andrew Loke | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Markers of Human Creaturehood: Soil, Spirit and Salvation Abstract When faced with the invitation for self-transformation through bio-nano-technology, we must pause to ask: just what does it mean to be a human being? Both scripture and evolution make the same point: we humans live at the metaxy, in the tension between soil and spirit. Genesis 2:7 says we live at the in-between where the ineffable God beyond touches the mundane realm of daily existence. Even in salvation, we will be redeemed creatures and not gods. The promise of technological utopianism, then, becomes an empty promise. Even with dramatic bio-enhancements or improved intelligence, we Homo sapiens must still pray that divine grace will provide the ultimate transformation. In the meantime, we should simply enjoy the metaxy.metaxy, human, dignity, technology, Transhumanism, spirit,
Genesis 2:7 | Ted Peters | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Penultimate Curiosity in the Pre-Modern World Abstract This is a lightly edited version of a talk given at the 2017 Christians in Science Conference in Oxford. Intended as a response to Roger Wagner and Andrew Briggs’ book The Penultimate Curiosity, it argues that in past circumstances where (as Wagner and Briggs put it) ‘science swims in the slipstream of ultimate questions’, at least one additional factor – a positive view of scientific curiosity – must also have been operative. Curiosity has not always been viewed in a positive light, and projects aimed at obtaining knowledge of nature have often been judged to be problematic. Those who promoted new knowledge acquisition projects often felt a need to defend those projects against accusations of misplaced or misdirected curiosity. Given this, strong slipstream effects – particular theological convictions about the relations between ultimate and penultimate things – alone must have been insufficient to encourage penultimate curiosity.curiosity, history, science, religion, Christianity, Francis Bacon. | Peter N. Jordan | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary R.J. (Sam) Berry | Malcolm Jeeves | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Who Needs the Old Testament? Its Enduring Appeal and Why the New Atheists Don’t Get It Abstract | Katharine Dell (Rebecca Watson) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: Beyond Warfare and Toward Understanding | Joshua Moritz (James R. Hofmann) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Aquinas and Modern Science – A New Synthesis of Faith & Reason | Gerard M. Verschuuren (Ignacio Silva) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Picking up the Pieces | Philip Bligh (Stephen Thompson) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genes, Determinism and God | Denis Alexander (John Bryant) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Little Book Of God, Mind, Cosmos And Truth | Kenneth Francis (Joshua Fountain) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Astrophysics and Creation: Perceiving the Universe through Science and Participation | Arnold Benz (Eric Priest) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity and the Roots of Morality: Philosophical, Early Christian and Empirical Perspectives | Petri Luomanen Anne Birgitta Pessi Ilkka Pyysiäinen (editors) (Michael Fuller) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World | Douglas J. Moo Jonathan A. Moo (Prof. Robert (Bob) White) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Questions in the Psychology of Religion | Kevin S. Seybold (Mark Graves) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Blue Planet Blue God: The Bible and the Sea | Meric Srokosz Rebecca S Watson (Nicholas Higgs) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Luminous Web: Faith, Science and the Experience of Wonder | Barbara Brown Taylor (Dr Ruth M. Bancewicz) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science, Evolution and Religion | Michael Peterson Michael Ruse (Roger Trigg) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Gospel according to Dawkins | Graeme Finlay (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Hope in the Age of Climate Change: creation care this side of the resurrection | Chris Doran (Rev. Dave Bookless) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not | Abby Hafer (Keith Fox) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wonder, Value and God | Robin Attfield (Bethany Sollereder) | October | 2018 | 30 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Meric Srokosz | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Beyond ‘The Warfare of Science with Theology’: George Tyrrell’s Plea for Epistemic Humility Abstract The Catholic Modernist theologian and scholar, George Tyrrell (1861–1909), may be characterised as a Thomist who sought to relate theology constructively to the issues of the day. While his engagement with historical criticism has been well studied, his response to the challenge of science, and particularly of evolution, has been neglected. This article seeks to address this neglect. Having outlined his intellectual context, it explores his cautiously affirmative approach to the idea of evolution, and shows that he was just as opposed to scientific reductionism as he was to the ethical reductionism of liberal Protestantism and to the absolutising of Thomism by his neo-scholastic contemporaries. The rationale for his position is shown to be his neo-Kantian conviction that science and theology are both fallible human endeavours which operate within clear epistemological constraints. A humble recognition of these limits, he believed, could help us move beyond the conflict between science and theology that was apparent in his day.Tyrrell, von Hügel, Modernism, Thomism, neo-scholasticism, evolution, positivism, Harnack, neo-Kantianism, epistemology | JONATHAN W. CHAPPELL | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Curiosity in the Early Christian Era - Philoponus’s Defence of Ancient Astronomy against Christian Critics Abstract Curiosity is seen today as something good, desirable even. However, it was not always so. From the time that Hellenistic culture started to show signs of decline shortly before the birth of Christ, the attention of ancient scholars focused on the past, looking back to a golden era of sages. For Christianity, the primary interest was not the investigation of the natural world, and yet its world-view challenged some common assumptions that were of importance for the ‘natural philosophy’ conceptions of pagan late antiquity such as the eternity of the world, the divinity of the heavens, the astrological determinism, and so forth. Although these debates were not about the ‘technical’ portion of ancient learning – sphericity of the earth and heavens, epicycle models of planetary movements, theory of eclipses, and so on – voices were raised demanding a ‘Christian cosmology’. Their stronghold was at the theological school of Antioch that clashed with their traditional rivals of Alexandria, the city that was also the cradle of pagan natural philosophy. By the sixth century, the main exponent of the Antiochene flat earth cosmology, Cosmas Indicopleustes, was confronted by the Alexandrian Christian scholar John Philoponus, who defended the freedom of investigating nature and the freedom of scientific curiosity, within a Christian world-view.curiosity, Cosmas Indicopleustes, John Philoponus, flat earth, sphericity, concordism, Christoph Rothmann, accommodation principle | PABLO DE FELIPE | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Charles Raven (1885-1964): Professor of Divinity and Promoter of Science Abstract Charles Raven (1885-1964) was an outstanding theologian and preacher of the first half of the twentieth century. Raven had a fascination with and a deep appreciation of nature. His Christian faith, which developed during and after his years as a student at Cambridge University, gave a further dimension of meaning to this engagement. This article examines a number of aspects of Raven’s contribution in the area of science and faith. He was a passionate advocate of the importance of careful observation of the natural world as a crucial aspect of the spiritual life. As a theologian – he became Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge – he argued that Christian theology was enriched by an understanding of evolution and that this message of science and faith belonging together should be taken into the public square. Perhaps his most important scholarly contribution in the field of science was as a historian. But he always wanted to be someone who had an influence far beyond the scholarly world. In this he had considerable success, speaking to varied audiences, in universities, in schools and in broadcasting. Raven was concerned that the Christian message should be communicated in an authentic way and his deeply-held belief was that engagement with science was an essential part of that task. His view was that the scientific method had given a new point of approach to every subject of intellectual enquiry. As a Christian thinker this was a development he embraced with enthusiasm.nature, evolution, determinism, public theology; History of Science | IAN RANDALL | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Right to Die? Euthanasia, assisted suicide and end-of-life care | John Wyatt (Philippa Taylor) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith | Francis J. Beckwith (David Opderbeck) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dictionary of Christianity and Science: The Definitive Reference for the Intersection of Christian Faith and Contemporary Science | Paul Copan Tremper Longman III Christopher L Reese Michael G Strauss (gen. eds.) (Randy Isaac) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos | Geraint F. Lewis Luke A. Barnes (Paul Wraight) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Neuroscience and the Soul: The Human Person in Philosophy, Science and Theology | Thomas M. Crisp Steven L. Porter Gregg A. Ten Elshof (eds.) (Marc Cortez) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Materialism | Terry Eagleton (Jonathan W. Chappell) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Holiness: Sociobiology, Altruism and the Quest for Wesleyian Perfection | Matthew Nelson Hill (Michael Rycroft) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life | Edward O. Wilson (Dave Bookless) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution: Scripture and Nature Say Yes! | Denis O. Lamoureux (Simon Kolstoe) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A little book for new scientists | Josh A. Reeves Steve Donaldson (Rhoda Hawkins) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Particles of Faith: A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science | Stacy A. Trasancos (Fintan Lyons) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Origins and the Image of God: Essays in Honor of J. Wentzel van Huyssteen | Christopher Lilley Daniel J. Pedersen (eds.) (Malcolm Jeeves) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Let There Be Light! Nuclear Energy: A Christian Case | Robert S. Dutch (Tim Middleton) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and the Fall | William T. Cavanaugh James K. Smith (eds.) (Denis O. Lamoureux) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation: A Guide for the Perplexed | Simon Oliver (Jamie Boulding) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Old Earth or Evolutionary Creation? Discussing Origins with Reasons to Believe and Biologos | Kenneth Keathley J. B. Stum Joe Aguirre (Peter J. M. van der Burgt) | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Messy Church Does Science | David Gregory (ed.) (Stephanie Bryant | April | 2018 | 30 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Creation as a Gift: A Neglected Approach to Creation Care Abstract Our Christian responsibility for ‘every living thing’ (Genesis 1) has long been framed as a matter of creation care. This frame fits well within the broader secular concepts of stewardship and sustainability that have been espoused by many, from development organisations to government funded schools. In recent years, Christian theologians and thought leaders have expanded on the frames within which to address issues of the environment and climate change. These include loving our global neighbours, sharing God’s mission, celebrating the community of creation and embracing a covenant framework. Here, I argue for placing more emphasis on another, complementary perspective, that of considering creation as a gift. Although this idea has been considered by postmodern philosophers and theologians and Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders and scholars, it has only been briefly referred to in passing by conservative Protestant Christian theologians and scientists concerned with creation care. I suggest, however, that only within biblical Christianity can this approach be fully appreciated, as one that motivates us both to give thanks and to give ourselves to the care for a creation that is under serious threat.Creator, creation, stewardship, gift, Derrida, Gaia, care-giving, self-giving | DOUGLAS HAYHOE | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Miracles in Medicine | PETER MAY | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Miracles in Medicine – a brief response to Peter May | MERIC SROKOSZ | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and the Reformation: Historiographical Soundings Abstract This article surveys some of the ways in which historians have conceived of the relations between science and the Reformation. Intended as an introduction for those unfamiliar with this literature, it focuses on a selection of studies that together illustrate something of the range of associations, interactions, and influences that historians have identified.history; reception history; science; religion; Christianity; Reformation; early modern | PETER N. JORDAN | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Models of the Fall – responses to Lydia Jaeger - Original sin | PETER NELSON | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Models of the Fall – responses to Lydia Jaeger - Sin and Mortality | ANDREW STEANE | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Models of the Fall Including a Historical Adam as Ancestor of All Humans: Scientific and Theological Constraints - Response to Peter G. Nelson and Andrew Steane | LYDIA JAEGER | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Vying for Truth – Theology and the Natural Sciences from the 17th Century to the Present | Hans Schwarz (Michael Fuller) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Free Thought, Faith and Science: Finding Unity by Seeking Truth | Roger Pullin (John Spicer) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost My Faith and Found It Again Through Science | Mike McHargue (Nicholas Higgs) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Ashgate Research Companion to Theological Anthropology | Joshua R. Farris Charles Taliaferro (Alexander Massmann) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Describing the Hand of God: Divine Agency and Augustinian Obstacles to the Dialogue between Theology and Science | Robert Brennan (Fintan Lyons) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Conversion in Luke-Acts: Divine Action, Human Cognition, and the People of God | Joel B. Green (Malcolm Jeeves) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Believing Scientist: Essays on Science and Religion | Stephen M. Barr (Robert C. Bishop) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How can Physics underlie the Mind? | George Ellis (Paul Ewart) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reason and Wonder: Why Science and Faith need each other | Eric Priest (ed.) (John Weaver) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Where Science and Ethics Meet: Dilemmas at the Frontiers of Medicine and Biology | Chris Willmott Salvador Macip, (Philippa Taylor) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Signposts to God: How Modern Physics & Astronomy Point the Way to Belief | Peter Bussey (Jeffrey Koperski) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Adam and the Genome: Reading Scripture after Genetic Science | Dennis R. Venema Scot McKnight, (Jitse van der Meer) (Koert van Bekkum) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Let There Be Science: Why God Loves Science, and Science Needs God | David Hutchings Tom McLeish (Ruth M Bancewicz) | October | 2017 | 29 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Objecting to theodicy and the legitimacy of protesting against evil Abstract The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and the concomitant debates among eighteenth-century intellectuals set the stage for the modern project of theodicy – the task of reconciling the existence and goodness of God with the reality of evil. Yet the validity of the enterprise was questioned by writers such as Voltaire and Kant right from the beginning. With this in mind, this article seeks to explore four interlinked concerns of the anti-theodicist. Firstly, why do people write theodicies at all? Some are crafting works of Christian apologetics; others have a deep-rooted desire for understanding; but why do we assume that evil must be intelligible in the first place. Secondly, many theodicists defend their writing by inserting the caveat that they do not intend to offer a pastoral response. However, there are good reasons to think that this distinction between intellectual and pastoral questions is a false one. Thirdly, many grand, cosmic, theodical schemes marginalise the plight of the victims. Evil must be engaged with from a first person, not a third person, perspective. Lastly, many Christian theologians neglect the incarnation and crucifixion in their theodicies. Yet it is the narrative of Christ’s life that should form the basis of a Christian outlook. Instead of theodicy, it is argued, a better response to evil is to follow the path of moral outrage. Crucially, though, this need not lead to protest atheism – indeed jettisoning God might even undermine the grounds for protest. A combination of silence and lament, shared by Christ on the cross, is a viable and properly Christian reply.Lisbon earthquake, theodicy, natural evil, suffering, protest atheism, anti-theodicy, lament, solidarity | Tim Middleton | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Models of the Fall Including a Historical Adam as Ancestor of All Humans: Scientific and Theological Constraints Abstract Original sin introduces a distinctive feature of humanity. Only humans, yet all humans, are sinners, thus implying a clear animal-human difference. This traditional doctrine has increasingly been considered incompatible with scientific knowledge. This article examines the extent to which it is possible to maintain a strong notion of original sin, while accepting the genetic and palaeontological data. The strong notion considered here includes a historical Adam as ancestor of all humans and human corruption and death as consequences of original sin. Particular attention will be paid to the understanding of original sin as the loss of original righteousness. Drawing on both the Thomist and the Reformed traditions, the version of original sin explored here combines three key themes in order to account for what happened subsequent to the fall: loss of original righteousness, total corruption of human nature and loss of communion with God. As humans are created in God’s image, communion with God is essential for human nature, and the loss of this communion implies malfunction and corruption of the nature. It is argued that this view can be held without any contradiction of known scientific data. Major authors whose work on this subject is considered include Aquinas, Calvin, Turretin and Henri Blocher.original sin, animal-human distinction, rebellion against God, evolution, Adam, human corruption and death, Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Henri Blocher | Lydia Jaeger | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | God, Nature and the Origins of Life | William E. Carroll Rafael Vicuña | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | When faith and science meet | David Wilkinson | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Back to the Future of Human Origins | Nicola Berretta | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A Response to Berretta | Denis R. Alexander | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Human origins | Peter G. Nelson | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A response to Nelson | Ernest Lucas | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary - Peter G H Clarke 29 December 1946 – 16 September 2015 | Stuart Judge | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Natural Theology in the Scientific Revolution: God’s Scientists | Katherine Calloway (James Hannam) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Emergence of Personhood: A Quantum Leap? | Malcolm Jeeves (ed.), (Peter Hampson) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Rise of Modern Science Explained: A Comparative History | H. Floris Cohen, (Allan Chapman) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution, Chance and God: Understanding the Relationship between Evolution and Religion | Brendan Sweetman, (Denis Alexander) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence | Thomas Jay Oord, (Rodney Holder) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Sense of the Universe: Philosophical Explication of the Theological Commitment in Modern Cosmology | Alexei V. Nesteruk, (Andrei I. Holodny) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Our Bodies Are Selves | Philip Hefner Ann Milliken Pederson Susan Barreto (Mark Graves) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Christian Faith in Post-Cold War Europe: A comparative analysis 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall | Giandomenico Boffi Marijan Sunjic (Eds.) (Michael Fuller) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Destruction of Sodom: A Scientific Commentary | Graham Harris (Colin Humphreys) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Age of Genius: The Seventeenth Century & the Birth of the Modern Mind | A.C. Grayling (John Hedley Brooke) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Penultimate Curiosity: how science swims in the slipstream of ultimate questions | Roger Wagner Andrew Briggs (Tim Middleton) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation Care and the Gospel: Reconsidering the Mission of the Church | Colin Bell Robert S White (Eds.) (Chris Naylor) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God Is No Thing: Coherent Christianity | Rupert Shortt (Patrick Richmond) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Christian Faith | Andrew Loke (Paul Wraight) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | How I changed my mind about Evolution: Evangelicals reflect on faith and science | Kathryn Applegate J.B. Stump (Eds.) (Simon Kolstoe) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God? Very Probably: Five Rational Ways to Think about the Question of God | Robert H. Nelson (Tony Costa) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | But Is It True? | Michael Ots (Joshua Fountain) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Search for God and the Path to Persuasion | Peter May (Joshua Fountain) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Abraham’s Dice – Chance and Providence in the Monotheistic Traditions | Karl W. Giberson (ed.) (Denis Alexander) | April | 2017 | 29 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Distinguishing Doctrine and Theological Theory – A Tool for Exploring the Interface between Science and Faith Abstract This article explores the value of the distinction between doctrine and theological theory for creating space at the interface between the natural sciences and theology. It argues that in a taxonomy of theological statements, doctrines have a different role and greater weight from theological theories. Doctrines express the teachings of the church that guard Christian identity and regulate the Christian life. As such they also make truth claims that can be in tension with scientific theories, for example concerning the origin of the human species. However, these tensions are often experienced more particularly at the level of theological theories, which are developed to gain a deeper understanding of the reality of the Gospel behind these doctrines. Though these theories are important as an expression of our desire to know God, in order to understand the different facets of human experience and for apologetic reasons, they are of secondary importance compared to doctrines and should be held more lightly. Because theological theories are often more deeply shaped by available cultural thought-forms than doctrines, they can be and sometimes should be exchanged for alternatives that make more sense in the light of the totality of our experience, including insights gained from the natural sciences.doctrine, theological theory, scriptural authority, truth claims, dogma, the Eucharist | BENNO VAN DEN TOREN | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Bible, Science and Human Origins Abstract This paper considers whether, and how, the current scientific consensus about human origins can be related to the relevant biblical passages. The scientific consensus is outlined, noting points that might seem problematic from a biblical perspective. It is argued that the Bible should be understood using ‘the principle of incarnation’ as a hermeneutic approach. This requires taking seriously the historical and cultural context, and the contemporary literary forms, of its inspired writers. Genesis 1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 42-49 and Romans 5:12-21 are discussed, noting theological points that may be relevant with regard to the scientific consensus. It is argued that the Bible’s purpose is not to give us scientific information about human origins but to reveal theological truths about the nature and purpose of humans. How these theological truths might be related to the scientific consensus about human origins is then discussed. Two particular models for relating the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the Fall to the scientific story are presented. These are not the only possible models that are compatible with both the biblical theology of human origins and current scientific evidence. The important thing is that such models are possible.Adam, evolution, Genesis, image of God, Paul, the Fall | ERNEST C. LUCAS DENIS R. ALEXANDER R.J. (SAM) BERRY G. ANDREW D. BRIGGS COLIN J. HUMPHREYS MALCOLM A. JEEVES ANTHONY C. THISELTON | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Going beyond the How and Why of Science-Religion? Senior Christian Leaders on Science and Personal Faith Abstract In popular discourse today, ‘science’ versus ‘religion’ is a common binary opposition and science and faith are often defined by their assumed opposition to one another. Religious believers are often assumed to be anti-science on the basis of their faith. But how do people of faith actually relate to science? This pilot study addressed this question by focusing on a particular segment of faith communities: senior Christian leaders in England, who have significant influence on values in their organisations as well as in the wider British society. As part of our preliminary data collection we interviewed fourteen leaders, Anglican bishops and directors of other Christian denominations and organisations, exploring how they actually relate to science and conceptualise various science-religion questions. This article considers the implications of science for personal Christian faith. We explore how the interviewees understand the relation between faith and science, how they deal with the difficult questions of evolution and creation and the interpretation of Scripture. We show how the main tension in the conversations about science and faith with Christian leaders is between scientific claims on the one hand, and Christian faith and especially Scripture on the other. A key theme which emerged is an opposition, shared by a majority of the interviewees, against fundamentalism and biblical literalism. We also look at the role of the ‘how/why’ distinction in their approach to science-theology questions (‘science and religion are separate but equal: science answers ‘how’ questions’, religion answers ‘why’ questions.’) We suggest that while many of the senior leaders find this model too simplistic, some may use it as a strategy to avoid the difficult theological and scientific questions in the intersection between science and theology. We conclude that further exploration of these tensions, and research into effective ways to equip Christian leaders to engage with science, is necessary if we want to encourage a deeper, richer science-faith dialogue.Science versus religion, ‘how/why’ questions, evolution, Creationism, biblical fundamentalism | REBECCA BOUVENG DAVID WILKINSON | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human evolution: genes, genealogies and phylogenies | Graeme Finlay (Tom Hartman) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Chance or Providence – Religious Perspectives on Divine Action | Louise Hickman (ed.) (Denis Alexander) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dealing with Darwin: Place, Politics, and Rhetoric in Religious Engagements with Evolution | David N. Livingstone (Jonathan W. Chappell) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | All In The Mind?: Does Neuroscience Challenge Faith? | Peter Clarke (Malcolm Jeeves) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond Matter: Why Science Needs Metaphysics | Roger Trigg (Rodney Holder) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Territories of Science and Religion | Peter Harrison (James Hannam) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Runes of Evolution: How the Universe Became Self-Aware | Simon Conway Morris (David C. Lahti) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can Science Explain Religion? The Cognitive Science Debate | James W. Jones (Roger Trigg) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Technofutures, Nature and the Sacred: Transdisciplinary Perspectives | Celia Deane-Drummond Sigurd Bergmann Bronislaw Szerszynski (eds.) (Graham Nevin) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Scripture and Cosmology: Reading the Bible between the Ancient World and Modern Science | Kyle Greenwood (Denis O. Lamoureux) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Saving the Original Sinner: How Christians have Used the Bible’s First Man to Oppress, Inspire and Make Sense of the World | K. W. Giberson (Simon Kolstoe) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Inventing the Universe: Why we Can’t Stop Talking about Science, Faith and God | Alister McGrath (Chris Oldfield) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Suffering: If God exists, why doesn’t he stop it? | John Morris (David Girling) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Origins: The Scientific Story of Creation | Jim Baggott (Peter J. M. van der Burgt) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Origins: God, Evolution, and the Question of the Cosmos | Philip A Rolnick (Graeme Finlay) | October | 2016 | 28 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Animal suffering, the hard problem of consciousness and a reflection on why we should treat animals well Abstract Considerable effort and ingenuity is expended on developing theodicies in response to the problem caused by evolution in terms of pain and suffering in creation and the fact that God is good and his creation is good. From a physiological and neurological perspective, it is clear that many creatures experience pain. However, pain is an essential part of the evolutionary process being clearly adaptive, potentially preventing a worse outcome for a creature, namely death. A more difficult question is that of suffering. It will be shown that the question of animal suffering is identical to the issue of sentience and the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness. After reviewing the evidence for animal consciousness and then suffering, we conclude with a brief reflection on why Christians should treat animals well.animal, pain, suffering, consciousness, welfare | MERIC SROKOSZ SIMON KOLSTOE | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Presuppositionalism revisited: the necessity of a transcendent God for the intelligibility of science | Jonathan M. Hanes | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A response to Jonathan Hanes | Andrew Pinsent | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Time in Eternity: Pannenberg, Physics, and Eschatology in Creative Mutual Interaction | Robert John Russell (Amos Yong) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Light from Light: Scientists and theologians in dialogue | Gerald O’Collins Mary Ann Meyers, (eds.) (Andrew Davison) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Slaying the Dragons: Destroying Myths in the History of Science and Faith | Allan Chapman (Paul Marston) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Biblical Cosmos: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Weird and Wonderful World of the Bible | Robin A. Parry (Denis O. Lamoureux) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mathematical Theologies: Nicholas of Cusa and the Legacy of Thierry of Chartres | David Albertson (Jamie Boulding) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Depth of the Human Person: A Multidisciplinary Approach | Michael Welker (ed.) (John Wyatt) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | When I Pray, What Does God Do? | David Wilkinson (Rodney Holder) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Physics of Theism: God, Physics, and the Philosophy of Science | Jeffrey Koperski (Paul Wraight) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: 5 Questions | Gregg D. Caruso (ed.) (Patrick Richmond) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | State of Affairs: The Science-Theology Controversy | Richard J. Coleman (Steve Bishop) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Territories of Science and Religion | Peter Harrison (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Boyle Studies: Aspects of the Life and Thought of Robert Boyle (1627-91) | Michael Hunter (Allan Chapman) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mathematicians & Their Gods: Interactions between mathematics and religious beliefs | Snezana Lawrence Mark McCartney (eds.) (P. Douglas Kindschi) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Latin American Perspectives on Science and Religion | Ignacio Silva (ed.) (César Navarro) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Jesuit Science and the End of Nature’s Secrets | Mark A. Waddell (Fintan Lyons) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate | John Walton (Andrea L. Robinson) | April | 2016 | 28 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Christians in Science: Looking Back – and Forward Abstract Christians in Science had its origins in 1944 in a small gathering of mainly postgraduate students in Cambridge. This group became the nucleus of the Research Scientists’ Christian Fellowship (which changed its name in 1988 to Christians in Science). The RSCF was originally a graduate section of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (now the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship), but is now an independent charity and limited company, albeit still retaining close links with UCCF. We review the seventy year history of CiS and its contributions to the maturing discussions in the faith-science area; we see a positive and developing role for the organisation.Oliver Barclay, Donald MacKay, Reijer Hooykaas, Essays and Reviews, Victoria Institute, Research Scientists’ Christian Fellowship, God-of-the-gaps, naturalism | MALCOLM JEEVES R.J. (SAM) BERRY | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Georges Lemaître’s 1936 Lecture on Science and Faith Abstract Georges Lemaître, a Mathematical physicist and a Catholic priest, is generally recognised as the key founding father of modern Big Bang cosmology. In recent years, his contribution to our modern scientific cosmological model has been increasingly recognised. However, his contribution to the science and faith field is still not very well known, especially in English. One of the reasons is that his views are dispersed in lectures that for the most part remain in French and have not been reprinted for many years. Here we present, for the first time, as far as we are aware, a full English translation of one of the key texts on science and faith from Lemaître: a 1936 lecture delivered at Malines (Belgium). All the crucial ideas in Lemaître’s view of science and faith relations appear here. These ideas were present in his early work and continued to appear in his lectures throughout the rest of his life. They are expressed in this lecture in some detail and with a strong literary force that gives them, in some cases, the character of aphorisms.Lemaître, concordism, discordism, hidden God, accommodation principle, scientific optimism | Pablo de Felipe Pierre Bourdon Eduardo Riaza | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Supplementary | Georges Lemaître’s 1936 Lecture on Science and Faith | Pablo de Felipe Pierre Bourdon Eduardo Riaza | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Grammar of Descent: John Henry Newman and the Compatibility of Evolution with Christian Doctrine Abstract It is widely assumed that the nineteenth century was an age dominated by unbelief. According to this view, developments in the natural sciences, such as Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, combined with the rise of historical-critical biblical scholarship, drove many Victorians away from traditional Christian belief towards scepticism. However, while it is certainly true that many nineteenth-century thinkers came to regard orthodox religious belief as incompatible with modern science, the eminent English Roman Catholic theologian John Henry Newman (1801–90) is an outstanding example of a nineteenth-century thinker who believed that there need be no necessary contradiction between the data of Christian revelation and the scientific advances of his day. This paper explores Newman’s ideas concerning evolution, and, by focusing on his engagements with some key Victorian contemporaries, shows that, for Newman, evolutionary theory was compatible with Christian doctrine.Newman, evolution, Darwinism, faith and reason, development of doctrine, theodicy, rationality, conscience | JONATHAN W. CHAPPELL | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Disability and the resurrection body | JOHN HASTINGS | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A response to John Hastings | TIMOTHY WALL | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | After the Monkey Trial: Evangelical Scientists and a New Creationism | Christopher M Rios (Keith Fox) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Humanity and the Cosmos – Third Edition: A Textbook in Science and Religion | Christopher Southgate (ed.) (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Unknown God: Responses to the New Atheists | John Hughes (ed.) (James Orr) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Nature of Creation: Examining the Bible and Science | Mark Harris (Hilary Marlow) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | C.S. Lewis vs the New Atheists | Peter S.Williams (Paul Wraight) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God in the Lab: How Science Enhances Faith | Ruth M. Bancewicz (Andrew Bowie) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith and Wisdom in Science | Tom McLeish (Tim Middleton) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | We Are Our Brains – From the Womb to Alzheimer’s | Dick Swaab Jane Hedley-Prole transl. (Denis Alexander) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Wisdom of the Liminal: Evolution and Other Animals in Human Becoming | Celia Deane-Drummond (Bethany Sollereder) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Planet | Owen Gingerich (Eric Priest) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Great Astronomers in European History | Paul Marston (Allan Chapman) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The World is Not Six Thousand Years Old – So What? | Antoine Bret (Peter Lynch) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and the Sciences of Origins: Historical and Contemporary Discussions | Kelly James Clark (Stephen Thompson) | October | 2015 | 27 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Conflict or mutual enrichment? Why science and theology need to talk to each other | ALISTER E. McGRATH | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Understanding the causes of same-sex attraction Abstract The aim of this paper is to review the current academic literature on the aetiology of same-sex attraction, with a particular focus on its biological causes. Environmental, biological and choice-based aetiologies are discussed, and the empirical evidence for each position is considered. We conclude that, while some aetiologies are better supported than others, no putative cause of same-sex attraction has a sufficient empirical basis to demonstrate its causal role in same-sex attraction. Furthermore, no single cause can explain the variety of forms of same-sex attraction across different genders and cultures. We suggest that same-sex attraction is likely to be caused by a complex interplay of factors, both biological and environmental, and that causal pathways are unique to the individual.Same-sex attraction; homosexuality; genetics; environment; causation | Eleanor Whiteway Denis R. Alexander | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Supplementary | Understanding the causes of same-sex attraction | Eleanor Whiteway Denis R. Alexander | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Resurrection and the natural sciences: some theological insights on sanctification and disability Abstract I will explore the Christian concept of resurrection from a biblical perspective arguing that it is physical and found in the context of new creation. These two results are crucial for maintaining compatibility with the natural sciences, for neuroscience emphasises the importance of physicality for identity and cosmology stresses the necessary transformation of the universe if, ultimately, life is to survive. By placing these ideas in dialogue, the importance of the eschatological transformation of both pattern and matter can be seen. This in turn has theological consequences for understanding both how sanctification can be perfected in the resurrection and how disability can be understood in the resurrected life without personal identity being obscured.cosmology, disability, eschatology, identity, matter, neuroscience, pattern, Polkinghorne, resurrection, sanctification | TIMOTHY WALL | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Can we give up the origin of humanity from a primal couple without giving up the teaching of original sin and atonement? Abstract Recent genetic studies have strengthened the hypothesis that humans did not originate from a single couple of the species Homo sapiens. Different models have been proposed to harmonise this with Christian belief on original sin and atonement. In this article I discuss these models and propose a new explanation derived from Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica I, 98-100 and Romans 5:19;11:32. I argue that generations may have passed before the appearance of sin, and hence belief in ‘original sin’ does not require that it was committed by a pair of persons who are biologically the common ancestors of all human persons. In the light of this analysis I consider moral responsibility as the distinctive sign of human personhood, and assume that the creation of the first human persons happened during the Neolithic period. The article concludes that views of the biological origin of humanity from a primeval Homo sapiens population (polygenism) or a single couple (monogenism) are both compatible with Christian belief, and therefore deciding between these two hypotheses should be better left to science.human evolution, genetic diversity, ‘Homo divinus’, ‘relational damage’, God’s intervention, first human persons, Adam and Eve, Romans 11:32, moral responsibility, original sin, atonement, Darwinian principles, monogenism, polygenism | Antoine Suarez | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Supplementary | Can we give up the origin of humanity from a primal couple without giving up the teaching of original sin and atonement? | Antoine Suarez | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Re-examining Tertullian and Augustine’s Relationship for the Theology Science Dialogue Abstract When the development of the relationship between Theology and Science is discussed, Tertullian and Augustine are typically used to represent diametrically opposed methodologies. One such recent example is Lindberg’s well-argued review of how scientific knowledge was addressed in the patristic period, which contrasts viewing science with suspicion (Tertullian) with the approach which sees it as a servant to theology (Augustine). This paper explores a largely unnoticed and unexamined dependency of Augustine in de Genesi ad Litteram on Tertullian’s de Anima. Augustine’s argument closely follows that of Tertullian, departing from the text of Genesis at the same places for the same topics as Tertullian. Noteworthy is that Augustine follows Tertullian at one point where Tertullian reverses his normal rhetoric to base his understanding of anthropology and in particular of the origin and nature of the soul upon contemporary scientia rather than his usual practice of beginning with Scripture. Rather than Tertullian and Augustine being exemplars of different approaches to the relationship of theology and science this examination of the close dependence of one theologian on the other and on then contemporary best scientific knowledge further demonstrates that the relationship is far more complicated and interdependent than often acknowledged.Tertullian, Augustine, Newton, divine agency, soul | ROBERT BRENNAN | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design | Stephen C. Meyer (Martin R. Smith) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Living Lightly, Living Faithfully: Religious faiths and the future of sustainability | Colin Bell Jonathan Chaplin Robert White (Chris Naylor) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist, Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False | Thomas Nagel (Chris Oldfield) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Better People or Enhanced Humans? What it might mean to be fully alive in the context of Human Enhancement | Justin Tomkins (D. Gareth Jones) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Is Religion Natural? | D. Evers M. Fuller A. Jackelen T. Smedes (eds.) (James W. Jones) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Rocks Don’t Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah’s Flood | David R. Montgomery (David Young) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Four Views on the Historical Adam | Matthew Barrett Ardel B. Caneday (eds.) (John J. Bimson) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say About Human Origins | Peter Enns (John J. Bimson) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Flourishing: Health, Disease and Bioethics in Theological Perspective | Neil Messer (John Bryant) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Toward an Ecology of Transfiguration. Orthodox Christian Perspectives on Environment, Nature and Creation | John Chryssavgis Bruce V. Foltz (eds.) (Alexei Nesteruk) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love | Elizabeth A. Johnson (Christopher Southgate) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Who is to blame? – Disasters, Nature, and Acts of God | Robert S. White (Tim Middleton) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Trees: Trees, Forests and Wood in the Bible, An Illustrated Commentary and Compendium | Julian Evans (Rebecca Watson) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | As Long As The Earth Endures: The Bible, Creation and the Environment | Jonathan Moo Robin Routledge (eds.) (Ron Elsdon) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolutionary Biology. Conceptual, Ethical, and Religious Issues | Paul Thompson Denis Walsh (eds.) (R. J. (Sam) Berry) | April | 2015 | 27 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Boyle Lecture 2014: New Atheism – New Apologetics: The Use of Science in Recent Christian Apologetic Writings | ALISTER E. McGRATH | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | New Atheism – New Apologetics: A Response to Alister McGrath | RICHARD HARRIES | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Response to Richard Harries | ALISTER E. McGRATH | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Is evolution truly random? Chance as an ideological weapon in the ‘evolution-creation’ debate Abstract The theory of evolution by natural selection has been debated by scientists and theologians of all faiths since it was first published by Charles Darwin in 1859. One of the core issues is the extent of chance’s role in the evolutionary process and the consequences of random evolution on the classical understanding of the cosmos as a reality created by divine design and guided by a divine providence: if evolution is completely random, what place is left for God’s hand? This crucial question has been given a wide array of diverging answers, ranging from the non-existence of evolution to the non-existence of God via several attempts to combine chance and design in a universal theory. This essay discusses the underlying concepts of chance and design displayed by three key movements in today’s debate: scientific creationism – that evolution as a completely random process is antithetic to a providential faith; Intelligent Design – that the current theory of evolution is found lacking and must be completed by a divine design and designer; and scientific materialism – that evolution as a partially random but completely mindless process renders providence and design obsolete.chance, design, providence, evolutionary theory, creationism, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Intelligent Design Theory, William
Dembski, Michael Behe | DIANE BISSEN | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Christian Responses to Challenging Developments in Biomedical Science: The Case of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Abstract The emergence of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the late 1970s and early 1980s was met by mixed responses within Christian circles, from outright hostility amid fears to guarded acceptance. As we look back on those responses, what have we learned and what might an appropriate theological response be today? I shall argue that the responses fall into five categories: A, embryo centred – categorical; B, embryo centred – precautionary; C, embryo centred – human control; D, child and family centred – addressing infertility; E, desire centred – overcoming human limitations. While embryo centred categories (A-C) predominate among conservative Christians, there are distinct differences within these categories pointing to a variety of presuppositions. Overall, however, they place far more ethical and theological weight on the embryo than on those seeking assistance to ameliorate clinical fertility problems (D). The desire centred category (E) is common within secular thinking although there is morphing of D into some elements of E. Together they point to the multiplicity of ways in which traditional ethical boundaries have been challenged by some applications of the artificial reproductive technologies (ARTs). I suggest that Christian approval of the ARTs will be a circumspect approval, and will seek to grapple with questions of motivation, limits on ways in which the ARTs will be employed, the centrality of human relationships for decision-making, and the role of legitimate scientific investigation in understanding early human development. These considerations bear upon how Christians function in the public arena.IVF, Robert Edwards, human embryo, infertility, Roman Catholic responses, Protestant responses | D. GARETH JONES | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary: Emeritus Professor Allan John Day (1927-2013) | Professor Gordon Lynch Professor Stephen Harrap Dr Timothy Day Emeritus Professor John Pilbrow | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In the Eye of the Storm: The Autobiography of Sir John Houghton | Sir John Houghton with Gill Tavner (David Gregory) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Search of Self: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Personhood | J. Wentzel van Huyssteen Erik P. Wiebe (eds.) (Malcolm Jeeves) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Big Bang, Big God: A Universe Designed for Life? | Rodney Holder (John Ling) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Hope in an Age of Despair: The Gospel and the Future of Life on Earth | Jonathan Moo Robert White (Dave Bookless) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Augustine and Science | John Doody Adam Goldstein Kim Paffenroth (eds.) (Ernest C. Lucas) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not | Robert N. McCauley (James W. Jones) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Biologist: A Life of Alister Hardy | David Hay (Jonathan Jong) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Belief: Confessions of a Religious Paleontologist | Robert J. Asher (Simon Conway Morris) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | What the Heavens Declare: Science in the Light of Creation | Lydia Jaeger (William Simpson) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science | Nidhal Guessoum (James Hannam) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Chimera’s Children: Ethical, Philosophical and Religious Perspectives on Human-Nonhuman Experimentation | Calum MacKellar David Albert Jones (eds.) (John Hodges) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Unlocking Divine Action. Contemporary Science & Thomas Aquinas | Michael J. Dodds (Fintan Lyons) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond Human? Science and the Changing Face of Humanity | John Bryant (Robin Gill) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Kneeling at the Altar of Science: The Mistaken Path of Contemporary Religious Scientism | Robert Bolger (Taede A. Smedes) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Good News for Science: Why scientific minds need God | Davis A. Young (Peter Lynch) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dimensions of the Spirit: Science and the Work of the Holy Spirit | Eric William Middleton (Peter G.H. Clarke) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mapping the Origins Debate: Six Models of the Beginning of Everything | Gerald Rau (David Vosburg) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Doors of the Sea – Where Was God in the Tsunami? | David Bentley Hart (Tim Middleton) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evidence of God: A Scientific Case for God | Nick Hawkes (John Pilbrow) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science, Religion and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence | David Wilkinson (Ron Elsdon) | October | 2014 | 26 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: God and Science – Continuing Challenges and New Opportunities | ANDREW HALESTRAP | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Neuroscientific and psychological attacks on the efficacy of conscious will Abstract Neuroscience and psychology are increasingly being invoked to cast doubt on the fundamental intuition that our intentions and decisions are causally implicated in our behaviour. The initial attack was launched thirty years ago with the famous experiment of Benjamin Libet on the timing of decisions to perform simple movements. A second prong to the attack was launched in 2002 with the publication of social psychologist Daniel Wegner’s book, The Illusion of Conscious Will. I here summarise the intense debate that has resulted and argue that the anti-conscious-will lobby have failed to make an adequate case to justify their iconoclastic claim.Consciousness, will, brain, illusion, neuroscience, Libet, Wegner
| PETER G.H. CLARKE | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Importance of the Church Fathers for Early Modern Astronomy Abstract This article deals with reservations several Church Fathers had to astronomy and the consequences that this had for early modern astronomy. In general, the Church Fathers criticised astronomy as vain curiosity that does Christians no good. I argue that when the early modern astronomers stressed the usefulness of their discipline, it was not an expression of a new utilitarian way of thinking, but an attempt to neutralise these theological objections by highlighting the religious, social and moral benefits of astronomy. The spirit of material utility for which modern science was reproached in the twentieth century originally emerged as a need to legitimise science against the objections of theology.Lactantius, Augustine, Ambrosius, Basil of Caesarea, the Church Fathers, curiosity, Copernicus, Kepler, early modern astronomy | DANIEL ŠPELDA | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Divining Darwin: Evolving Responses and the Contribution of David Lack Abstract Christian believers, particularly evangelicals, often react to evolutionary ideas with more heat than light. A significant contribution to clarifying understanding was a book published in 1957, Evolutionary Theory and Christian Belief by the eminent ornithologist David Lack. It was the first attempt to tease out the issues by a scientist of his calibre. Information about this book has recently been published in a biography of Lack. This essay seeks to put Lack’s contribution into the perspective of both past and continuing perceptions of Christianity and evolution.Darwin, Darwinism, Evolutionary Theory and Christian Belief, David Lack, Dan and Mary Neylan, C.S.Lewis, human nature, imago Dei | R. J. (SAM) BERRY | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Does a First Cause make sense any more? | DAVID A. BOOTH | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Reply to comment from David Booth | PETER J. BUSSEY | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary: Oliver Barclay (1919-2013) | Sam Berry | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Some key issues in the Science and Faith debate Abstract The following was written by Oliver Barclay in 1987 as an introduction to a booklet of edited articles entitled ‘Science and Christian Belief’. Many of these points are still relevant today and this article is reprinted here with permission. | OLIVER BARCLAY | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology | Russell Re Manning (ed.), (Roger Trigg) | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Isaac Newton Guide Book | Denis Alexander (ed.), (Allan Chapman) | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Belief: The Big Issues | Russell Stannard, (Hilary Marlow) | April | 2014 | 26 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Keith Fox | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Humility: A Neglected Scientific Virtue? Abstract This brief paper argues for the need to reinstate humility as a key virtue in the lives of scientists who are also Christians. In a world where the scientific enterprise increasingly lacks an agreed moral compass, as evidenced by the mounting number of cases of scientific misconduct coming to light, it seems incumbent on Christians to demonstrate Christ-likeness in their professional lives. Of all the Christian virtues humility is perhaps the one that most clearly distinguishes (or should distinguish) the believer from the world, whether that is the world of science or of daily life. Furthermore, humility may allow the scientist to avoid or overcome the temptations and the dangers of hubris associated with the scientific life.virtue, science, engineering, technology, humility | Meric Srokosz | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Disputing Evolution Encourages Environmental Neglect Abstract Doubts about evolution rumble on interminably in some Christian circles, despite virtual unanimity in the scientific community about the main features of evolutionary change and their mechanism(s). The reason for such debates seems to be a laudable desire to keep God implicated in the world he made. The irony is that this effort is unnecessary; it involves a misapprehension of God’s creating and sustaining activity, as well as almost certainly alienating outsiders – as Augustine pointed out sixteen centuries ago. But more far-reaching is the likelihood that it spawns an inadequate doctrine of creation and distracts attention from the biblical mandate of creation care. Has the time come to boldly go and take more seriously the admonition of Charles Darwin in the Origin of Species (quoting Francis Bacon) that ‘no-one out of a weak conceit of sobriety should think or maintain that he can search too far or be too well studied in the book of God’s word or in the book of God’s words [divinity or science], but that all should endeavour an endless proficiency in both’?evolution, Darwinism, dualism, creation care, God’s Two Books | R.J. (SAM) BERRY | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Rethinking the Historical Fall in the Light of Evolution: F.R. Tennant and After Abstract Arguably F.R. Tennant played a pivotal role in precipitating academic discussion about the Fall and evolution between 1902 and 1939. This article outlines his proposals and explores the principal conversation partners during this period, showing that, whether in support of the Fall or opposed to it, they were spurred into contributing to the debate in direct response to Tennant’s pioneering writings.Tennant, Barnes, Chesterton, Micklem, von Hügel, evolution, original sin, fall, theodicy | JONATHAN W. CHAPPELL | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Individual Identity and Accountability in a Level 1 Multiverse | GAVIN MERRIFIELD | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Gavin Merrifield | JOHN TURL | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to John Turl and Gavin Merrifield | DON PAGE | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary: Professor Colin A. Russell, DSc, FRSC (1928-2013) | John Hedley Brooke Michael Poole | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Blackwell Companion to Science and Christianity | J. B. Stump Alan G. Padgett (eds.) (Keith Fox) | October | 2014 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion in Quest of Truth | John Polkinghorne (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Spiritual Healing: Scientific and Religious Perspectives | Fraser Watts (ed.) (David Girling) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Pious Idea: Why the Ultra-Darwinists and Creationists Both Get It Wrong | Conor Cunningham (David Lahti) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. Volumes 1 and 2 | Craig S. Keener (Tony Costa) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Supercooperators – Evolution, Altruism and Human Behaviour (or Why we need others to succeed) | Martin Nowak with Roger Highfield (Simon Kolstoe) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cognitive Science of Religion | James A. Van Slyke (Taede A. Smedes) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Cosmos: Divine Activity in Space, Time and History | Harry Lee Poe Jimmy H. Davis (Paul Wraight) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Scientist: Exploring the Work of John Polkinghorne | Fraser Watts Christopher C. Knight (eds.) (P. Douglas Kindschi) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Spirit in Creation and New Creation: Science and Theology in Western and Orthodox Realms | Michael Welker (ed.) (James Orr) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cognitive Biology: Dealing with Information from Bacteria to Minds | Gennaro Auletta (Andrew Robinson) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Eastern Orthodox Church: Historical and Current Perspectives | Daniel Buxhoeveden Gayle Woloschak (eds.) (Alexei Nesteruk) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and Science in Classroom and Pulpit | Graham Buxton Chris Mulherin Mark Worthing (Berry Billingsley) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wisdom, Science and the Scriptures: Essays in Honour of Ernest Lucas | Stephen Finamore John Weaver (eds.) (Peter Lynch) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Wonder of the Universe: Hints of God in Our Fine-Tuned World | Karl W. Giberson (Steve Bishop) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Second-Person Perspective in Aquinas’s Ethics: Virtues and Gifts | Andrew Pinsent (Andrei I. Holodny) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Georges Lemaître: Life, Science and Legacy | Rodney D. Holder Simon Mitton (eds.) (Paul Wraight) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Delight in Creation: Scientists Share Their Work with the Church | Deborah Haarsma Scott Hoezee (eds.) (R.J. [Sam] Berry) | October | 2013 | 25 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: A Change of Editor | Denis Alexander | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and Religion in the Writings of C.S. Lewis 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.C.S. Lewis, science, religion, Copernicus, reason, imagination, language, Middle Ages, meaning, mythology | Michael Ward | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | God as First Cause – a Review of the Kalam Argument 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.God, causation, First Cause, Universe, Kalam, William Lane Craig, Big Bang, physical infinity, paradox | Peter J. Bussey | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and the Eastern Orthodox Church: Historical and Current Perspectives 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.Orthodox tradition, patristic writings, logos, natural theology, panentheism, God’s immanence, pansacramentalism | Christopher C. Knight | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reclaiming Genesis | Melvin Tinker (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Spirit: A Pentecostal Engagement With the Sciences | James K. A. Smith Amos Yong [eds.] (John Bryant) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Keeping God’s Earth: the Global Environment in Biblical Perspective | Noah J. Toly Daniel I. Block [eds.] (Graham Nevin) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | On Being: A Scientist’s Exploration of the Great Questions of Existence | Peter Atkins (Philip H. Bligh) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Heavens Declare: Natural Theology and the Legacy of Karl Barth | Rodney Holder (David Girling) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Emergence in Science and Philosophy: Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Science 6 | Antonella Corradini Timothy O’Connor [eds.] (Amos Yong) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theological Anthropology, A Guide for the Perplexed | Marc Cortez (Peter G.H. Clarke) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation and the God of Abraham | David B. Burrell Carlo Cogliati Janet M. Soskice William R. Stoeger [eds.] (Ignacio Silva) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Decoding the Language of God – Can a Scientist Really Be A Believer? A Geneticist Responds to Francis Collins | George Cunningham (Andrew Bowie) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Language of Science and Faith | Karl W. Giberson Francis S. Collins (Gavin Merrifield) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical, Historical and Theological Perspectives | David G. Horrell, Cherryl Hunt Christopher Southgate Francesca Stavrakopoulou [ed.] (Jonathan Moo) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rethinking Human Nature: A Multidisciplinary Approach | Malcolm Jeeves [ed.] (Calum Miller) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fallacy of Fine Tuning: Why the universe is not designed for us | Victor J. Stenger (Paul Wraight) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Teaching Religion and Science: Effective Pedagogy and Practical Approaches for RE Teachers | Tonie Stolberg Geoff Teece (John Ling) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate | John H. Walton (Gordon Wenham) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Am I My Keeper’s Brother: Human Origins from a Christian and Scientific Perspective | Philip Pattemore (Ken Mickleson) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | 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) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere | Deane-Drummond Heinrich Bedford-Strohm [eds.] (Ron Elsdon) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Sciences of Religion: Exploring Spirituality from the Outside In and Bottom Up | William Grassie (Robert Stening) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Seven Days That Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science | John C. Lennox (Robert Stening) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God Species: How the Planet Can Survive the Age of Humans | Mark Lynas (Colin Bell) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity in Evolution. An Exploration | Jack Mahoney (Fintan Lyons) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Atoms and Eden: Conversations on Religion and Science | Steve Paulson (Keith Fox) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism | Alvin Plantinga (Jonathan Jong) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Is Religion Irrational? | Keith Ward (William Simpson) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Lion Handbook of Science & Christianity | R. J. Berry [ed.] (Tim Middleton) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ecology and the Environment: The Mechanisms, Marring, and Maintenance of Nature | R. J. Berry (Malcolm S. Buchanan) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion Around the World | John Hedley Brooke Ronald L. Numbers (James Hannam) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Atheism’s New Clothes: Exploring and Exposing the Claims of the New Atheists | David H. Glass (Paul Wraight) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus | Colin J. Humphreys (Peter Walker) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Monopolizing Knowledge: A Scientist Refutes Religion-Denying, Reason-Destroying Scientism | Ian Hutchinson (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God in the Age of Science? A Critique of Religious Reason | Herman Philipse (Patrick Richmond) | April | 2013 | 25 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial - Science, Religion and Atheism | Denis Alexander | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | From Physics to Theology - A Personal Story | JÜrgen Moltmann | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Lemaitre and Hoyle: Contrasting Characters in Science and Religion Abstract Georges Lemaitre was a jocular Roman Catholic priest and Fred Hoyle a bluff Yorkshireman who despised organised religion. Both were giants of twentieth century cosmology but espoused diametrically opposed cosmological models. This paper explores the extent to which ideology, and particularly religion, played a part in the controversies over the Big Bang and steady-state theories. A significant problem for many cosmologists, including Hoyle, was posed by the idea that the universe had a temporal beginning: an eternal, unchanging universe seemed metaphysically preferable. And Hoyle was highly polemical about religion in his popular writings. In contrast, Lemaitre saw no theological import from the Big Bang, and never entered a debate about its theological implications until, perhaps unexpectedly, he took issue with an address given by the Pope. Hoyle's seminal work on stellar nucleosynthesis led him to speak of a 'superintellect monkeying with physics' though this was never identified with the God of classical theism. The work of both Lemaitre and Hoyle resonates with more recent debates concerning cosmology.Lemaitre, Hoyle, Big Bang, steady-state theory, cosmology, creation | Rodney Holder | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Limits of Science and the Christian Faith Abstract This paper is a discussion of the claim that, given the findings of science, the rational stance to take towards Christian belief is either to abandon it or to reform it drastically. It is argued that science has a number of limits, and that when these are taken into serious consideration, the claim loses much of its force.philosophy of science, epistemology, rationality, Christian belief | René Van Woudenberg | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Does the History of Science and Religion Change Depending on the Narrator? Some Atheist and Agnostic Perspectives Abstract During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the strategy of unbelievers revolved around attempting, without too much success, to draw out of Newtonianism some kind of justification for their materialism and their atheism. This affected how they viewed the historical relations between science and religion. But after the publication of The Origin of Species in 1859, evolutionary theory offered new opportunities for unbelievers for dealing with the Newton problem. It allowed them to create a new vision of science from the ground up using evolution, and not Newtonian physics, as their starting point. By separating science and religion into two separate spheres, they were now free to construct a religiously neutral scientific system and to offer a re-interpretation of the history of science and religion that relegated Newtonianism to the sidelines. But, in contrast to contemporary unbelievers, they saw themselves as agnostics who valued religion as an intrinsic dimension of the human condition.Newton, Voltaire, Holbach, Tyndall, Huxley, atheism, agnosticism | Bernard Lightman | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Creation Care: Stewardship or What? Abstract There are practical and urgent reasons for treating our environment sensibly, but there are also theological ones which underpin them. Our environment is God’s creation. How Christians regard and treat their environment ultimately depends on their understanding of the creative and sustaining work of God. A valid ecotheology must involve the study of God’s Book of Words (the Bible) and his Book of Works (Creation, which we learn about from ecological and environmental science). This essay reviews and puts into this context a number of recent books on the subject of creation care.creation, environment, ecology, stewardship, ecotheology | R J Berry | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Encountering Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible | John Polkinghorne (Hilary Marlow) | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Trinity and an Entangled World: Relationality in Physical Science and Theology | John Polkinghorne (ed. (Peter Bussey) | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Identity at the Intersection of Science, Technology and Religion | Nancey Murphy Christopher C. Knight (eds.) (Paul N. Markham) | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | New Proofs for the Existence of God: Contributions of Contemporary Physics and Philosophy | Robert J Spitzer (David Watts) | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | More than Matter? What Humans Really Are | Keith Ward (Peter Hampson) | October | 2012 | 24 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: Science and theology in the non-Western world | Ross McKenzie | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Aquinas and Contemporary Cosmology: Creation and Beginnings Abstract Discussions in the Middle Ages about creation and the temporal beginning of the world involved sophisticated analyses in theology, metaphysics and natural philosophy. Medieval insights on this subject, especially Thomas Aquinas’s defence of the intelligibility of an eternal, created universe, can help to clarify reflections about the philosophical and theological implications of contemporary cosmological theories: from the ‘singularity’ of the Big Bang, to ‘quantum tunnelling from nothing’, to multiverse scenarios. This paper looks at different senses of ‘beginning’ and argues that creation, in its fundamental, philosophical meaning, tells us nothing about whether there is a temporal beginning to the universe. Multiverse models, like that recently proposed by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, may challenge certain views of a Grand Designer, but not of a Creator.cosmology, creation, multiverses, Aquinas, Big Bang, quantum tunnelling, ex nihilo | William E. Carroll | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | John Polkinghorne on Divine Action: a Coherent Theological Evolution Abstract I examine John Polkinghorne's account of how God acts in the world, focusing on how his ideas developed with the consideration of the notion of kenosis, and how this development was not a rejection of his previous ideas, but on the contrary a fulfilling of his own personal philosophical and theological insights. Polkinghorne's thought can be distinguished in three different periods:1) divine action as input of active information (1988-2000/2001);2) Polkinghorne's reception of the notion of kenosis (2000-2004);3) Polkinghorne's 'thought experiment' approach to his ideas on divine action (2004- ). Finally, I consider the question of internal coherence of this theological development, focusing on the transition from the first to the second period, which I believe to be the most significant.John Polkinghorne, divine action, input of active information, kenosis | Ignacio Silva | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Divine Action - Some Comments | John Polkinghorne | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Emergent, Self-explaining Universe of Paul Davies - a Summary and Christian Response Abstract Physicist Paul Davies has emerged as one of the most popular scientists of the twenty-first century, despite his critique of the scientific establishment and its perceived failure to account for the origins and rational nature of the universe. Davies argues that the scientific consensus on cosmology rests on faith, both in its failure to provide an ultimate explanation for the origin of the universe and in its blind acceptance of its rational laws. As an alternative, Davies postulates an 'emergent' universe which contains the cause of its own existence and which renders unnecessary any sort of a personal deity. Yet Davies's alternative falls short of providing a satisfactory cosmic explanation. Davies himself cannot adequately account for the principle of backward causation which creates his universe, and thus his paradigm still relies on a transcendent principle that remains unexplained. Furthermore, Davies's objections against a personal god can be answered on philosophical grounds. Thus Davies's hypothesis does not provide a superior alternative to the Christian view of God.Paul Davies, physics, universe, emergent, self-causation, quantum mechanics, cosmology, time, teleology, cosmological argument, fine-tuning | Paul Himes | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Do Many Worlds Make Light Work? Abstract In the light of the lessons of history following the work of such scientists as Copernicus and Darwin, Christian scientists may be wary of condemning scientific theories as unscriptural or unchristian. Nevertheless it is not inconceivable that, as physics becomes entwined with cosmology, some physical theories or metatheories will eventually conflict with some key Christian doctrines. Multiverse theories are no longer merely the stuff of science fiction but are regarded by some physicists as logical extensions of viable theories and by others as fanciful speculation. Whereas attention so far has focused on their ability to solve the fine-tuning problem, this article examines some of the theological implications should one or more of them be considered valid.creation, everything, fine-tuning, gap, multiverse, random, universe, worlds | John Turl | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Peter Clarke on 'Determinism, Brain Function and Free Will' | Michael Brownnutt | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Indeterminism Beyond Heisenberg | Peter G.H. Clarke | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne found God in Science and Religion | Dean Nelson Karl Giberson (Michael Poole) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Polkinghorne Reader | Thomas Jay Oord (ed.) (Peter Mc Carthy) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism | Peter S. Williams (Ken Mickleson) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biblical Prophets and Contemporary Environmental Ethics: Re-Reading Amos, Hosea, and First Isaiah | Hilary Marlow (Cherryl Hunt) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies | David Bentley Hart (Rodney Holder) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion | Peter Harrison (ed.) (Jeremy Law) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: Understanding the Issues | Nancy Morvillo (John Weaver) | April | 2012 | 24 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Looking Backwards and Looking Forwards | Denis Alexander | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Early Modern Biblical Interpretation and the Emergence of Science | Scott Mandelbrote | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | ‘Good Death’: a Common Pattern in the Evolution of Mathematics, Science and Biological Organisms Abstract Drawing from experience of pure mathematical and historical research, this paper investigates the formation and development of mathematical concepts, and explores the way such a communal creative enterprise evolves. These insights are used to look again at biological evolution and scientific theory-selection. On turning round the metaphor ‘red in tooth and claw’ that is sometimes applied to nature and to competing scientific theories and contrasting the two images, compost heap and scrap heap, a common pattern emerges of forms of ‘self-giving’ operating within a framework of co-creative competition. Images of ‘self-giving’, and even of ‘sacrifice’, are found in the evolution of the cosmos, of living organisms, of scientific theories, of mathematical concepts. In each there is the passing, or ‘death’, of the old, not just to make way but to prepare the way for, and to be subsumed into, the ‘life’ of the new. Use is made of Austin Farrer’s theology of ‘a world made to make itself’, and his insistence on the centrality of self-giving in the economy of God’s world.mathematics, concept-formation, theory-selection, evolution, death, self-giving, sacrifice | Gavin Hitchcock | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and Eschatology in the Open Universe Abstract This article explores possibilities of a rapprochement between Christian eschatology and the scientific enquiry into the future of the universe through a discussion of contemporary literature from three fields: a. data from the natural sciences about the universe, its development and future, b. research on the relationship between mind and body, and c. theology and the study of divine action. The article argues for an interdisciplinary approach to eschatology in which the overall perspective of an open (that is, not completely deterministic) universe is taken into account. The second part of the article consists of a set of ‘eschatological options’, that is, possible relationships among these three sets of data as found in the still quite scarce literature on eschatology and science, what they might imply for the future of humanity and the universe, and what ethical and eschato-practical consequences they entaileschatology, future of the universe, mind-body relationship, miracle, indeterminism, thermodynamics, emergence, fine-tuning, incompleteness, open universe | Daniel Saudek | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Nuclear Power and Energy Sustainability Abstract Nuclear energy is assuming more importance in energy policies worldwide due to its basic economics coupled with energy security concerns and popular interest in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from electricity production. Its performance characteristics suit it best to continuous, reliable supply of electricity on a large scale. Its physics enable control of reactions in both moderated and fast neutron configurations. On all these fronts, having this mature technology (with over 14,500 reactor-years of civil operation in 32 countries) available at this particular time can be considered indicative of God’s providence in the sense of liberality of provision for human needs. The paper relates this serendipitous situation to God’s creation and addresses some common concerns. The paper contends that Christian stewardship of God’s creation in applying its bounty to human needs appropriately involves utilising nuclear power more widely, among many other things.energy, nuclear, uranium, fission, neutron, stewardship of creation | Ian Hore-Lacy | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religious Anthropology: a spiritually evocative naturalist interpretation of human life | Wesley J. Wildman (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: New Historical Perspectives | Thomas Dixon Geoffrey Cantor Stephen Pumfrey (eds.) (James Hannam) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | SCM Core Text: Christianity and Science | John Weaver (Andrew Bowie) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reason, Faith, and Revolution – Reflections on the God Debate | Terry Eagleton (Denis Alexander) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God of Nature: Incarnation and Contemporary Science | Christopher Knight (Christopher Southgate) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin, Creation and the Fall – Theological Challenges | R.J. Berry T.A. Noble (eds.) (Simon Kolstoe) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think | Elaine Howard Ecklund (Nick Spencer) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How God Acts: Creation, Redemption and Special Divine Acts | Denis Edwards (John Pilbrow) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Making Sense of Evolution: Darwin, God and the Drama of Life | John F. Haught (Celia Deane-Drummond) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Boyle: Between God and Science | Michael Hunter (Allan Chapman) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Geology and Religion: A History of Harmony and Hostility | Kölbl-Ebert, M. (ed.) (Ron Elsdon) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Conceiving God: The Cognitive Origin and Evolution of Religion | David Lewis-Williams (Justin L. Barrett) | October | 2011 | 23 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: The Bible, Ethics and the New Atheism | Rodney D. Holder | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Mystery and Ignorance Abstract This essay considers the difference between mystery and ignorance, where mystery is understood as that which cannot be comprehended by the human intellect. Confusion between these two categories may be an important element in the alleged conflict between religion and science. Different types of mystery are considered, some of which can be associated with experiences with religious overtones while others are of a more secular nature; these I call strong and everyday mystery respectively. In particular, we consider the view of Einstein that contemplation of the physical universe and its laws can generate exceptionally strong feelings of mystery. Although science is very accomplished at removing ignorance, mystery still remains after this has been achieved, and elements of mystery are a proper component of both religion and secular personal existence. I examine critically the world-view of rationalism, given that many affirmed rationalists see rational knowledge as being opposed both to mystery and religion. I argue that this is an erroneous position compounded by a confusion between ignorance and mystery. Some suggestions concerning how we relate to mystery in our lives are presented, together with a brief discussion of apophatic theology.mystery, ignorance, religion, rationality, rationalism, science, Einstein, Russell, apophatic theology | Peter J. Bussey | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Theodicy and Geodesy: Who Is to Blame? Abstract The Christian faith is often questioned when disasters happen. Undoubtedly some people do not want answers so much as to justify unbelief. It is the conviction of the author that many ‘know not what they ask’ and ‘do not stay for an answer’. Presumptions are made concerning God’s nature that need to be either stated or queried, and assumptions made concerning the wisdom and consequences of intervention. The haste with which disasters are labelled ‘acts of God’ is a sad reflection on the human tendency to deny responsibility, even where the evidence is to the contrary. This article examines some possible responses to such challenges.disaster, earthquake, evil, free will, Haiti, responsibility | John Turl | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Theistic evolution and the Fall | Dermot O'Callaghan | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | User’s Guide to Science and Belief | M.W.Poole | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Adam or Adamah? Abstract Many – perhaps most – commentators on the creation story in Genesis accept the conventional scientific understanding that at least several hundred hominids formed the ancestral group which gave rise to modern humankind, treating ‘Adam’ as a metaphor for this group and using the word as a play on adamah, which means ‘from the earth’. This is consistent as far as it goes, but it has the danger of being subservient to science and requiring hermeneutical gymnastics to accommodate robust interpretations of the relevance of the ‘Fall story’ and original sin, especially the force of Paul’s analogy in Romans 5:12-19 between the ‘first man’ and the ‘last man’. These difficulties disappear if we treat Adam as an individual imbued with God’s image, which does not spread through conventional Mendelian mechanisms, but depends on and is transmitted by God’s divine (and mysterious) action; God’s image in us reflects our relationship with him, which can be broken (as it was in the ‘Fall’), but is restored when we are ‘in Christ’. Our role on Earth is to foster this God-given relationship and the responsibilities implicit in caring for our fellows and other parts of creation.human evolution, Adam, adamah, Fall, federal head, imago Dei, Darwinism, original sin | R. J. Berry | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A Response to Dermot O’Callaghan | R J Berry | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature and Scripture in the Abrahamic Religions | Jitse M. van der Meer Scott Mandelbrote (eds.) (Ernan McMullin) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Groaning of Creation: God, Evolution, and the Problem of Evil | Christopher Southgate (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Reckless Hands: Skinner v. Oklahoma and the Near Triumph of American Eugenics | Victoria F. Nourse (Edward J. Larson) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Teaching About Scientific Origins – Taking Account of Creationism, Volume 277, Counterpoints series – Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education | Leslie S Jones Michael J. Reiss (eds.) (John Ling) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Against Atheism. Why Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris Are Fundamentally Wrong | Ian S. Markham (Peter Bussey) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Horizons of Cosmology: Exploring Worlds Seen and Unseen | Joseph Silk (Paul Wraight) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Grand Design: New Answers to the Ultimate Questions of Life | Stephen Hawking Leonard Mlodinow (Rodney Holder) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creationism and its Critics in Antiquity | David Sedley (Simon Mitton) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Debating Darwin. Two Debates: Is Darwinism True & Does it Matter? | Graeme Finlay Stephen Lloyd Stephen Pattemore David Swift (Simon Kolstoe) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate | John H. Walton (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | I Love Jesus & I Accept Evolution | Denis Lamoureux (Graeme Finlay) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin and God | Nick Spencer (John Spicer) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biology and Ideology from Descartes to Dawkins | Denis Alexander Ronald Numbers (eds.) (Andrew Halestrap) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology After Darwin | Michael S. Northcott R.J. Berry (eds.) (Celia Deane-Drummond) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, ethics and the human genome | Mark Bratton (ed.) (John Bryant) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Second Genesis: Stepping-stones Towards the Intelligibility of Nature | Julian Chela-Flores (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion-And-Science as Spiritual Quest for Meaning | Philip Hefner (Louise Hickman) | April | 2011 | 23 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial - A Christian Perspective on Human Enhancement | D. GARETH JONES | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Victor Stenger’s Scientific Critique of Christian Belief Abstract In two recent books, Victor Stenger claims to show that, using the scientific method, it is possible to show that the ‘God Hypothesis’ must be rejected. To a large extent his refutation is based on the use of ideas of statistical inference. The purpose of this paper is to show that the scientific method is incapable of achieving the goals set for it by Stenger and that, in particular cases, his use of it is fallacious. We deal first with intercessory prayer experiments and then with his understanding of statistical significance, meta-analysis and scientific sampling. In conclusion it is pointed out that a rigorous use of scientific method must include all the evidence which, in the case of Christianity, involves a serious examination of the evidence relating to the incarnation.design of experiments, incarnation, meta-analysis, observational data, prayer, scientific sampling, significance testing, Stenger | DAVID J. BARTHOLOMEW | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Determinism, Brain Function and Free Will Abstract The philosophical debate about determinism and free will is far from being resolved. Most philosophers (including Christians) are either compatibilists, asserting that determinism is compatible with free will, or libertarians, arguing that free will requires a fundamental indeterminism in nature, and in particular in brain function. Most libertarians invoke Heisenbergian uncertainty as the required indeterminism. The present paper, by a neurobiologist, examines these issues in relationship to biblical teaching on the brain-soul relationship. It distinguishes different levels of determinism, including genetic and environmental determinism, and argues that these are incomplete, whereas the physical (or ‘Laplacian’) determinism of brain function is almost total. In particular, it is argued that the attempt to support the libertarian concept of free will on the foundation of Heisenbergian uncertainty applied to the brain is problematic for both conceptual and quantitative reasons.free will, brain, neuroscience, quantum theory, soul, monism, dualism | PETER G. H. CLARKE | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Why Christian Theology Should Accept that Miracles Occur Abstract In this article I argue that Christian theology, in order to be sufficiently coherent, should claim that miracles, like those described in the New Testament, do occur. I discuss first an argument by Wolfhart Pannenberg that any theory of God must be based on revelation, and suggest an improvement to Pannenberg’s line of reasoning. Presupposing that Christian theology must hold that God has revealed himself decisively through Christ, I then discuss whether or not Christian theology can reject that miracles happen. Based on arguments from the discussion of Pannenberg, I argue – against scholars like David Griffin and Arthur Peacocke – that Christian theology should accept that miracles occur in order to be sufficiently coherent. The reason for this is that if miracles do not happen it is more coherent to believe that God is not revealed decisively through Christ, than to believe that he is.miracles, revelation, Pannenberg, Griffin, Peacocke | ATLE OTTESEN SØVIK | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | OBITUARY: Donald Wiseman [1918-2010] | Denis Alexander | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A soul alive in Christ | DAVID BOOTH | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A Response to David Booth | JOHN TURL | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Dualism that makes contact with science | PETER CLARKE | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Scientific explanations of religious experience? | C.J. SCHORAH | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A Response to C.J. Schorah | PATRICK RICHMOND | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion – A Very Short Introduction | Thomas Dixon (Andrew Halestrap) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Faith of Scientists in their Own Words | Nancy K. Frankenberry (Peter Lynch) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why Evolution is True | Jerry A Coyne (Ken Mickleson) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Think God, Think Science: Conversations on Life, the Universe and Faith | Michael Pfundner Ernest Lucas (Owen Thurtle) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and Evolution: A Reader | Mary Kathleen Cunningham (ed.) (James Crocker) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin and Catholicism: the Past and Present Dynamics of a Cultural Encounter | Louis Caruana (ed.) (Cyprian Love) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Tangled Web: Medicine and Theology in Dialogue | R. John Elford D. Gareth Jones (eds.) (John Bryant) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Entropic Creation: Religious Contexts of Thermodynamics and Cosmology | Helge S. Kragh (Mark McCartney) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth | Edward O. Wilson (Jonathan Moo) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | When Enough is Enough: A Christian Framework for Environmental Sustainability | R. J. Berry (ed.) (Hilary Marlow) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation’s Diversity: Voices from Theology and Science | Willem B. Drees Hubert Meisinger Taede A. Smedes (eds.) (Cherryl Hunt) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Purpose in the living world? Creation and emergent evolution | Jacob Klapwijk (Paul Ewart) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Universe as Communion: Towards a Neo-Patristic Synthesis of Theology and Science | Alexei V. Nesteruk (Christopher C. Knight) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Divine Grace and Emerging Creation: Wesleyan Forays in Science and Theology of Creation | Thomas Jay Oord (Philip Luscombe) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Two Books: Historical Notes on Some Interactions Between Natural Science and Theology | Olaf Pedersen (Stephen Walley) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation and the Conflict over Evolution | Tatha Wiley (Michael Poole) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mind, Brain and the Elusive Soul: Human Systems of Cognitive Science and Religion | Mark Graves (Ross McKenzie) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature | Benjamin Wiker Jonathan Witt (Paul Wraight) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | My Brain Made Me Do It: The Rise of Neuroscience and the Threat to Moral Responsibility | Eliezer Sternberg (Kile Jones) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why the Science and Religion Dialogue Matters: Voices from the International Society for Science and Religion | Fraser Watts Kevin Dutton (eds.) (Jeremy Law) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Eco-Theology | Celia Deane-Drummond (Margot Hodson) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, the big bang and Bunsen-burning issues | Nigel Bovey (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Back to Darwin: a richer account of evolution | John B. Cobb (ed.) (Tom Hartman) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cosmology: From Alpha to Omega | Robert John Russell (Daniel Saudek) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Should Christians Embrace Evolution? Biblical and scientific responses | Norman C. Nevin (ed.) (R.J. Berry) | October | 2010 | 22 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Science and Christian Belief – Recent Developments | Denis Alexander | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Religion and the Early Royal Society Abstract The 1663 charter of the Royal Society declares that its activities shall be devoted ‘to the glory of God the Creator, and the advantage of the human race’. Yet other documents associated with the early Royal Society note that its fellows scrupulously avoided ‘meddling with Divinity, Metaphysics, Moralls’. This paper considers these apparently contradictory statements and seeks to offer an account of the roles which religion did, and did not, play in the pursuits and aspirations of the early Royal Society. In doing so, it gives consideration to a range of theories about the influence of religion on seventeenth century English science, including those of R.K. Merton, Charles Webster and Stephen Gaukroger.Royal Society, Merton Thesis, Puritanism, Scientific Revolution, Robert Boyle, John Ray, Thomas Sprat | Peter Harrison | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Scientific Explanations of Religious Experience and Their Implications for Belief Abstract Leading contemporary philosophers of religion such as Richard Swinburne and Alvin Plantinga have appealed to some sort of religious experience in defending the propriety of religious belief. Recently, best-selling atheistic books such as Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion and Daniel Dennett’s Breaking the Spell have popularised new scientific explanations that suggest that religious belief is a natural product of evolution. In this paper, I sketch the views of Plantinga and Swinburne, outline some of the recent scientific explanations of religious experience and belief and discuss their possible implications for the propriety of religious belief.Richard Swinburne; Alvin Plantinga; Cognitive Science of Religion; Justin Barrett, Scott Atran, Pascal Boyer, Naturalistic explanations of Religion; Reformed Epistemology; Warrant | Patrick Richmond | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Is Science Very Different from Religion? A Polanyian Perspective Abstract Polanyi argued that science had to be pursued as a personal passion within a fiduciary framework. His writings are used to demonstrate that science is not completely different from religion, although it is made out to be. Science and religion both use faith in order to act. Science, like religion, has indispensable subjective elements too, but that need not and does not preclude objectivity. In addition, science itself is often dogmatic and has a set of core commitments that do not change, similar to the core beliefs in religions. Finally, although science seeks the assent of all its practitioners while people are divided into many religions, there are times when science is and perhaps should be pursued within differing and even competing schools of thought.alternatives, detachment, dogmatism, doubt, faith, paradigm, Polanyi, religion, science, subjectivity | Priyan Dias | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | OBITUARY: Vladimir Betina | Josef Potocek | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Substance Dualism or Body-Soul Duality? Abstract The natures of mind and soul have been frequently discussed over the last decade in this journal. The trend has been to move from a dualistic account towards some form of monism, while attempting to avoid the extreme of materialism with its perceived threat to rational and moral freedom. This article queries whether dualism really is dead and whether the new soul to which we are asked to subscribe is the soul of biblical teaching. Philosophical and metaphysical arguments are used to support the thesis that some form of dualism is still scientifically respectable, but the distinction of substance may be based in our ignorance of the nature of both matter and spirit.dualism, emergence, materialism, mind, monism, physicalism, soul | John Turl | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Nancy Cartwright’s Rejection of the Laws of Nature and the Divine Lawgiver Abstract Well-known for her thesis that the laws of nature ‘lie’, Cartwright argues for a return to the capacities, conceptually close to Aristotelian natures. The religious references so dispersed in Cartwright’s writings could, at first, lead one to think that her religious influences played a negligible role in the elaboration of her conception of natural order. However, when these few indications are considered alongside biographical information, it becomes clear that the absence of faith in God is of crucial importance, not only to her rejection of laws, but even more so to her adoption of the capacities, and to her preference for the ‘dappled’ world, that is, a world-view that sees unified scientific description as impossible. Thus, Cartwright gives us a significant example of what might well be the paradoxical situation of a certain number of philosophers of science writing in the analytic tradition: the (relative) rareness of references to their religious convictions hides their truly fundamental influence.laws of nature, matter, Aristotelian natures, hylomorphism, exact science, idealisation, atheism, empiricism, Nancy Cartwright | Lydia Jaeger | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christ and Evolution: Wonder and Wisdom | Celia Deane-Drummond (John Habgood) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Behind the Scenes at Galileo’s Trial | Richard J. Blackwell (Ernan McMullin) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Re-Emergence of Emergence: The Emergentist Hypothesis from Science to Religion | Philip Clayton & Paul Davies (eds.) (Russell Re Manning) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Responsible Dominion: A Christian Approach to Sustainable Development | Ian Hore-Lacy (Brian Heap) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion | Ronald L. Numbers (ed.) (Geoffrey Cantor) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Fine-Tuned Universe: The Quest for God in Science and Theology | Alister E. McGrath (Rodney Holder) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christology and Science | F. LeRon Shults (Philip Luscombe) | April | 2007 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens | John F. Haught (Louise Hickman) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolutionary Creation: A Christian Approach to Evolution | Denis O. Lamoureux (Simon Kolstoe) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Friendly Letter to Sceptics and Atheists – Musings on Why God is Good and Faith isn’t Evil | David G. Myers (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Adam’s Ancestors: Race, Religion and the Politics of Human Origins | David N. Livingstone (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why Us? How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves | James Le Fanu (Denis Alexander) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | User’s Guide to Science and Belief | Michael Poole (John Ling) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Starlight, Time and the New Physics | John Hartnett (Dr John Martin) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation: Law and Probability | Fraser Watts (editor) (Mark McCartney) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science | James Hannam (Allan Chapman) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist | Andrew Newberg Mark Robert Waldman (Malcolm Jeeves) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Believing Primate: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Reflections on the Origin of Religion | Jeffrey Schloss Michael Murray (eds.) (Patrick Richmond) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology, Psychology and the Plural Self | Léon Turner (Alun Morinan) | April | 2010 | 22 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: The myth of physicalism | Peter Bussey | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Eternity and Temporality in the Theology of Karl Barth Abstract This study outlines Karl Barth’s doctrine of time in which he presents created time as outflowing from God’s eternity. God’s nature, seen as self-revealing, assumes the possibility of created time. Earthly temporality is understood as proceeding from the potentiality of God’s eternity. The Incarnation is seen as a breaking in of God’s eternity into humanity’s temporality, bringing about a healing and redemption of earthly time. The fusion of past, present and future into one is essentially Trinitarian, the paradox of the Triune God being reflected in Barth’s relationship of time and eternity. Barth’s doctrine of time is considered in the light of modern notions of time as revealed by science. The proposal is made that Barth’s comprehensive doctrine of time may serve to lessen some of the contradictions involved in reconciling God’s timelessness and his intimate involvement with the created order.eternity, temporality, Karl Barth, theology of time, incarnation | Hilary C. Martin | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Necessity of Chance: Randomness, Purpose and the Sovereignty of God Abstract Chance in creation is discussed in the context of purpose and meaning and its implications for the sovereignty of God. Disorder and chaos arising from chance are often seen as destructive and randomness per se as evidence that there is no purpose in the universe. Using examples from physics it is argued that chaos can be constructive. Chance is also shown to be consistent with meaning and purpose. By considering chance in theodicy, the randomness in the distribution of suffering, it is argued that chance is necessary both to allow human freedom and to preserve God’s sovereignty. It is concluded that chance has an important role in creation but exists also for a theological purpose. At the creative level random events provide a robust method to explore the range of possibilities allowed by physical laws. This interaction of chance and necessity is the mechanism of evolution. On the moral level the inability to predict outcomes creates a freedom to act that establishes real moral responsibility. At the theological level the inability of humans to predict outcomes in the presence of chance prevents us from exploiting the consistency of God and preserves his sovereignty. The conclusion is that chance is a necessary part of God’s creation in which creatures are allowed free will. As a result of this conclusion a refined definition of sovereignty is offered in which God retains an adequate degree of control to effect his will whilst allowing genuine chance to operate and in which he is involved at a detailed and personal level.chance, randomness, purpose, theodicy, human freedom, sovereignty of God | Paul Ewart | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Bible, Protestantism and the Rise of Natural Science: A Response to Harrison’s Thesis Abstract Harrison has proposed that the rise of modern science required as its most important condition the decline of religious nature symbolism (allegory) across early modern Western culture because it diverted attention away from nature to God. He identifies the main cause of this decline as the rejection of religious nature symbolism by the Protestant reformers. They rejected symbolic interpretation of Scripture texts because it made the meaning of the text indeterminate. We offer six reasons for doubting the proposed role of the Protestant Reformation and suggest other possible causes for the rise of modern science. There is another reading of Harrison’s thesis. For Harrison the rejection of symbolism in Scripture interpretation removes a veil from nature and its particular order the exploration of which still requires other causes. According to what we call the analogy thesis the rejection of religious nature symbolism removed a source of ambiguity and led to the use of precision in the language of biblical scholarship. By analogy of the two books this actively encouraged precise unequivocal language and attention to empirical detail in the study of nature. We argue that disagreements over Scripture interpretation render this thesis implausible as well.nature, allegory, symbolism, Middle Ages, interpretation of Scripture, natural science, ambiguity, Protestant Reformation, natural philosophy, Jesuit science | Jitse M. van der Meer Richard Oosterhoff | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Bible, Protestantism and the Rise of Natural Science: A Rejoinder | Peter Harrison | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Scripture and an Evolving Creation Abstract The interpretation of Scripture in the light of modern knowledge is an important dimension of the interaction between science and Christian theology. Particular attention is paid to the primeval narratives of Genesis 1-3, the wisdom literature and the prophets of the Exile. The Fall is reconsidered and associated, not with the origin of biological death, but with mortality, human anxiety at the transience of life consequent upon a chosen curvature into the self which alienated humans from the God who is the only true ground of hope. Evolutionary understanding encourages the concept of divine purposes being fulfilled through an unfolding process of continuous creation. A world in which creatures ‘make themselves’ is a great good but it has an inescapable shadow side. This insight offers some help with the problems of theodicy.continuous creation, creation narratives, evolution, the Fall, mortality, natural theology, Scripture, theodicy, wisdom literature | John Polkinghorne | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reconstructing a Christian Theology of Nature: Down to Earth | Anna Case-Winters, (Cherryl Hunt) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Explorations in Neuroscience, Psychology and Religion | Kevin S. Seybold, (Peter G.H. Clarke) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cosmic Impressions: Traces of God in the Laws of Nature | Walther Thirring, (Peter Bussey) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christian Bioethics: A Guide for the Perplexed | Agneta Sutton, (Philippa Taylor) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Does It Matter: The Unsustainable World of the Materialists | Graham Dunstan Martin, (Arthur Jones) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Many Faces of God: Science’s 400-Year Quest for Images of the Divine | Jeremy Campbell, (James Hannam) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Bible: Evidence-Based Christian Belief | Ted Burge, (John J. Bimson) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ernan McMullin and Critical Realism in the Science-Theology Dialogue | Paul L. Allen, (David Watts) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cultures of Creation | Simon Coleman Leslie Carlin (eds.), (Paul Marston) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists versus God and Religion | Karl Giberson Mariano Artigas, (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Origins: A Reformed Look at Creation, Design and Evolution | D.B. & L.D. Haarsma, (Stephen Walley) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution | K.W. Giberson, (Stephen Walley) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation or Evolution: Do We Have to Choose? | Denis Alexander, (Andrew Bowie) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Questions of Truth: Fifty-one Responses to Questions about God, Science, and Belief | John Polkinghorne Nicholas Beale, (Paul Wraight) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Peril in Paradise: Theology, Science, and the Age of the Earth | Mark S. Whorton, (Stephen Walley) | October | 2009 | 21 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Rescuing Darwin | Denis Alexander | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Reception of Darwinism in the Nineteenth Century: A Three Part Story Abstract For over a century, historians and other scholars have debated the impact of ‘Darwinism’ on late nineteenth century biological and social thought. The general view holds that Darwinism quickly became ascendant in science and has remained so ever since. Recent scholarship points toward a more nuanced view in large part because of a growing appreciation of how the term was then understood. To the extent that Darwinism simply meant evolutionary descent with modification, then the general view remains widely accepted by historians. Virtually every laboratory biologist and field naturalist accepted the concept by 1880 and continues to do so. During the late nineteenth century, however, Darwin’s particular theory of evolution by natural selection, which was also commonly referred to as ‘Darwinism’, gradually lost ground to other scientific explanations for organic evolution. Further, despite Darwin’s passionate defence of it, any direct evolutionary link between human and animal nature remained highly controversial throughout the nineteenth centuryDarwinism, Neo-Lamarckism, orthogenesis, natural selection, evolution, biogeography, mutation theory, T. H. Huxley, Ernst Haeckel, Alfred Russel Wallace | Edward J. Larson | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Boyle Lecture 2008: Psychologising and Neurologising about Religion: Facts, Fallacies and the Future | Malcolm Jeeves | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Psychology, Religion and Theology – A Response to Malcolm Jeeves | Fraser Watts | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Neuroscience and the Soul – A Response to Malcolm Jeeves | Peter Clarke | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Resonance and Dissonance – A Response to Malcolm Jeeves | Warren S. Brown | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science | Philip Clayton (ed.) Zachary Simpson (ass. ed.) (Christopher Southgate) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Deep Structure of Biology | Simon Conway Morris (ed.) (Graeme Finlay) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science | Peter Harrison (Lydia Jaeger) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Open Secret: A New Vision for Natural Theology | Alister E. McGrath (Philip Bligh) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why There Almost Certainly Is a God: Doubting Dawkins | Keith Ward (Rodney Holder) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology (The Gifford Lectures) | J. Wentzel van Huyssteen (Justin L. Barrett) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Eminent Lives in Twentieth-Century Science & Religion | Nicolaas A. Rupke (ed.) (Geoffrey Cantor) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?: Philosophical and Neurobiological Perspectives on Moral Responsibility and Free Will | Nancey Murphy & Warren S. Brown (Paul N. Markham) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Emergence: Systems, Organisms, Persons | Nancey Murphy and William R. Stoeger (eds.) (Celia Deane-Drummond) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Roman Catholicism and Modern Science: A History | Don O’Leary (Cyprian Love) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | I Wish I Could Believe in Meaning and Purpose: A Response to Nihilism | Peter S. Williams (Peter Hampson) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Problems in theology 4: science and religion | Jeff Astley, David Brown, Ann Loades (eds.) (Andrew Fox) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Day Without Yesterday: Lemaître, Einstein, and the Birth of Modern Cosmology | John Farrell (Simon Mitton) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Chance and Purpose | David J. Bartholomew (Mark McCartney) | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Psychology, Neuroscience, Religion and Theology – Pruning the ‘isms’ and Defining the Conceptual Framework | Malcolm Jeeves | April | 2009 | 21 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Idea of Law in Science and Religion Abstract For many, a central task of science is the discovery and formulation of the laws of nature. This characterisation of the scientific enterprise, although almost a commonplace today, is nevertheless of recent origin, more or less contemporary with the birth of modern science. It originated in the seventeenth century, when the leaders of the scientific revolution liked to describe their procedures as a break away from Greek science, as transmitted by the medieval scholastics. Laws of nature were introduced as a rival explanation of natural phenomena, which was meant to replace the Aristotelian categories. This article explores the characteristics of the modern concept of natural law, explains its possible biblical and theological roots and asks the extent to which this background can help us gain a renewed understanding of the scientific concept.law, science, religion, Newton, Boyle, occasionalism | Lydia Jaeger | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial | John Polkinghorne | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Research Scientist’s Psalm Abstract Psalm 111 links the works of God in creation with his works in history and salvation. Verse 2 (‘Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all those who delight in them’) is often taken as a mandate and challenge for scientific research. This is legitimate, but it should not be divorced from other emphases in the psalm, particularly God’s providential upholding throughout time. The psalmist also reminds us that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’. A research scientist is one who should properly humble him or herself before their data.creation, psalms, Cavendish Laboratory, God’s works, naturalism, awe | R.J. Berry | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | God’s story and the Earth’s story: grounding our concern for the environment in the biblical metanarrative Abstract Christian concern for the environment and the Earth is often grounded in the notion of stewardship of God’s creation and so based primarily on the opening chapters of the Bible. Here the aim is to broaden the basis of Christian environmental ethics by considering the full sweep of the biblical metanarrative, and to develop a Christocentric approach that takes account of the whole Bible – both Old and New Testaments. By doing this we situate the Earth’s story within the context of God’s story and thereby provide motivation for our participation in God’s mission to redeem his creation.creation, Earth, environment, ethics, eschatology, metanarrative, story | M.A. Srokosz | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Explanations in Science and Beyond Abstract The nature and scope of explanation are central to our understanding of the significance of science, and are also important in providing intellectual reasons for belief in God. However issues of complexity versus simplicity in explanations have been raised in this connection – in particular by Richard Dawkins and others when considering the organised complexity of biological systems. To clarify these matters, we examine the ways in which explanations and proofs operate in mathematics and in science. In particular, distinctions are explored between proximate and ultimate explanations, and between formal and factual aspects of explanations. Simplicity is in fact not of primary importance, because what is actually sought is the correct explanation. It is argued that science cannot provide a truly ultimate explanation for the universe but that God is the appropriate recourse here. God’s complexity need not be greater than that of the universe, but is hard to assess and not very relevant because God is not a scientific explanation.explanation, science, physics, mathematics, God, complexity, simplicity, proof, paradigm | Peter Bussey | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to Bussey | Patrick Richmond | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to Richmond | Peter Bussey | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Dawkins Delusion: Atheist fundamentalism and the denial of the divine | Alister and Joanna McGrath (Michael Poole) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Angel – An Angelic Riposte to The God Delusion | John Cornwell (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin and Intelligent Design | Francisco J. Ayala (Denis Alexander) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Gift to Science and Religion | Francisco J. Ayala (Denis Alexander) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Undertaker – Has Science Buried God? | John C. Lennox (Denis Alexander) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation and Double Chaos: Science and Theology in Discussion | Sjoerd L. Bonting (Philip Luscombe) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Universe or Multiverse? | Bernard Carr (ed.) (Rodney Holder) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Action in Nature’s World: Essays in Honour of Robert John Russell | Ted Peters and Nathan Hallanger (eds.) (Christopher C. Knight) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion in Schools Project | (John Ling) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Environmental Stewardship: Critical Perspectives – Past and Present | R. J. Berry (ed.) (Jonathan Moo) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living | Nick Spencer and Robert White (Colin A. Russell) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beauty and Science | Enzo Tiezzi (Colin Reeves) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Whose View of Life? Embryos, Cloning and Stem Cells | Jane Maienschein (Ken Mickleson) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Big Questions in Science and Religion | Keith Ward (John Polkinghorne) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Original Selfishness: Original Sin and Evil in the Light of Evolution | Daryl P. Domning and Monica K. Hellwig (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2008 | 20 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Nature of Human Nature Abstract Our traditional understanding of humanness has been radically affected by two factors: we now see ourselves as a product of a history that stretches back millions rather than hundreds of years, thus opening the possibility of change from our original state; and over the past few decades we have learnt much about the evolutionary and genetic influences that have formed us, raising acute questions as to how we interpret biblical descriptions of our nature and how we relate to the Creator. We believe that these developments do not conflict with the biblical accounts of humankind, so long as we are open to fresh interpretations when and where new evidence justifies them.Evolution, determinism, relationships, death, grace, evolutionary psychology, imago Dei, naturalism, complementarity | R.J. Berry Malcolm Jeeves | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Dialectical Critical Realism in Science and Theology: Quantum Physics and Karl Barth Abstract In order to illuminate the similarities and differences between science and theology, we consider an epistemology and methodology for each that can be characterised as a dialectical critical realism. Our approach is deeply indebted to the work of the great Swiss theologian, Karl Barth. Key points are (i) that the object under study determines the method to be used, the community of investigators and the nature of the possible knowledge to be gained; (ii) the necessity of a posteriori, rather than a priori reasoning; and (iii) that the dialogue between theology and science should account for both the similarities and differences between the two disciplines. The counterintuitive nature of quantum physics is used to illustrate how in science (i) the dialectic element should lead to a critical dimension to realism, and (ii) one is forced to engage with reality on its own terms.Critical realism, dialectic, quantum physics, epistemology, Karl Barth | Ross H. McKenzie Benjamin Myers | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Evolution as created history Abstract The science of biological evolution continues to arouse debate. In this paper, I wish to show how the distribution of endogenous retroviruses and transposons in mammalian genomes demonstrates that humans have evolved from progenitors that are ancestral to all apes, primates, and mammals. New genes and gene families have risen from ongoing natural genetic processes.1 The evolutionary understanding of biological history is compatible with the historical basis of biblical faith. It is suggested that Christians should see biological evolution as Israel understood her chaotic and tumultuous story: created history.Evolution; genomics; creation; mammals; eschatology | Graeme Finlay | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Attitudes amongst young adults to use of embryonic stem cells in research and therapy: comparison of evangelical Christian students with non-Christian students Abstract The various attitudes towards the use of early embryos for the generation of embryonic stem cells are surveyed, with a focus on the positions held within different segments of the Christian community. This discussion is further informed by the results of a survey carried out in Exeter, UK, to compare the views of a group of evangelical students with those of a matched control group professing no religious faith. It is concluded that religious belief is a key element influencing the attitudes of young adults towards the use of early embryos.embryonic stem cell; bioethics; evangelical student; embryology; medical technology | John Bryant Mary Gudgin | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Cosmic curse? | P.G. Nelson | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Emergence – another category | Peter J. Bussey | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Christian Faith | Joan Roughgarden (Tom Hartman) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature and the Godly Empire: Science and Evangelical Mission in the Pacific, 1795-1850 | Sujit Sivasundaram (Brian Stanley) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Humanity and the Cosmos – Second Edition Revised and Expanded as a Companion to the Science-Religion Debate | Christopher Southgate (ed.) (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Exploring Reality. The Intertwining of Science and Religion | John Polkinghorne (Philip Bligh) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and Our Planet’s Future | Roger S. Gottlieb (Celia Deane-Drummond) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creative Creatures: Values and Ethical Issues in Theology, Science and Technology | Ulf Görman, Willem B. Drees and Hubert Meisinger (eds.) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and the New Ecology: Environmental Responsibility in a World in Flux | David M. Lodge and Christopher Hamlin (eds.) (Hilary Marlow) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Universe | Owen Gingerich (Ken Mickleson) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist | Victor J. Stenger (Paul Wraight) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Roots and Wings: The Human Journey from a Speck of Stardust to a Spark of God | Margaret Silf (Ron Elsdon) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | SCM Studyguide: Science and Religion | Jean Dorricott (Richard Dimery) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Why Psychology Needs Theology: A Radical-Reformation Perspective | Alvin Dueck and Cameron Lee (eds.) (Peter G.H. Clarke) | April | 2008 | 20 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: Theoretical and practical knowledge in science and faith | Keith Fox | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Richard Dawkins’ Darwinian Objection to Unexplained Complexity in God Abstract Richard Dawkins has popularised the argument that Darwinism leaves God looking unnecessary and extremely improbable. God would have to be even more complicated than his creatures and so even more in need of explanation than they are, but no explanation is appropriate. This paper attempts to clarify the argument and examine responses to it. It investigates claims that Darwinism does not explain everything, that no explanation of God’s complexity is needed, that God’s complexity is explained in terms of factual or logical necessity, and that God is simple, not complex. None of these responses seems completely convincing. Finally it argues that God’s knowledge of the actual world can be explained in terms of his irreducible ability to choose among alternatives based on their value, and his unlimited awareness of alternatives needs no complex specification and need not be organised, statistically improbable or composed of parts.atheism, complexity, Darwinism, Richard Dawkins, design argument, evolution, Alister McGrath, probability, simplicity, Richard Swinburne | Patrick Richmond | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Robert Boyle’s Religious Life, Attitudes, and Vocation Abstract Robert Boyle is an outstanding example of a Christian scientist whose faith interacted fundamentally with his science. His remarkable piety was the driving force behind his interest in science and his Christian character shaped the ways in which he conducted his scientific life. A deep love for scripture, coupled ironically with a lifelong struggle with religious doubt, led him to write several important books relating scientific and religious knowledge. Ultimately, he was attracted to the mechanical philosophy because he thought it was theologically superior to traditional Aristotelian natural philosophy: by denying the existence of a quasi-divine ‘Nature’ that functioned as an intermediary between God and the world, it more clearly preserved God’s sovereignty and more powerfully motivated people to worship their creator.Boyle, mechanical philosophy, natural theology, piety | Edward B. Davis | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | All Things New Abstract It is common for Christians to associate Christ’s Return with a catastrophic end of the world, the universe and/or space-time.Cosmology describes the future of the universe, and even of individual stars, in time-scales of billions1 of years. Does this mean that Christians should view cosmology as a vast ‘might-have-been’? Will the Second Coming be a cosmic guillotine? Does it matter anyway? The purpose of this study is to examine the claims of scripture and science concerning the end times and to see if either has anything to say to the other.apocalypse, cosmology, curse, end times, environment, eschatology, heaven, resurrection, SETI, universe | John Turl | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Hydrotheology: towards a natural theology for water Abstract This paper is a historical preamble to a fully developed natural theology based on a single substance, water. It origins are traced to a book, Hydrotheologie, by a Hamburg author, J.-A. Fabricius, in 1734. This turns out to be but one of a number of similar specialised works on natural theology in the early eighteenth century. The theme was developed by many others, especially by three of the authors of the Bridgewater Treatises in the next century. Following Darwin, natural theology was transformed but not annihilated. A Harvard chemist, J. P. Cooke, wrote a book Religion and Chemistry which devoted one chapter to water, and other authors dealt with fitness of the environment in general, with water as an important constituent. Its remarkable anomalies have been dealt with most recently by M. J. Denton. To conclude, hydrotheology is placed within the wider context of natural theology as a whole, and its implications for environmental concern are suggested.water, natural theology, hydrotheology, Fabricius, Whewell, Kidd, Prout, Denton, chemistry, hydrogen bond, environment | Colin A. Russell | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Emergence and Time | Percy Hammond | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A ‘Good’ Creation | ErnesT Lucas | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God Delusion | Richard Dawkins (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Trinity: The Christian Encounter with Reality | John Polkinghorne (Lydia Jaeger) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Evolution-Creation Struggle | Michael Ruse (R. J. (Sam) Berry) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Fifty Years in Science and Religion: Ian G. Barbour and his legacy | Robert John Russell (ed.) (David Watts) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Language of God. A scientist presents evidence for belief | Francis S Collins (Ken Mickleson) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Order of Things: Explorations in Scientific Theology | Alister E McGrath (Philip Bligh) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Ethics of Nature | Celia E. Deane-Drummond (Caroline Berry) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | DARWIN discovering the tree of life | Niles Eldredge (Owen Thurtle) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Search of the Soul: Four Views of the Mind-Body Problem | Joel B. Green and Stuart L. Palmer (eds.) (Peter McCarthy) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Natural Theology | William Paley (edited by Matthew Eddy and David Knight) (Michael Roberts) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation and the world of science – The reshaping of belief | Arthur Peacocke (Andrew Halestrap) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Life, and the Cosmos | Ted Peters, Muzaffar Iqbal and Syed Nomanul Haq (eds.) (Denis Alexander) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Music of Life – Biology Beyond the Genome | Denis Noble (John Bryant) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can you believe in God and evolution?: a guide for the perplexed | Ted Peters and Martinez Hewlett (John Bausor) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | From Human to Posthuman: Christian Theology and Technology in a Postmodern World | Brent Waters (Alan Jiggins) | October | 2007 | 19 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Astronomy and Christianity in China | Rodney Holder | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Does the Advance of Science Mean Secularisation? | David Martin | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Eden & Ecology: Evolution & Eschatology Abstract If God is both Creator and one who reveals himself, there can be no inevitable conflict between our knowledge of him as derived from his written and living Words and that obtained from the study of his creation, which is mainly through science. How does the Garden of Eden fit with our knowledge of ecology; does evolution deny the possibility of a historical Adam; and where is creation headed? This paper examines how we can reconcile a creation which God declared to be ‘very good’ with our present imperfect world and how we may perceive its final fate.ecology, creation, fall, atonement, apocalypse | R. J. Berry | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Mere Summing Up? Some Considerations on the History of the Concept of Emergence and its Significance for Science and Religion Abstract The concept of ‘emergence’ is of increasing interest to Christian theologians working in the science and religion field. This paper offers a long view of the concept of emergence and its significance for religion and theology. To do so, it reconstructs the accounts of three pioneers of the philosophy of emergence – John Stuart Mill, Samuel Alexander and C. D. Broad. It further relates their positions to contemporary debates concerning the theological appropriation of emergence, in particular in the writings of Nancey Murphy and Philip Clayton.Emergence; nonreductive physicalism; John Stuart Mill; Samuel Alexander; C. D. Broad; Nancey Murphy; Philip Clayton | Russell Manning | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | OBITUARY Arthur Peacocke [1924-2006] | Dr Denis Alexander | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | The Curse: Relational or Cosmic? | P. G. Nelson | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A Cosmic Fall? | R. J. Berry | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Comment on Roger Paul, ‘Relative State or It-from-Bit…’, Science and Christian Belief (2005) 17, 155-175 | Lydia Jaeger | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Evolution and intelligence | Richard Sturch | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | A response to Richard Sturch | Simon Conway Morris | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Liberal Eugenics: In Defence of Human Enhancement | Nicholas Agar (Alun Morinan) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mountains on the Moon | Michael Arthern (Jason Rampelt) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | 10 Good Questions About Life and Death | Christopher Belshaw (Peter Lynch) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Galileo’s Instruments of Credit: Telescopes, Images, Secrecy | Mario Biagioli (Ernan McMullin) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Denying and Disclosing God: The Ambiguous Progress of Modern Atheism | Michael J. Buckley, SJ (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Myth of Religious Neutrality: An Essay on the Hidden Role of Religious Belief in Theories | Roy Clouser (Steve Bishop) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Goldilocks Enigma: Why is the Universe Just Right for Life? | Paul Davies (Rodney Holder) | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Theology of Purpose: Creation, Evolution and the Understanding of Purpose Abstract The notion of purpose within the universe remains one of the central areas of disagreement between theology and science today. Even within theology itself, there is the belief that purpose is a religious inference rather than a biological reality. Recently, however, Simon Conway Morris has countered common evolutionary opinion by suggesting that the biological process of evolution does appear to be purposeful, as illustrated by the fact of convergence. Although this concept is controversial, it has some theological merit, because if evolution as a process can now be considered purposeful, a theology of purpose can be developed. By using the doctrine of election as outlined by Karl Barth, I believe such a theology can be derived through which the purpose for evolution can be seen in producing the ‘inevitable humans’. In this context, a theology of purpose acts to support the dialogue between theology and science, and provides a basis for an ethic of care.theology, creation, evolution, purpose, Karl Barth, election, Simon Conway Morris, convergence | Graham J. O Brien | April | 2007 | 19 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Bible and the Emergence of Modern Science Abstract The Bible played a significant role in the development of modern science. Most obviously, its contents were important because they could be read in ways that seemed either to conflict with or to confirm new scientific claims. More important, however, were changes to the way in which the Bible was interpreted during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The move away from allegorical readings of Scripture and the new focus on the historical or literal sense – a development promoted by humanist scholars and Protestant reformers – contributed to the collapse of the symbolic world of the Middle Ages and paved the way for new mathematical and taxonomic readings of nature. Biblical hermeneutics was thus of profound importance for those new ways of interpreting nature that we associate with the emergence of modern science.allegory, ‘book of nature’, hermeneutics, literal sense, Reformation, scientific revolution | Peter Harrison | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Physical Infinities: a Substitute for God? Abstract It has been argued at various times that our universe may be infinitely old, infinitely large, or one of an infinite set of universes. In such ways the physically infinite has sometimes been seen as a substitute for God or a means to avoid thinking about God. In particular, this may refer to the causational aspects of the universe, the presence of laws of nature, and to intelligent design arguments. This article presents a survey and a critique of these ideas. That they do provide a plausible replacement for God is highly questionable: either the ideas themselves lack a firm basis, or else faith is able to accommodate them.infinite, infinity, universe, God, design | Peter J Bussey | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The BBC, the Victoria Institute, and the Theological Context for the Big Bang – Steady State Debate Abstract In the late 1940s, Fred Hoyle, Hermann Bondi and Tom Gold introduced a steady state model for the universe. Theirs was a universe without beginning or end, a model that neatly avoided the ex nihilo problem and bore little resemblance to Christian origin stories. Despite Hoyle’s early efforts to cast the big bang – steady state debate as a debate between a Christian cosmology and a more sober and scientific cosmology, the discussion of these models in many quarters quickly embraced both as potentially deistic visions of the universe.Cosmology, big bang, steady state, Victoria Institute, BBC, American Scientific Affiliation, Fred Hoyle, George Gamow | Craig Sean McConnell | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Where is Natural Theology Today? | John Polkinghorne | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Paley Memorial Sermon Abstract A sermon preached at a service of Holy Communion at Carlisle Cathedral on Sunday, 23 May 2005, by Revd Professor Alister E. McGrath, DD, FRSA | Alister McGrath | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | OBITUARY - David Given (1943-2005) – Science & Christian Belief Editorial Board Member | Dr Richard Storey | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Salvation | Aileen Fyfe, (Michael Roberts) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How to relate science and religion: a multidimensional mode | Mikael Stenmark, (Meric Srokosz) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | From Cells to Souls – and Beyond: Changing portraits of human nature | Malcolm Jeeves, (ed.), (Ken Mickleson) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Deep Down Things: the breathtaking beauty of particle physics | Bruce A. Schumm, (David Watts) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life | Alister McGrath, (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology and Modern Physics | Peter E. Hodgson, (John Polkinghorne) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Responsible dominion – A Christian approach to sustainable development | Ian Hore-Lacy, (Sir Brian Heap) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Bodies and Souls, or Spirited Bodies? | Nancey Murphy, (Patrick Richmond) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Palace of Glory: God’s World and Science | Arthur Peacocke, (Derek Burke) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith and Hope in Technology | Egbert Schuurman, (Alan Jiggins) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Designers of the Future – Who Should Make the Decisions? | Gareth Jones, (John Bryant) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Caring for Creation: Biblical and Theological Perspectives | Sarah Tillett, (ed.), (Dr John Drake) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Breaking the Spell – Religion as a Natural Phenomenon | Daniel C. Dennett, (Denis Alexander) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Ethics. Human Morality in Biological & Religious Perspective | Philip Clayton and Jeffrey Schloss, (eds.), (Ken Mickleson) | October | 2006 | 18 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial | Brian Heap | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Boyle Lecture 2005: Darwin’s Compass: How Evolution Discovers the Song of Creation creation, evolution, Intelligent Design, evolutionary convergence | Simon Conway Morris | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Nothing in Biology makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution Abstract In his Boyle Lecture, Conway Morris provides an important counter to those who condemn Darwinian evolution as meaningless in direction and driven by random processes. In doing so, he answers the indictments of critics such as Jacques Monod and Stephen Jay Gould, and suggests an important bridge towards understanding evolution as the mechanism used by God in creation. | R J Berry | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Rich Reality: a response to the Boyle Lecture by Simon Conway Morris | John Polkinghorne | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Navigating the Deep Structure of Biological Hyperspace: Divine Providence in an Otherwise Lonely Universe | Michael S. Northcott | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A response to the commentaries of R.J. (Sam) Berry, John Polkinghorne and Michael Northcott | Simon Conway Morris | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Design in Nature Abstract An explicitly biblical view of design in nature is discussed according to the themes of creation and providence, divine wisdom, awe, and the role of creation in declaring the glory of God. These biblical themes are contrasted with modern design arguments that draw on contemporary science, with particular reference to ‘intelligent design’.Design, Creation, Providence, wisdom, ingenuity, awe, beauty, evidences, glory of God, humility | Oliver R. Barclay | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Reconsidering a ‘Cosmic Fall’ Abstract The doctrine of the cosmic fall teaches that all or part of creation was directly affected by the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The idea has been part of Christian thought since the second century, and has been used to explain a whole range of things that seem difficult to reconcile with the purposes of a loving God (popularly summed up as ‘natural evil’). The doctrine is in conflict with a world-view informed by modern science, yet it remains deeply embedded in much evangelical thinking and is widely assumed to have a strong biblical basis. This paper questions the usual interpretation of relevant biblical texts, and suggests that the nature poetry of the Old Testament points in a different direction. Finally the paper looks at recent alternative responses to natural evil.Cosmic fall, creation, death, predation, nature, natural evil, curse, decay, kenotic theology | John J. Bimson | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Religious Odyssey | William E. Phipps, (D. Burbridge) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust | Richard C. Foltz, Frederick M. Denny, Azizan Baharuddin (eds.), (S. Lucas) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Christian Response to the New Genetics: Religious, Ethical and Social Issues | D. H. Smith & C. B. Cohen (eds.), (C. Berry) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Adam, Eve and the Genome | Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite (ed.), (J. Bryant) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Design Revolution: answering the toughest questions about Intelligent Design | William A. Dembski, (P. Wraight) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Life in Our Hands: A Christian Perspective on Genetics and Cloning | John Bryant and John Searle, (G. Jones) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Whom We Live and Move and Have Our Being: Panentheistic Reflections on God’s Presence in a Scientific World | P. Clayton & A. Peacocke (eds.), (S. Bishop) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Nature of Time | Garrett J. DeWeese, (L. Osborn) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Divine Lawmaker : Lectures on Induction, Laws of Nature, and the Existence of God | John Foster, (L. Jaeger) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolving Creation: God’s Books: Genetics & Genesis | Graeme Finlay, (E. Lucas) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Christianity: Conflict or Coherence? | Henry F. Schaefer III, (J. Bausor) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Debating Design: From Darwin to DNA | W. A. Dembski and M. Ruse (eds.), (S. Bishop) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Theology since Copernicus: the search for understanding | Peter Barrett, (A. Halestrap) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond Belief: Science, faith and ethical challenges | D. Alexander and R. S. White, (A. Halestrap) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith | David G. Myers and Malcolm A. Jeeves, (A. Morinan) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the Study of God: A Mutuality Model for Theology and Science | Alan G. Padgett, (L. Osborn | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology of Physics | George Richter, (P. Wraight) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation out of Nothing: a Biblical, Philosophical and Scientific Exploration | Paul Copan and William Lane Craig, (S. Bishop) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Earth Story in the New Testament | N. C. Habel and V. Balabanski (eds.), (R. Elsdon) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Sketches towards a theology of Science | W. Poon (ed), (B. McInnes) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Science of God | Alister E. McGrath, (A. Ison) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Agents under Fire: materialism and the rationality of science | Angus Menuge, (D. Watts) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, the Multiverse, and Everything | Rodney D. Holder, (M. McCartney) | April | 2006 | 18 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Has Science eliminated God? – Richard Dawkins and the Meaning of Life Abstract Science has swept God from the public arena, and relegated him to the margins of our culture. He hangs on in its backwaters – but only temporarily. It is only a matter of time before the relentless advance of science finally drives God from the human mind, and the world will be a better place. That, in a nutshell, is the popular perception of the take-home message of the writings of the Oxford scientific populariser and atheist apologist Richard Dawkins. In this article, I want to raise some fundamental concerns about this popular perception, and propose to do so by engaging directly with the writings of Dawkins himself. | Alister McGrath | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and the Bible: Are They Incompatible? | Ernest Lucas | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Relative State or It-from-Bit: God and Contrasting Interpretations of Quantum Theory Abstract In this article I explore theological implications of two contrasting interpretations of quantum theory: the Relative State interpretation of Hugh Everett III, and the It-from-Bit proposal of John A. Wheeler. The Relative State interpretation considers the Universal Wave Function to be a complete description of reality. Measurement results in a branching process that can be interpreted in terms of many worlds or many minds. I discuss issues of the identity of observers in a branching universe, the ways God may interact with the deterministic, isolated quantum universe and the relative nature of salvation history from a perspective within a branch. In contrast, irreversible, elementary acts of observation are considered to be the foundation of reality in the It-from-Bit proposal. Information gained through observer-participancy (the ‘bits’) constructs the fabric of the physical universe (‘it’), in a self-excited circuit. I discuss whether meaning, including religious faith, is a human construct, and whether creation is cocreation, in which divine power and supremacy are limited by the emergence of a participatory universe. By taking these two contrasting interpretations of quantum theory seriously, I hope to show that the interpretation of quantum mechanics we start from matters theologically.Quantum theory, theology, relative state, many worlds, it-frombit, observer-participancy, human identity, divine simplicity, co-creation, salvation history | Roger Paul | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | When Science and Christianity Meet | D. Lindberg & R. Numbers (eds.), (J. Hannam) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Ethics of Nature | C. Deane-Drummond (S. Holm) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Modern Physics and Ancient Faith | S. Barr (A. Garrett) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biology and Theology Today | C. E. Deane-Drummond (P. Moore) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Age of the Earth: from 4004 BC to AD 2002 | C. Lewis & S. Knell (eds) (M. Roberts) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation: from Nothing until Now | W. B. Drees (P. Bligh) | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | God and Differing Interpretations of Quantum Theory – Response to Paul | Rodney D. Holder | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Fitness of the Universe for a Second Genesis | Julian Chela-Flores | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Responses to the Human Embryo and Embryonic Stem Cells: Scientific and Theological Assessments Abstract The prospect of employing embryonic stem cells for research has reignited debate over the status of the human embryo. However, the current debate centres on the very earliest stages of embryonic development, notably on the blastocyst at around 5-7 days’ gestation. After a scientific overview of early embryonic development, three theological perspectives are considered. These provide insight into the contrasting ways in which the interrelationship between biblical material, traditional moral positions and scientific concepts on reproduction are currently being approached. In assessing the part biblical perspectives play, four categories of response are outlined and discussed. Of these, the one advocated is that the Bible is one of a number of sources that inform our decision-making, but may not be the predominant one. It is argued that the environment in which blastocysts are encountered has considerable relevance for theological debate, and consequently for acceptance or otherwise of the legitimacy of utilising embryonic stem cells. Two sets of Christian stances towards proceeding with embryonic stem cell investigations are contrasted in order to highlight their respective theological, moral and scientific emphases. It is concluded that both represent valid Christian responses, even though they envisage different roles for blastocysts within the human community. | D. Gareth Jones | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Engaging with Intelligent Design? Reflections on the Rhetoric of Howard Van Till Abstract Howard Van Till’s paper on Intelligent Design (ID), published in this journal, (2003) 15(2), presented readers with what purported to be a scientific demolition of William Dembski’s arguments for ID. Here we argue that Van Till’s presentation was seriously flawed, presenting a distorted picture of ID, and misrepresenting the contributions to ID of William Dembski and Michael Behe. We explore the background to Van Till’s paper and provide a more accurate account of what ID is about.Intelligent Design, Howard Van Till, William Dembski, Michael Behe, origins, evolution, creation, theistic evolution, God of the gaps, Darwinism. | Arthur Jones and David Tyler | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Apples, Oranges and Portraits of the Intelligent Design Movement Abstract During the past fifteen years North America has seen the rise of a movement known by the label, ‘Intelligent Design’. This ID movement is characterised by several factors: scientific claims, rhetorical strategies, political goals and religious motivations. In a recent essay (S&CB 15:2, 2003) my assessment of the ID movement focused mostly on the rhetorical strategies and scientific claims made by leading ID advocates, principally by theorist William A. Dembski. Arthur Jones and David Tyler have offered a very different portrait of ID and charge that what I presented was a highly distorted picture of ID that misrepresented its leaders. In this response I shall explore some of the reasons for the vivid contrast between our two portraits of the ID movement in North America. | Howard J. Van Till | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Psychobiosocial muddle or model? | David Booth | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | MacKay/Jeeves and Torrance/Cartwright: Similarities and a Major Difference | Peter G.H. Clarke | October | 2005 | 17 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Michael Byrne | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Boyle Lecture 2003: Darwin, Design and the Promise of Nature | John F. Haught | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Response to the Boyle Lecture | Simon Conway Morris | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Blast from the Past? The Boyle Lectures and Natural Theology | Alister McGrath | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Reflections on the Boyle Lecture | Paul Helm | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Lions Seek Their Prey From God: a Commentary on the Boyle Lecture | R. J. Berry | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | True Union Differentiates: A Response to My Critics | John F. Haught | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Appropriate Technology: The Poetry
of Science Abstract The case is made for increased use of appropriate technology to solve pressing engineering challenges from a Christian perspective. The rapid advance of technology and its impact on culture and research priorities are discussed. Appropriate technology is introduced as a practical and ethical alternative to the increasingly complex solutions favoured by many. ‘L’invention n’est-elle pas la poésie de la science?’1 E. M. Bataille ‘The world is very different now. For man holds within his mortal hands the power to destroy all forms of human poverty and the power to destroy all forms of human life.’2 John F. Kennedytechnology, technopoly, sustainability, world poverty,
appropriate technology | Michael J. Clifford | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | More on Memes | Alan Gijsbers | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Van Till and Probability Theory | Colin Reeves | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Intelligent Design’s Vulnerability to False Positive Indicators: A Response to Reeves | Howard J. Van Till | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Stewards | D. Brandt (ed) (K. Mickleson) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Miracles of the Exodus | C.Humphreys (J. Bimson) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Re-enchantment of Nature | McGrath (W. Kay) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Living with Hope | J. Polkinghorne (E. Lucas) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Question of God | M. Palmer (R. Luhman) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature, Human Nature, and God | I. Barbour (K. Mickleson) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God’s Book of Works | R. Berry (C. Dow) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Genetic Medicine | T. Shannon & J.Walter (G. Jones) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Flatlanders | E. Middleton (J. Bausor) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science, Theology and Ethics | T. Peters (P. Moore) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Our Image: Artificial Intelligence and the Human Spirit | N. Herzfeld (P. McCarthy) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Philosophy Matters: An Introduction to Philosophy | R. Trigg (P. Hampson) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Bridging Science and Religion | T. Peters & G. Bennett (eds) (M. Poole) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin and Design | M. Ruse (S. Lucas) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Life’s Solution | S. Morris (R. Berry) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Jesus and the Earth | J. Jones (L. Burn) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | New Age, Paganism and Christian Mission | S. Hollinghurst (E. Lucas) | April | 2005 | 17 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial, God, Science and Freedom: Where Next? | Peter Clarke | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | How Free is Free? Reflections on the Neuropsychology of Thought and Action Abstract It is widely recognised that some of the implications of rapid developments in neuroscience raise with a fresh urgency questions of human freedom and responsibility. These are issues for humanists and atheists as much as for Christians since all claim that their often deeply held beliefs were rationally considered and freely embraced. However, the evidence from bottom-up neuro-scientific research points to the ever-tightening links between brain processes and mental processes and have been interpreted by some as pointing to a reductionist view of human nature. At the same time, with the use of new brain imaging techniques the evidence for the efficacy of top-down processes also accumulates at an accelerating pace. This paper argues that there is an irreducible interdependence between cognitive and neural processes calling for a duality of description but without necessitating belief in a dualism of substances.dualism, determinism, neuropsychology, genetics, behaviour,
cognition, mind/brain relations | Malcolm Jeeves | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Developments in Neuroscience and Human Freedom: Some Theological and Philosophical Questions Abstract Christianity suggests that human beings are free and responsible agents. Developments in neuroscience challenge this when wedded with two ‘fideisms’: ‘naturalism’ and ‘nomological monism’ (causality applies exclusively to basic particles). The wedding of Galen Strawson’s denial that anything can be a cause of itself with a physicalist account of brain states highlights the problem neuroscience poses for human freedom. If physicalism is inherently reductionistic (Kim) and dualism struggles to make sense of developments in neuroscience, Cartwright’s pluralist account of causality may offer a way forward. It integrates with thinking about the person from a Christian epistemic base and facilitates response to Strawson.God, person, neuroscience, freedom, naturalism, nomological
monism, physicalism, dualism, causality | Alan Torrance | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Neuroscientific Determinism and the Problem of Evil Abstract This article examines Christian responses to the threat of physical determinism from neuroscience. Some have argued that elements of physical indeterminism, such as quantum theory, provide a basis for libertarian freedom and responsibility and a way of exculpating God. Others have argued that such theories are problematic and at best speculative and have proposed a view of freedom compatible with determinism. However, they have offered little defence against the problems of sin and evil that arise without libertarianism. I proceed to argue that libertarianism does not enhance responsibility or distance God from sin as far as one might think. I then outline possible strategies for justifying the punishment of predetermined wrongdoing and God’s acceptance of sin that remain open to the compatibilist.determinism, problem of evil, providence, free will,
compatibilism, libertarianism | Patrick Richmond | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Beyond Materialism: from the Medieval Scholars to Quantum Physics Abstract A traditional anti-metaphysical goal has been the materialist assimilation of human mental and personal qualities into the physical nature of the brain. However, consciousness notably resists explanation in such a way. In an attempt to deal with this problem, a firmly realist view of the laws of nature is argued here. Aspects of consciousness are examined, showing that consciousness does not lie within the remit of physics. A survey of the thinking of Descartes, Aquinas and Duns Scotus is given to illustrate the nature of the mind-matter and mind-body problem, with further reference to the position of Kant. By emphasising that physical objects comprise form and matter, the medieval philosophers provide a starting-point for a perspective that can incorporate modern developments in physics. It is proposed that the concept of the ‘mental’ be broadened to encompass the laws of nature, taken as mathematical ideas which determine the behaviour and properties of physical things. The identification of what ‘matter’ is raises significant questions, but may involve quantum fields. Eddington postulated what can be called a ‘mental dimension’, and this may provide a promising framework for uniting the laws of physics and our own mental nature. The main question is no longer the relationship between ‘mind’ and ‘matter’, for this is now at the heart of physics. It is more to do with human consciousness within this broader mental dimension.materialism, laws of nature, realism, nominalism,
consciousness, ideas, epiphenomenalism, mind, matter | Peter J Bussey | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Glimpses of the Wonderful – the Life of Philip Henry Gosse 1810-1888 | Ann Thwaite (Denis Alexander) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary - Sir Robert Boyd | Oliver R Barclay and Sir John Houghton | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The History of Science & Religion in the Western Tradition: An Encyclopedia | G.B. Ferngren (ed.) (Richard Dimery) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Carl Sagan’s Cosmic Connection: an extraterrestrial perspective | Carl Sagan and others (Bennet McInnes) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Observing God: Thomas Dick, Evangelicalism, and Popular Science in Victorian Britain and America | William J. Astore (Michael B. Roberts) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Origin of the Human Species | Dennis Bonette (Derek Burke) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Message of Creation | David Wilkinson (Stuart Lucas) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Life, Intelligence & the Universe | T. Kelly & H. Regan (eds.) (Peter McCarthy) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Great Instauration: science, medicine and reform 1626-1660 | Charles Webster (Colin A. Russell) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Blood and Justice: the 17th century Parisian doctor who made blood transfusion history. | Peter Moore (John Wilkinson) | October | 2004 | 16 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Beyond Reductionism and Dualism:Towards a Christian Solution to the Mind Body Problem Abstract Professor Nancey Murphy’s paper on ‘The Problem of Mental Causation’, published in this journal (14:2 October 2002), presented readers with a set of ideas that may constitute a considerable step towards a Christian solution to the mind/body problem. In her presentation, however, she used an aspect of Donald M. MacKay’s work in a way that he had made a point of avoiding. Ironically, the Reverend Lindsay Cullen’s earlier criticism of Murphy’s work on the mind/body problem likewise suffers from a misunderstanding of one of MacKay’s most fundamental teachings (though Cullen did not cite MacKay directly). While MacKay may not have minded our updating his ideas to accommodate recent advances, it would be well worth our time to compare the reasoning of Cullen and Murphy with what MacKay had in mind. Without doing so, it is impossible to tell whether these recent contributions represent an improvement to MacKay’s system or otherwise.Murphy, Cullen, MacKay, mind, body, non-reductive physicalism, complementary descriptions, downward causation | David A Norman | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Assessing risk: science or art? Abstract Assessment of risk, which used to be seen as a purely technocratic process, has become much more complex as we have learned how hazards can be viewed so differently by scientists and members of the public. Social science research has shown how much the individual’s own values affect their relative perception of risk and this insight has now been brought into the process of risk assessment. Many of the values that affect these judgments are of central importance to Christian faith, and this article seeks to show, with use of suitable examples, how the process has developed, and its implications for Christians.GM foods, GM crops, risk, hazard | Derek Burke | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Truth in Science: Proof, Persuasion, and the Galileo Affair Abstract In 1616 in a letter destined for Galileo, Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine (the leading Catholic theologian of his day) expressed his doubts about finding evidence for a moving earth. Would the annual stellar parallax or the Foucault pendulum have convinced him? The historical setting explored in this essay suggests that the cardinal would not have been swayed by these modern ‘proofs’ of the heliocentric cosmology, even though they are convincing to us today because we in the meantime have the advantage of a Newtonian framework. What passes today for truth in science is a comprehensive system of coherencies supported more by persuasion than ‘proofs’.heliocentric cosmology, Copernicus, Galileo | Owen Gingrich | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Book Review: Victorian Sensation: the Extraordinary Publication, Reception, and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation | James A. Secord (David Burbridge) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Cloning, Creation and Control | Neil G Messer | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Creation – a Bond of Love? | Calum MacKellar | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response by Gareth JonesD | Gareth Jones | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | The Illusory Self | Philip Bligh | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Selfhood is not an Illusion | Peter G. H. Clarke | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Human Origins | P G Nelson | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Human Origins – a Response | Graeme Finlay | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Signs of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design | W. A. Dembski and J. M. Kushiner, (eds) (Mike Poole) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can a Darwinian be a Christian? The Relationship between Science and Religion | Michael Ruse (Derek Burke) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Mentor: John Stevens Henslow, 1769 – 1861 | S. M.Walters and E. A. Stow (Owen Thurtle) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reconciling Science and Religion: the Debate in Early-Twentieth Century Britain | Peter J Bowler (Colin A Russell) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Quantum Mechanics: Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action, Volume 5 | Robert John Russell, Philip Clayton, Kirk Wegter-McNelly and John Polkinghorne (eds) (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Essence of Darwinism | Kirsten Birkett (Diana Briggs) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Facing Up: Science and its Cultural Adversaries | Steven Weinberg (Anthony Garrett) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith in Science: Scientists Search for Truth | W. Mark Richardson and Gordy Slack (eds.) (John Bausor) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Habitat of Grace: biology, Christianity and the globalenvironmental crisis | Carolyn M. King (Ray Gambell) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Scientism: Science, ethics and religion | Stenmark, Mikael (Mike Poole) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God & Reason in the Middle Ages | Edward Grant (Charles Webster) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Prenatal Person: Ethics from conception to birth | Norman M Ford (KNP Mickleson) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Bible, Protestantism, and the rise of natural science P. Harrison | Ernest Lucas | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Deep Economy: Caring for Ecology, Humanity and Religion Hans Dirk van Hoogstraten | Ray Gambell | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution under the Microscope. A scientific critique of the theory of evolution. David Swift | R J Berry | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Modern Medicine and The Bible | Alan W Fowler (John Wilkinson) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Concept of Nature | John Habgood (Ron Elsdon) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God of Hope and the End of the World | John Polkinghorne (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Developing the Horizons of the Mind | K. Helmut Reich (Peter G. McCarthy) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and the spiritual quest: new essays byleading scientists | W. Mark Richardson, Robert John Russell, Philip Clayton & Kirk Wetger-McNelly (eds) (Meric Srokosz) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theological Issues in Bioethics: an Introduction with Readings | Neil Messer (Editor) (Caroline Berry) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Frontiers of Science and Faith – ExaminingQuestions from the Big Bang to the End of the Universe | John Jefferson Davis (Andrew Halestrap) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Hope for Your Future: Theological Voices from thePastorate | William H. Lazareth, (Editor) (Peter Lynch) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Genetics: Fabricating the Future | Robert Song (Søren Holm) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation | Hans Schwarz (K.N.P. Mickleson) | April | 2004 | 16 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Indeterminacy, Divine Action and Human Freedom Abstract This article examines the idea that God created the world to be inherently indeterministic. It is argued that ontological indeterminism is scientifically unwarranted, philosophically objectionable and theologically inconsistent with a strong view of divine sovereignty and providence. Quantum mechanics does not require indeterminism. Neither do human freedom or moral responsibility, both of which are more plausibly viewed in compatibilist, rather than libertarian, terms.indeterminacy; God; quantum mechanics; human freedom | John Byl | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial, Science, Cloning and Morality | John White | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Are Bacterial Flagella Intelligently Designed? Reflections on the Rhetoric of the Modern ID Movement Abstract The modern Intelligent Design movement argues that it can point to specific biological systems that exhibit what ID’s chief theorist William A. Dembski calls ‘specified complexity’. Furthermore, Dembski claims to have demonstrated that natural causation is unable to generate this specified complexity and that the assembling of these biological systems must, therefore, have required the aid of a non-natural action called ‘intelligent design’. In his book, No Free Lunch, Dembski presents the bacterial flagellum as the premier example of a biological system that, because he judges it to be both complex and specified, must have been actualised by the form-conferring action of an unembodied intelligent agent. In this essay we shall challenge Dembski’s rhetorical strategy and argue that he has failed to demonstrate the need for non-natural action to assemble the bacterial flagellum.Intelligent Design; bacterial flagellum; Darwinism | Howard J Van Till | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Genetically-Modified Crops Abstract The risks, benefits, theological questions and bioethical challenges posed by genetically-modified (GM) crops are reviewed. There is already much evidence that the increased intensity of UK farming since the 1960s is the most likely cause of the decline in abundance of several important farmland species of birds, butterflies and other taxa. Unless it can be shown incontrovertibly that the application of herbicide-tolerant GM crop management will lead inevitably to a reversal of this decline in biodiversity, to recommend commercialisation in an unrestricted fashion would be to relinquish the responsibility of stewardship given us in Genesis 2. To allow the current, steady decline in biodiversity to continue is no longer acceptable, theologically, bioethically or politically. Fortunately, whatever the outcome of the Farm Scale Evaluations, agro-ecologists can devise mandatory restrictions on GM crop management that ensure a positive benefit to biodiversity, for a relatively small yield penalty. Such systems might then act as paradigms for conventional agriculture, in which the farmer is the steward of the countryside. The need to increase food production in Third World countries is clear, but GM technology does not yet conform to goals of feeding the hungry, and requires changes in delivery to ensure equitability and sustainability.GM crops; biodiversity; biotechnology; ecology; stewardship | Joe N Perry | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science, Religion and the Mind-Brain Problem – The Case of Thomas Willis(1621-1675) Abstract Thomas Willis, the seventeenth-century physician and churchman, lived at the confluence of powerful cultural forces, especially related to tectonic shifts in science and religion. Because of his prominence as a neuroscientist, his case serves to demonstrate that, at the onset of modernity, science and faith did not meet one another as self-contained, hermetically sealed entities. Rather, science had been formed through religious assumptions, just as religion had been formed through scientific assumptions. In particular, Christian perspectives on body-soul dualism had been built up on the foundations of classical science. Consequently, the conflict alleged between science and Christian belief regarding human nature might better be cast as a clash between rival scientific accounts – the one having achieved powerful ecclesiastical sanction, the other an emerging newcomer to the ‘new science’.Thomas Willis, anthropology, body-soul dualism, monism, neuroscience | Joel B Green | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Testimony of the Rocks | H. Miller (P Lynch) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Disseminating Darwinism | R. Numbers & J. Stenhouse (eds) (J. Drake & R. Bademan) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God of Miracles | C. Collins (M Poole) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind | K. T. Maslin (P McCarthy) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Routledge Companion to the New Cosmology | P. Coles (ed) (E Lucas) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Map that Changed the World | S. Winchester (M Roberts) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Intelligent Design Creationism and its Critics | R. Pennock (S Bishop) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetic Engineering, Christ & the CosmosInitiative | B. Beamond (ed.) (A Miller) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith in a Living God: A Dialogue | J. Polkinghorne & M.Walker (E Cockshaw) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Paths from Science Towards God | A. Peacocke (D Alexander) | October | 2003 | 15 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Homo Divinus: The ape that bears God's image Abstract Some Christians believe that to allow room for God they must disallow room for evolution. However, aspects of the evolutionary paradigm have been established conclusively, and can be adduced to demonstrate the complementarity that exists between scientific and theological views of the world. Randomly formed, unique genetic markers shared by similar species establish that these species are descendents of a common ancestor in which the unique markers arose. Three features that demonstrate the common ancestry of humans and other higher primates are discussed. The chromosome set of one species can be rearranged into those of other species by cutting and pasting chromosomes, reflecting familiar genetic processes. The presence of unique non-functional gene relics (pseudogenes), and of unique packets of genetic information known as retrotransposons (both of which we share with other primate species) represent genetic markers which can have arisen only once, in a common ancestor. This compelling genetic evidence must inform our understanding of what it means for God to create, of the place of chance in the creative work of God, and of the nature of humanity. It illustrates the way in which God works, and demonstrates his grace as seen in creation and redemption.Evolution,genetics,chromosomal rearrangements,
pseudogenes,retrotransposons,creation,chance and design
| Graeme Finlay | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Balfour v. Huxley on Evolutionary Naturalism: A 21st century Perspective Abstract This essay begins by setting forth the conflicting prophecies, in 1895, of Arthur James Balfour and Thomas Henry Huxley concerning the probable course of Western culture in the twentieth century if Huxley's `scientific naturalism' were to prevail over Balfour's theistic conception of the relations between science and religion. The essay then examines some leading developments in the physical, biological, and social sciences and in philosophy and theology since 1900 to determine which of these prophecies, if either, proved to be truly prophetic. The author concludes that Balfour was the better prophet.evolution,naturalism,positivism,emergence,metaphor,
science,philosophy,theology | John Greene | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Darwin Wars: The Scientific Battle for the Soul of Man Darwinism | Andrew Brown (John M. Drake) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation Through Wisdom: Theology
and the New Biology theology, new biology | Celia E. Deane-Drummond (Ron Elsdon) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Truth Decay: Defending Christianity
against the Challenges of
Postmodernism
potmodernism | Douglas Groothius (John Taylor) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Genetic Inferno: Inside the Seven
Deadly Sins genetics | John Medina (John A. Bryant) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Real Science: What it is, and what it
means
science | John Ziman (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Science & Humility humility | R.L. Hermann (ed.) (Dr K.N.P. Mickleson) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Michael Faraday: Physics and Faith Faraday,physics | Prof. C.A. Russell (Michael Walker) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Engineering the Human Germline genetics | Gregory Stock and John Campbell (eds) (Dr Gareth Jones) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith, Science and Understanding debate | John Polkinghorne (Revd. Evan Cockshaw) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Sparks of Life: Darwinism and the
Victorian Debate over Spontaneous
Generation
Darwinism, spontaneous generation, Victorian | James E. Strick (David Burbridge) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Our Cosmic Future: Humanity's Fate
in the Universe cosmology | Nikos Prantzos (John Jefferson Davis) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Trials of the Monkey - An Accidental Memoir Darwin | Matthew Chapman (Paul Wraight) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cosmic Dance: Science Discovers
the Mysterious Harmony of the
Universe holistic science | Giuseppe Del Re (Arthur Jones) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | When Science Meets Religion:
Enemies, Strangers or Partners?
complementary | Ian Barbour (Andrew Fox) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Mind of the Universe:
Understanding Science and Religion emergent properties | Mario Artigas (Philip Bligh) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion in Mind cognitive approach | Jensine Andresen (ed.) (Peter McCarthy) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | How God Looks If You Don't Start in
Church: A Technologist's View technology | Michael Ranken (Alan Jiggins) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetic Turning Points: The ethics of
human genetic intervention ethics, genetics | James C. Peterson (Dr K.N.P Mickleson) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Perspectives on Prayer prayer | Fraser Watts (Diana Briggs) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A
Christian Perspective mathematics,postmodernism | Russell W. Howell W. James Bradley (eds.) (Colin Reeves) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature, Design and Science: The
Status of Design in Natural Science design | Del Ratzsch (Steve Bishop) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin's God: Evolution and the
problem of evil evolution,evil,Darwin | Cornelius G. Hunter (Tom Hartman) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Annie's Box Darwin | Randal Keynes (Michael Roberts) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Genetic Gods: Evolution and
Belief in Human Affairs genetics,evolution | John C. Avise (Caroline Berry) | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Geography and the Science-Faith Debate | Denis Alexander | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Christian Basis for Science Abstract Why is science to be trusted? Many now challenge it. Modern science grew out of a belief in the orderliness of the physical world, which could be relied upon because a rational Creator had made it. Empiricists swept aside the theistic assumptions that made science possible, and they have been succeeded by a postmodernism which challenges the idea of reason and of an objective world. Postmodernism cannot escape the charge of relativism, and it removes all possibility of providing an intellectual basis for science. Yet science needs a metaphysical grounding if it is to be defensible. It can find this in the notion of an ordered Creation and a Godgiven rationality.Order, rationality, empiricism, postmodernism, relativism | Roger Trigg | April | 2003 | 15 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Some Thoughts on Causality and Design causality,design | Revd. Philip Bligh | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Maintaining Scientific and Christian Truths in a Postmodern World Abstract I should like to begin by thanking the organisers of this conference for inviting a theologian to participate in a gathering of eminent scientists.1 In one sense, of course, that mere fact is a reflection of our times. The pressures of global- ization embrace much more than the obvious truth that highly diverse cultures mutually influence one another today. They mean, as well, that at a time when discrete disciplines are becoming more and more specialised, and in that sense narrower and narrower, there are many calls for cross-disciplinary explo- rations, and I suppose that this conference, in part, is a fruit of such pressures. Ideally, that is a good thing. We must frankly admit, however, that not a few of the strident voices that clamour for cross-disciplinary study, some of them more articulate than well advised, are crossing disciplines with an exuberant glee that seeks to domesticate other domains of inquiry with the hegemony of postmodern epistemology. That sums up at least part of the contemporary clash between scientists and many philosophers of science. We know how you think, the latter say to the former, and so our task is to expose your blindspots, and teach you the proper way to think. Since both Christian confessionalism and science are facing a similar onslaught, it is not too surprising that we should be drawn together in a com- mon defence. For both parties have something in common: we both think there is such a thing as culture-transcending truth, and that we human beings have some access to it.2 For those who are both scientists and Christians, it is scarcely surprising that some should wonder if it might be profitable to pool our resources as we engage in this debate. In this paper my aims are modest. I propose to offer a summary of the chal- lenge, a survey of responses, and a pair of suggestions.postmodernism | Donald A. Carson | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science and Postmodernism - Further Reflections postmodernism | Editorial | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Human Cloning: A Watershed forScience and Ethics? Abstract The possibility that human beings will be cloned elicits widespread opprobrium from a wide spectrum of the population, Christians included, so much so that calls for its banning are frequently heard. The reasons for the strength of this opposition are profound and serious. They are based on the arguments that cloning: will imperil human dignity, represents a technological manipulation of human reproduction, will harm the resulting child, involves experimentation on human embryos, represents excessive human control, and is antagonistic to Christian aspirations. In assessing these arguments, concern is expressed with the assertions that cloning will inevitably lead to the instrumentalisation of human beings, that clones will be forced to walk in the footsteps of others, that their lack of genetic uniqueness will lead to a lack of human uniqueness, and that clones will invariably be treated as a product and not as a gift. The important role of control in human affairs is explored, with its repercussions for genetic control. While these criticisms do not lead to advocacy of human cloning, they encourage us to revisit the principles needed to guide us in our relationship to all aspects of God's world.human cloning, human dignity, human reproduction,
manipulation, human embryos | D. Gareth Jones | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Problem of Mental Causation: HowDoes Reason Get its Grip on theBrain? Abstract Twenty years ago, when I first became involved in the theology and science dia- logue, it was possible to ask whether there was really anything for scientists and theologians to talk about. It is important to remember that some of the most powerful influences in the development of modern theology, such as Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schleiermacher, had argued that religion and science have nothing to do with one another. Various intellectual strategies for insulating theology from science have made use of bodysoul dualism. Put crudely, science can study the body but the soul is the province of theology. Such strategies, however, have become prob- lematic in that neuroscientists are now studying all of the human faculties once attributed to the soul. I would argue that Christians who have not already done so ought to join philosophers and neuroscientists in adopting a physicalist account of the per- son.1 The problems with dualism, in my judgment, are insurmountable. First, it may well be conceptually impossible to give an account of mindbody inter- action: how can something non-material interact causally with material enti- ties? Second, while neuroscience can never prove that there is no mind or soul, it is increasingly clear that, to quote Laplace out of context, we have no need of that hypothesis. Finally, in addition to being unnecessary on biblical or theo- logical grounds, dualism is theologically undesirable due to its penchant for distorting Christian priorities. Briefly, what I mean here is that the adoption of dualism gave Christians something to care about (their souls) in place of Jesus' primary concern, which was the Kingdom of God. There are problems with physicalism, also. Most of the problems come down, in one way or another, to the issue of reductionism.2 If humans are essentially bodies, can we still understand ourselves to have features once attributed to an immaterial mind or soul, such as rationality, morality and free will? What I intend to do in this paper is to suggest the outlines of an approach to the problem of rationality. Here is the problem in brief: if humans are purely physical entities, how can it fail to be the case that their thoughts are deter- mined by physical laws and, if so, what happens to our conception of rational- ity? This problem is discussed in the philosophical literature as the problem of mental causation. Philosopher of mind Jaegwon Kim expresses it as a dilemma: he argues that mental properties will turn out to be reducible to physical properties unless one countenances some sort of downward causation. But such downward efficacy of the mental would suggest an ontological status for the mental that verges on dualism.3 My plan in this paper is to suggest a strategy for solving the problem of mental causation by providing an account of the downward efficacy of the mental that leaves an ontologically physicalist account of the human person intact.reductionism,physicalism | Nancey Murphy | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Explaining or Explaining Away? Abstract A monolithic view of the concept of explanation has been responsible for what is, arguably, a cluster of misunderstandings about the interplay between science and theology. This is a chronic feature of science and theology disputes and, in the plethora of popular books on cosmology, appears to be on the increase. This paper takes the concept of explanation to be multiform and considers various types of explanation and explanatory type-errors which occur in the sciencetheology debate. Examples from the cluster of misunderstandings are examined, including the ubiquitous `God-of-the-gaps'; Atkins' `infinitely lazy creator'; Dawkins' claim that `religion is a scientific theory'; the idea of `need' and `room' for God in science; the phenomenon of processes masquerading as ultimate causes; the alleged alternatives of Big Bang v. Creation and organic evolution v. Creation; the equating of naming with explaining and explaining with explaining away; reductionism; functionalism and psychological/ sociological/ sociobiological/ anthropological debunking of religion.explanation, science, theology, religion, God-of-the-gaps,
reductionism | Michael Poole | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Postmodern Attack on ScientificRealism Abstract In this paper I examine three themes which figure prominently in what can be termed `postmodern' analyses of science and religion, namely relativism, sociological deconstructivism and anti-rationalism. There are a number of conceptual difficulties with the central tenets of what many post-moderns claim. I sketch these problems and extract a common moral, namely that robust, objective ideas of reason, meaning and truth are presupposed by the very activities of assertion and enquiry. If that is correct, then in so far as both science and religion involve these activities, it must be the case that the appropriate understanding of reason, meaning and truth in these domains is, contra many postmodernists, an objective one. Keywords: Anti-rationalism, critical realism, incommensurability, objectivity, post-modernism, relativism, sociological deconstructivism.Anti-rationalism, critical realism, incommensurability, objectivity,
post-modernism, relativism, sociological deconstructivism | John L. Taylor | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Psychological Studies on Spiritual andReligious DevelopmentBeing Human: The Case of Religion,Vol.2 psychology | K. Helmut Reich Fritz K. Oser W. George Scarlett (Rosamund Bourke) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reason, Science & Faith reason,science,scripture | Roger Forster Paul Marston (Andrew Halestrap) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ad Litteram: How Augustine, Calvinand Barth Read the "Plain Sense" ofGenesis 1-3 genesis | K.E. Greene-McCreight (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rebuilding the Matrix: Science and
Faith in the 21st Century evolution | Denis Alexander (John Polkinghorne) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God for the 21st Century God | Russell Stannard (Ed) (John Bausor) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity and Western Thought,
Volume 2: Faith and Reason in the 19th
Century western thought,19th century | S. Wilkens A.G. Padgett (Colin A. Russell) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Triumph of Evolution and the
Failure of Creationism evolution,creationism | Niles Eldredge (R.J. Berry) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In the Beginning was Information information science | Werner Gitt (Rodney Holder) | October | 2002 | 14 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution | John F. Haught (Arthur Jones) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Human Person in Science and Theology | N.H. Gregersen,W.B. Drees, U. Görman (Eds.) (Graham McFarlane) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Hallmarks of Design: Evidences of design in the natural world | Stuart Burgess (Oliver R. Barclay) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can we believe Genesis today? | Ernest Lucas (Bennet McInnes) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Babel’s Shadow: Genetic technologies in a fracturing society | Pete Moore (Dr Ken Mickleson) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Why is Francis of Assisi the Patron Saint of Ecologists? Abstract In 1967 the historian Lynn White proposed St. Francis as a patron saint for ecologists. In this article I subject his recommendation to a critical analysis. I set out by reviewing the arguments presented by White in favour of Francis as ecology’s patron saint and go on to consider whether White’s portrait of St. Francis is accurate. This takes us back to the medieval setting of St. Francis’ life and to written sources of that era, and brings us to a consideration of the difference between saints and ecologists/ environmental scientists. My conclusion from this comparison is that this medieval man’s outlook on the natural world is realms apart from that held by practitioners of modern ecology and environmental science, but perhaps less far removed from the perspectives of self-styled ‘deep ecologists’. Has Francis then rightly become the patron saint of those for whom ecology (in the sense of the environmental issue) has become a new religion, but wrongly for ‘ordinary’ ecologists and other environmental scientists? Can St. Francis still serve as a source of inspiration for the latter, or are they not in need of a patron? Finally, the question of whether this is more than merely a historical or terminological issue is addressed.St. Francis; patron saint; saints and nature; ecology;
environmental scientist; spiritual life. | Jan J. Boersema | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Eschatology and the Nature of Humans: a Reconsideration of Pertinent
Biblical Evidence Abstract Among persons holding to some form of anthropological dualism, a crucial piece of evidence has been the presumption of the centrality to biblical eschatology of a disembodied intermediate state. The question posed in this essay is whether the biblical materials do in fact anticipate a waiting period of disembodied existence, experienced by the dead person, between death and resurrection. Focusing on three strands of evidence typically viewed as pivotal in the discussion – the concept of Sheol and the nature of the ‘shades’ that inhabit Sheol, the significance of the Lukan Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and account of Jesus’ exchange with the criminal on the cross, and Paul’s concerns in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 – I demonstrate the fallacy of this presumption and suggest that an eschatology, in which a disembodied, intermediate state plays a central role is poorly supported by the biblical evidence.intermediate state, human nature, soul, dualism. | Joel B. Green | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Changing Portraits of Human Nature Abstract Research in neuropsychology underlines the ever tightening links between mind and brain. A recent President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Robert Kendell, writes ‘Not only is the distinction between mental and physical ill-founded and incompatible with contemporary understanding of disease, it is also damaging to the long-term interests of patients themselves’2. At the same time advances in evolutionary psychology, revealing so-called ‘mind reading’ abilities in non-human primates, seem to reopen questions about what is unique about humans. Taken together neuropsychology and evolutionary psychology offer portraits of human nature that question some of our traditional Christian beliefs and have implications for Christian living. As in some earlier dialogues between science and faith, we are prompted to re-examine some traditional interpretations of familiar biblical passages. There are no easy answers but it is suggested that we need to return to a more holistic view of human nature that links our uniqueness to the God given capacity for a personal relationship with our Creator.Human nature, cognitive psychology, neuropsychology,
evolutionary psychology, soul, image of God, resurrection, spirituality,
neurotheology. | Malcolm Jeeves | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Globalising Science & Christian Belief | Denis Alexander | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Future of the Universe – Chance, Chaos, God? | Arnold Benz (Evan Cockshaw) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | On Dying Well | Board for Social Responsibility of the Church of England (Alun Morinan) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Monk and Two Peas: The Story of Gregor Mendel and the Discovery of Genetics | Robin Marantz Henig (David Burbridge) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Dating Game: One Man’s Search for the Age of the Earth | Cherry Lewis (Robert S. White) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life & the Theological Implications | Steven Dick (Ed.) (John Jefferson Davis) | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Globalising Science & Christian Belief | Denis Alexander | April | 2002 | 14 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: What does Physics tell us about God? | Owen Gingerich | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Human Genetics and the Image of the Triune God Abstract The initial sequencing of the human genome, together with the rapidly developing technology of genetic manipulation, has brought into sharp focus some acute questions about what it means to be human. In this paper, some key issues are identified: biological determinism and reductionism, the meaning of health, the effect on personal identity of manipulating our genes and the moral limits which should be placed on our use of genetic manipulation. A Christian account of human personhood, made in the image and likeness of God, is developed, drawing on various theological sources including the Trinitarian theology of John Zizioulas and Jürgen Moltmann and the theological anthropology of Alistair McFadyen. It is argued (1) that our being and identity are rooted and grounded in God’s creation of us; (2) that human personhood, made in God’s image, is inescapably relational; (3) that even the best human relationships fall short of the fullness of God’s image, so that the work of God in Christ is needed for the fulfilment of God’s creative purpose. On the basis of this account, a response is given to deterministic and reductionist views of the human person, an understanding of health is articulated and some ethical conclusions about the use of genetic manipulation are drawn.Human genome, genetic manipulation, theological
anthropology, personhood, ethics, health, determinism, reductionism | Neil G. Messer | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Essay Review – Neither Lifeless nor Mindless – a Commentary on ‘Reason, Science and Faith’ by Paul Marston & Roger Forster | David A. Booth | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Booth | Paul Marston | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Where science and history meet: some fresh challenges to the Christian faith? | Colin A. Russell | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Wilberforce-Huxley Debate: Why Did It Happen? | John Hedley Brooke | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Cullen | Nancey Murphy | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Supervenience and causality – A medical response | Alan J. Gijsbers | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Music to Move the Stars | Jane Hawking (Diana Briggs) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mystery of Mysteries: Is Evolution a Social Construction? | Michael Ruse (R J Berry) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Origins of Life, Second Edition | Freeman Dyson (Margaret Ginzburg) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Shaping of Rationality: Towards Interdisciplinarity in Theology and Science | J. Wentzel van Huyssteen (Adrian Brown) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Almost Like a Whale: The Origin of Species Updated | Steve Jones (Andrew Halestrap) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Unprecedented Choices: Religious Ethics at the Frontiers of Genetic Science | Audrey R. Chapman (John A Bryant) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | From Global Warming to Dolly the Sheep: An Encyclopædia of Social Issues in Science and Technology | David E. Newton (Celia Deane-Drummond) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Questions of Science: Exploring the interaction between science and faith | Andrew Barton (Michael Walker) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Towards a Democratic Science. Scientific Narration and Civic Communication | Richard Harvey Brown (John Eldridge) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Intelligent Design: The Bridge Between Science & Theology | William A. Dembski (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Electromagnetism and the Sacred | Laurence W. Fagg (Roland Dobbs) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science & its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective (2nd edition) | Del Ratzsch (Mike Poole) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Time to heal: A Contribution towards the Ministry of Healing | The Bishop of Chelmsford et al | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Time to Heal: The Development of Good Practice in the Healing Ministry: A Handbook | The Bishop of Chelmsford et al (Dr. John Wilkinson) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Care of Creation: Focusing Concern and Action | R.J. Berry (John M. Drake) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Thinking Clearly about God and Science | David Wilkinson & Rob Frost (John Bausor) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rare Earth: why complex life is uncommon in the universe | Peter D.Ward and Donald Brownlee (Bennet McInnes) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christians and Bioethics | Fraser Watts (Stuart Lucas) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Groundwork of Science and Religion | Philip Luscombe (Steve Bishop) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Theology since Copernicus | Peter Barrett (John Polkinghorne) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity and Ecology: Seeking the Well-Being of Earth and Humans | Dieter T. Hessel & Rosemary Radford Ruether (Ron Elsdon) | October | 2001 | 13 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: An environmental imperative for the new Millennium | Sir John Houghton | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Fine-Tuning, Many Universes, and Design Abstract In the light of the fine-tuning of the universe, I critique the postulation of the existence of infinitely many universes as an alternative to design. Among the problems identified with the hypothesis are (i) the existence of infinitely many universes depends critically on parameter choice; (ii) the probability that any universe in an ensemble is fine-tuned for life is zero; (iii) the physical realisation of any ensemble will exclude an infinity of possibilities; (iv) the hypothesis is untestable and unscientific; (v) the hypothesis is not consistent with the amount of order found in this universe, nor with the persistence of order. The explanatory power of the hypothesis is thus undermined. Even if this had been otherwise the hypothesis should be given a low prior probability on the grounds of lack of simplicity and economy. The design hypothesis then fares better on a simple probability comparison.Fine-tuning, many universes, cosmology, design | Rodney D. Holder | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | John Ray, Father of Natural Historians Abstract John Ray (1627-1705) was a pivotal figure in both the history of biology and in our maturing of understanding the Bible in the light of secular knowledge. He was the son of an Essex blacksmith who became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, but resigned his fellowship to work with his pupil and patron Francis Willugby (1635-72) on a series of plant and animal classifications, which paved the way for Carl Linnaeus and inspired generations of naturalists. He is best known for his Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation (1691), which was plundered by Archdeacon Paley for his Natural Theology (1802). Although he lived when the rationalism of the Enlightenment was in the ascendant, Ray was not a deist; he was a man who rejoiced and worshipped God through studying God’s ‘book of works.’ His influence persisted throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, underlying the tensions that developed in natural theology and natural history with the impact of Darwin and the growth of scientific professionalism. Three centuries after his death, he provides both a model and a stimulus for a Christian approach to the natural world.John Ray, natural history, conservation, stewardship, creation
care, natural theology | R. J. Berry | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Nancey Murphy, Supervenience and Causality Abstract Nancey Murphy argues in Beyond Liberalism & Fundamentalism, that a post–modern approach to metaphysics, based on a non–reductive physicalism, will allow a fruitful bridging of the gap between interventionist and immanentist views of God’s interaction with the world. This is achieved through her contention that there are causally significant ‘higher level’ laws which can affect interactions and which are neither constrained by, nor reducible to, lower level laws (such as the laws of physics). Whilst her aim is to be applauded, her methodology is somewhat flawed. In particular, her scientific defence of a non–reductive view is shallow and unpersuasive, and her use of the philosophical concept of supervenience is both eccentric and unhelpful. Thus her argument regarding higher–level laws founders, taking with it her basis for a rapprochement between ‘liberals’ and ‘conservatives’ on this particular topic.causality, physicalism, reductionism, supervenience | Lindsay Cullen | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Mendelian Interpretation of Jacob’s Sheep Abstract The story of Jacob producing flocks of striped goats and black sheep starting from flocks in which these characteristics had been removed is considered from a Mendelian genetic viewpoint. Previous commentators have implied that the placing of branches in front of the animals arose from the belief that vivid sights during pregnancy would leave a mark on the offspring. However, the fact that Laban removed all the coloured animals from the flock he entrusted to Jacob, shows that the herdsmen knew that the colour of the offspring was influenced in some way by the colour of the parents. It was not necessary for the herdsmen to understand the exact rules of inheritance, only sufficient that, wherever possible, female animals were served by coloured males. It is proposed that the use of the branches referred to in the story was not an attempt to generate visual impressions influencing the females during pregnancy or conception, but instead the branches were used to build a fence to ensure that only coloured male animals could serve the females.Genetics, Jacob, sheep, goats, Mendel | J.D.Pearson | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | On Numbers in Numbers Abstract The apparently very large numbers of Israelites at the time of the Exodus, as recorded in the book of Numbers, have been a subject of much debate. This paper examines the recent suggestion by Prof. C.J. Humphreys that the Hebrew word ‘lp can mean “troop” as well as “thousand”. It is found that his approach encounters some significant problems. On the other hand, the numbers taken at face value, with ‘lp consistently translated as “thousand”, indicate a relatively small proportion of Israelites under the age of 20. This may have implications for explaining the low number of first-born males. Also, it suggests that the total number of Israelites was about 1.6 million.Exodus, Moses, census, thousand | John Byl | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Professor Byl | Colin J. Humphreys | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Sex and Death: An Introduction to Philosophy of Biology | Kim Sterelny and Paul E. Griffiths (Andrew Fox) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Einstein and Religion. Physics and theology | Max Jammer (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dimensions of Forgiveness – Psychological Research & Theological Perspectives | Everett L. Worthington, Jr. (ed.) (Søren Holm) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Way of the (Modern) World Or, Why it’s Tempting to Live As If God Doesn’t Exist | Craig M Gay (Nicholas Moir) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Noah’s Flood: The Genesis Story in Western Thought | Norman Cohn (Stephen Walley) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Origin of Life: From the Birth of Life to the Origin of Language | John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary (Margaret Ginzburg) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Golem: What You Should Know about Science (second edition) | Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch (David Burbridge) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Golem at Large: What You Should Know about Technology | Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch (David Burbridge) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Valuing People: Human Value in a World of Medical Technology | D. Gareth Jones (John Wilkinson) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Naturwissenschaft und Theologie im Dialog | Ulrich Kropac (Søren Holm) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond the Cosmos | Hugh Ross (Bennet McInnes) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Psychology of Awakening | Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor & Guy Claxton (David Burnett) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A House Built on Sand: Exposing Postmodernist Myths About Science | Noretta Koertge (editor) (Steve Bishop) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism | Robert T. Pennock (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetic Maps and Human Imaginations: the limits of science in understanding who we are | Barbara Katz Rothman (Caroline Berry) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Inventing the Flat Earth | Jeffrey Burton Russell (Denis Alexander) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Choices at the Heart of Technology | Ruth Conway (Hazel Lucas) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories | J. L. Heilbron (Owen Gingerich) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwinism Defeated? The Johnson-Lamoureux Debate on Biological Origins | Johnson, P. E., Lamoureux, D. O. et al (Mike Poole) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Interplay between Scientific and Theological Worldviews, Parts I & II | Niels H Gregersen, Ulf Görman and Christoph Wassermann (eds) (Arthur Jones) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Power of the Force: The Spirituality of the Star Wars Films | David Wilkinson (Ruth Gouldbourne) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwinism Comes to America | R. L. Numbers (Michael Roberts) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Debating Darwin | J. C. Greene (Michael Roberts) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can Science Dispense With Religion? | Mehdi Golshani (Editor) (Marion Syms) | April | 2001 | 13 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: The Human Genome Project | Denis Alexander | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Is Communication From God Really Possible? A Conceptual Problem Abstract The medievals believed that we had been equipped with a God-given ability to conceptualize the world as God had ordered it. Since the beginning of the modern era, we have become ever more aware that many, if not most, of our concepts are the product of culture and of our own creation rather than being God-given. If God’s concepts are different from our own, how could He communicate His concepts to us, since whatever words He would use would signify human concepts rather than His own. In light of this, is communication from God through human language possible, or if possible is it limited to God expressing Himself through our concepts rather than His own? This paper examines this question and offers an explanation of how God could communicate His conceptual understanding to us in spite of the fact that His concepts are nothing like those concepts which are given us by our language community and for the most part make up our understanding.Concepts, Berkeley, Locke, Communication, God | James Danaher | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Typology for the Theological Reception of Scientific Innovation Abstract The responses of members of the theological community to innovations from the sciences is generally richly varied rather than univocal. This article attempts to justify the idea that scientific ideas can feed constructively into the theological endeavour, and presents a five-fold typology for the responses theologians can make to a scientific novelty. This typology is illustrated with reference to the responses of some nineteenth century Anglican Clergymen to Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’; and, as a ‘thought experiment’, it is used to suggest ways in which theologians might respond to possible future developments in Artificial Intelligence.typology, doctrine, development, Newman, Darwin, Artificial
Intelligence | Michael Fuller | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Jewish Understandings of Genesis 1 to 3 Abstract This article examines the understandings of the creation accounts in Genesis 1–3 found in various early Jewish writings including rabbinical, philosophical and mystical/apocalyptic works. In general, Jewish writers distinguished various levels of meaning, including an allegorical as well as a literal or historical level. At the historical level of interpretation, however, certain aspects of the narrative were taken as symbolic or metaphorical, and a purely ‘literalistic’ understanding was not deemed natural to the language. The relevance of this historical material is discussed in the context of contemporary conservative approaches to interpreting the creation passages.Creation, Genesis, Jewish, Allegorical, Literalistic,
Rabbinic | Justin Marston | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Paul and the Person Abstract Discussions of Biblical anthropology inevitably lead to the question as to whether it is fundamentally monist or dualist in form. In his recent article ‘Scripture and the Human Person: Further Reflections’ Joel Green put forward the modest proposal that anthropological monism is at least consistent with several New Testament passages which have often been interpreted in dualist fashion. This article takes this discussion a step further and interprets the Pauline data in the light of Paul’s soteriological purposes. The conclusion is that Paul deliberately varies his anthropological ontology in order to defend more central anthropological themes. It is argued that following Paul’s anthropology means more than accepting his ontological conclusions, it means adopting a method. This is shown to have implications for the contemporary use of biblical ontologies of the person.Paul; theological anthropology; theoanthropology; ontology;
dualism; monism; soul; spirit | Brian G. Edgar | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | H. Russman | H. Russman | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | P.G. Nelson | P.G. Nelson | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | R. Knight | R. Knight | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Response from R.J. Berry | R.J. Berry | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Case for God | Peter S. Williams (Robert Ellis) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can Reindeer Fly? | Roger Highfield (Bennet McInnes) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi | Michael R Molnar (Colin Humphreys) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Star of Bethlehem: An Astronomer’s View | Mark Kidger (Colin Humphreys) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life | Steven Jay Gould (Andrew Briggs) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance Through Small Probabilities | William A. Dembski (Rodney Holder) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Lo grande, lo pequeño y la mente humana | Roger Penrose, with Abner Shimony, Nancy Cartwright and Stephen Hawking (Enrique Mota) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Pattern on the Stone | W. Daniel Hillis (Hazel Lucas) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cultural Boundaries of Science: Credibility on the Line | Thomas F. Gieryn (Steve Bishop) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion & Magic: Approaches & Theories | Graham Cunningham (David Burnett) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | On Giants’ Shoulders – Studies in Christian Apologetics | Edgar Powell (Andrew Halestrap) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wider Horizons: Explorations in Science and Human Experience | David Lorimer et al. (J.N. Hawthorne) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Earthshaping Earthkeeping: A Doctrine of Creation | John Weaver (Ron Elsdon) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Meme Machine | Susan Blackmore (Rosamund Bourke) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Isaac Newton’s Observation on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John. A Critical Edition: Prophecy as History | S.J. Barnett (ed.) (Ernest Lucas) | October | 2000 | 12 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Science and Postmodernism | Ernest Lucas | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Modern Astronomy and Our Perception of the Universe Abstract The change in our perception of the cosmos introduced by modern astronomy, starting with Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler, has had wideranging repercussions on the human worldview, both secular and religious. The immensity of the universe and the apparent bleakness of outer space produce possible problems for faith; these are examined, and solutions are proposed.astronomy, universe, God, Milton, Pascal, Nietzsche, space | Peter J. Bussey | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | How Many People Were in the Exodus from Egypt? Abstract The very large numbers of people at the Exodus from Egypt recorded in the book of Numbers is a very well known Old Testament problem. In this paper a new mathematical and textural analysis is given which shows that if there were ‘273 first born Israelites who exceed the number of Levites’ (Num. iii 43), then the total number of Israelite men aged over 20 in the census following the Exodus was about 5000, not 603,550 as apparently recorded in Numbers. The apparent error in Numbers arises because the ancient Hebrew word ‘lp can mean ‘thousand’, ‘troop’, or ‘leader’, according to the context. On our interpretation, all the figures in Numbers are internally consistent including the numbers at both censuses, the encampment numbers, etc. In addition we deduce that the number of males in the average Israelite family at the time of the Exodus was 8 to 9, consistent with the concern of the Egyptians that the Israelites had ‘multiplied greatly’ whilst in Egypt (Exod. i 7). The total number of men, women and children at the Exodus was about 20,000 rather than the figure of over 2 million apparently suggested by the book of Numbers.Exodus, Moses, Numbers, census, thousand. | Colin J. Humphreys | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Consonance, Assimilation or Correlation?: Science and Religion ................. 35
Courses in Higher Education Abstract The recent rapid increase in the number of courses on science and religion in higher education in Britain means it is now possible to analyse the different educational strategies employed and to identify different assumptions about how science and religion can be related. The analysis of sixteen course outlines, coupled with interviews with staff of four courses, shows that the typology of Barbour is not sensitive enough for this purpose as all the courses assume that there is to be dialogue rather than conflict, independence or integration. Polkinghorne’s categories of assimilation and consonance are useful as they represent different approaches in dialogue but many courses do not fit neatly into either of these categories. It is illuminating to think of courses as encouraging the contextualisation of faith in a scientific context, and the category of correlation is introduced from studies of method in theology. While some courses aim merely to show that there can be consonance between science and religion, there are others which work towards the more systematic interaction of assimilation, and there are yet others which appear to be intermediate and allow for different patterns of correlation in different areas of dialogue.Assimilation, consonance, contextual theology, correlation,
educational strategies, higher education, science and religion courses,
types of theology | Peter Fulljames and Tonie Stolberg | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | The Fall: History or Myth? | Peter Addinall | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | The Fall of History | R.J. Berry | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | David A. Booth | David A. Booth | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Theology: An Introduction | John Polkinghorne (Mike Poole) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Theory of Almost Everything | Robert Barry (Reg Luhman) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Green Eye of the Storm | John Rendle-Short (Steve Bishop) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Religion and Reality | Stephen R.L. Clark (Christopher Southgate) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Teaching about Science and Religion | Michael Poole (Michael Walker) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Virtual Morality: Christian Ethics in the Computer Age | Graham Houston (David Attwood) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Roots of Science: An Investigative Journey Through the World’s Religions | Harold Turner (Ernest Lucas) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge | Edward O. Wilson (Arthur Jones) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Noah‘s Flood: The New Scientific Discoveries about the Event that Changed History | William Ryan and Walter Pitman (Bob White) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | All Life is Problem Solving | Karl R. Popper (Valerie MacKay) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Romancing the Universe: Theology, Science and Cosmology | Jeffrey G. Sobosan (Rodney Holder) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder | Richard Dawkins (Mike Poole) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Body of Compassion: Ethics, Medicine and the Church | Joel J. Shuman (John Wilkinson) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genes, Genesis & God: Values and their origins in natural and human history | Holmes Rolston III (John A. Bryant) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fifth Miracle | Paul Davis (Stuart Lucas) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Being a Person: Where Faith and Science Meet | John Habgood (Mike Rees) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Brave New Worlds: Staying Human in the Genetic Future | Brian Appleyard (Brian Haymes) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science | National Academy of Sciences (Adrian Brown) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: an introduction | Alister E. McGrath (William K. Kay) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Humanity, and the Cosmos: A Textbook in Science and Religion | Christopher Southgate (ed.) John Weaver) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Whatever Happened to the Soul? | Warren S. Brown, Nancey Murphy and H. Newton Malony (eds.) (Paul Marston) | April | 2000 | 12 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Reflections on the Twentieth Century | Denis Alexander | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Human Genome Project: Tool of Atheistic Reductionism or Embodiment of the Christian Mandate to Heal? | Francis Collins | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Eastern Religions and Modern Physics – a Further Examination Abstract A further study is made of the claims that modern physics confirms certain aspects of eastern religious philosophy, with special reference to particle physics and quantum mechanics. Some particular topics discussed are complementarity, the role of the ‘observer’ in quantum mechanics, questions concerning unity and interrelationship, and the existence of quantum events. The ultimate role of rationality in the universe is contrasted between East and West. In general, a negative conclusion is reached: most of the similarities are superficial only. In one or two cases there may even be conflicts with some aspects of eastern teachings.physics, eastern philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, quantum mechanics, complementarity, elementary particles, Romantic movement | Peter J. Bussey | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Biodiversity Loss in the Developing World and Sustainable Development Abstract Plants and animals are major components of the Creator’s comprehensive provision for human existence, contributing to man’s physical needs and providing the basis for aesthetic and intellectual fulfilment. They also provide a demonstration of God’s power and creative genius, meant to engender humility and worship. Humankind has a God-given mandate to exercise responsible stewardship over the whole of the material creation, including global biodiversity, which entails increasing their understanding of it and using it carefully to meet a variety of needs. Based on his own professional experience, the author examines selected aspects of the stewardship of tropical biodiversity, using examples from Asia and Africa including the arid vegetation of Arabia, the Borneo rainforest, the Asiatic lion, Great Indian rhinoceros and the African elephant. As elsewhere in the world, these resources are frequently threatened by a lack of care and over-exploitation driven by short-term economic considerations which jeopardise their availability to future generations. Ways are explored by which a biblical concept of stewardship can influence the sustainability of man’s use of living natural resources. The aim is to achieve a balance between the various original purposes of creation, avoiding destructive over-utilization on the one hand and excessive protection and veneration of charismatic species on the other. Christians should recognise their responsibility to both care for biodiversity and encourage proper human development.Biodiversity, stewardship, conservation, sustainable
development, wildlife utilization | John B. Sale | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Portraits of Human Nature: Reconciling Neuroscience and Christian Anthropology | Warren S. Brown Malcolm A. Jeeves | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Comment on ‘This Cursed Earth’ | Philip Duce | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Philip Duce | R.J. Berry | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Creative Loop | Erich Harth (Diana Briggs) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Anglo-American Postmodernity | Nancey Murphy (Michael Alsford) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science, Life and Christian Belief: A Survey and Assessment | Malcolm A. Jeeves and R.J. Berry (Francis Barton) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science in Faith: a Christian Perspective on Teaching Science | Arthur Jones (ed.) (John Bausor) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Cloning: Religious Responses | Ronald Cole-Turner (Caroline Berry) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Nature at the Millennium: Reflections on the Integration of Psychology and Christianity | Malcolm A. Jeeves (Rosamund Bourke) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Descartes and his Contemporaries: Meditations, Objections, and Replies | Roger Ariew and Marjorie Grene (ed.) (John Hedley Brooke) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Lifelines: Biology, Freedom, Determinism | Steven Rose (John A. Bryant) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How Large is God?: The Voices of Scientists and Theologians | John Marks Templeton (ed.) (David Burbridge) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reading the Mind of God | Philip Duce (Richard Dimery) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Fertility and Faith: The Ethics of Human Fertilization | Brendan McCarthy (Gareth Jones) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Matters of Life and Death: Today’s Healthcare Dilemmas in the Light of Christian Faith | John Wyatt (Gareth Jones) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Engineering Genesis: The Ethics of Genetic Engineering in Non-Human Species | Donald Bruce & Ann Bruce (eds.) (Celia Deane-Drummond) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Defence of the Soul | Keith Ward (Revd. Dr. William K. Kay) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Spirit of Science: from Experiment to Experience | David Lorimer (ed.) (Ernest Lucas) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology and Biotechnology: Implications for a New Science | Celia Deane-Drummond (Darryl Macer) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Quest for Meaning | L. Francis Edmunds (Paul Marston) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cosmos and the Creator, An introduction to the Theology of Creation | David Fergusson (Graham McFarlane) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Stories and Their Limits: Narrative Approaches to Bioethics | Hilde Lindemann Nelson (ed.) (Sue Patterson) | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | ESSAY REVIEW Reconstructing Nature: the Engagement of Science | Colin A. Russell | October | 1999 | 11 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: Genetically Modified Foods: Why so much Concern? | Derek Burke | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Why God Must Exist | Keith Ward | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Cosmic Endgame: Theological Reflections on Recent Scientific Speculations on the Ultimate Fate of the Universe Abstract This article interacts with scientific scenarios concerning the ultimate fate of the universe developed by the physicists Freeman Dyson, Frank Barrow, and John Tipler. The history of ‘thermodynamic pessimism’ dating from the 19th century is briefly reviewed, and it is argued that these scenarios do not succeed in escaping this pessimism. It is concluded that any ultimate hope for humanity can not be found on the basis of known laws of physics alone, but must be derived from the standpoint of divine revelation.Thermodynamics, heat death of universe, eschatology, Dyson, Barrow, Tipler | John J. Davis | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | This Cursed Earth: Is ‘the Fall’ Abstract The bible story of the Fall in Genesis 3 is commonly referred to as a ‘myth’ but this does not help us to understand what reality there may be behind the biblical account. The interpretation suggested here is that: a. Adam could be an historical individual if God’s image, which distinguishes humans from other animals, is regarded as a divine act somehow linked to in-breathing (without genetic connotations) at some point in history; b. If Adam was created during history, there is no problem in assuming that he also rebelled against (disobeyed) his creator (i.e. sinned) at a time within history; the primary effect of this would be alienation from God, the source of his life, i.e. that he died. Since animal and plant death pre-dated Adam, the key to this human death is that it is specifically spiritual death, i.e. separation from God; c. God’s first commands to the newly created humans were to care for and pastor the rest of creation, acting as God’s vicegerents; the consequence of separation from God is that our first parents failed to steward creation for God, producing disorder. Our continuing failures are due to un (or self) directed disorderliness not the result of an innate defect. d. Christ has enabled us to resume our intended role through his reconciling work. But creation will continue to ‘groan’ until we accept the responsibilities which are part of the privileges of becoming a ‘new creation’ in Christ.Fall, Adam, death, Eden, covenant, reconciliation | R.J. Berry | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Scripture and the Human Person: Further Reflections Abstract Dr. David Booth has sketched a number of important considerations for a ‘biblical’ and ‘scientific understanding’ of human nature, and has thus provided a helpful orientation to what is sure to be one of the pivotal issues for the Christian community in the West in coming decades. However, the case for a unitary account of the human person in Scripture does not rest so fully on problematic word studies but actually goes to the heart of what it means in Scripture to be ‘human.’human nature, soul, dualism, monism | Joel B. Green | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Multiple Universes as an Explanation for Fine-Tuning | Rodney D. Holder | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Multiple Universe Explanations Are Not Explanations | Phil Dowe | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Further Observations on Mîn, ‘Kind’ Abstract Recently Seely presented much data demonstrating the flexibility of usage of mîn in the Old Testament. Overlooked was the rarity of occurrences of the word, all occurring in the same syntactical combination which can be understood as ‘of every kind, in all their variety’. The focus is not on biological reproduction but diversity and comprehensiveness.Genesis, creationism, theistic evolution, ethno-biology,
taxonomy | John W. Olley | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cambridge History of Seventeenth Century Philosophy | Daniel Garber and Michael Ayers (eds) (Charles Webster) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Between Copernicus and Galileo: Christopher Clavius and the Collapse of Ptolemaic Cosmology | James M. Lattis (John Hedley Brooke) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science Meets Faith: Theology and Science in Conversation | Fraser Watts (ed.) (Christopher Southgate) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues | Ian Barbour (Adrian Brown) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs | J.M. Templeton & K.S. Giniger (eds.) (Ernest C. Lucas) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Vital Dust: Life as a Cosmic Imperative | Christian de Duve (John A. Bryant) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Biological Universe | Steven J. Dick (John A. Bryant) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature’s Imagination: The Frontiers of Scientific Vision | John Cornwell (editor) (Jonathan Doye) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Cambridge Companion to Jung | Polly Eisendrath-Young and Terence Dawson (eds) (Dr. Sara B. Savage) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin of Consciousness | A.G. Cairns-Smith (Fraser Watts) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Animals on the Agenda: Questions about Animals for Theology and Ethics | Andrew Linzey and Dorothy Yamamoto (eds) (Brent Waters) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond Science | John Polkinghorne (Denis Alexander) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Metaphysics and the Origin of Species | Michael T. Ghiselin (Arthur Jones) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Principles of Geology | Charles Lyell (Michael Roberts) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Faber Book of Science | John Carey (editor) (William K. Kay) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Improving Nature? The Science and Ethics of Genetic Engineering | Michael J. Reiss and Roger Straughan (R.J. Berry) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Faith and Uncertainty | John Habgood (Peter Fulljames) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Walk Through Time – From Stardust to Us: The Evolution of Life on Earth | Sidney Liebes, Elisabet Sahtouris and Brian Swimme (Hazel C. Lucas) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Scientists as Theologians: A Comparison of the Writings of Ian Barbour, Arthur Peacocke and John Polkinghorne | John Polkinghorne (John Jefferson Davis) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Frankenstein’s Footsteps. Science, Genetics and Popular Culture | Jon Turney (John Eldridge) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Unnatural Enemies: An Introduction to Science and Christianity | Kirsten Birkett (Steve Bishop) | April | 1999 | 11 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: On taking Both Science and the Bible Seriously | Denis Alexander | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Adam, Anthropology and the Genesis Record Abstract Much of the perceived conflict between science and Christian belief is not due to any intrinsic disagreement between these two approaches to truth, but rather to the conflict of emerging science with entrenched interpretations of Scripture. The history of the science/faith interface attests to this fact from the time of Galileo and before. It is important therefore, in interpreting Gen. 1–3, to take into account the findings of contemporary science. This approach should be made, not as an attempt to conform science to the Bible or the Bible to science, but rather as one in which science serves along with history, culture and language as one of many inputs into the interpretative exercise. The important message of Genesis and of the role of Scripture as the Word of God is not compromised by such an approach, but rather enhanced and its relevance in the contemporary scene emphasised. In this paper an attempt is made to assess the findings of modern anthropology in relation to the interpretation of the Genesis account of Adam and the Fall. It is maintained that neither a strictly literal interpretation, nor one which identifies an individual historic Adam with the Biblical Adam, is consistent with the findings of cultural and physical anthropology. On the other hand, it is proposed that an interpretation suggesting a generic (representative humanity) Adam and a gradual emergence of both humanity made in the `image of God’ and of the Fall is consistent with a proper interpretation of Genesis chapters 1–3. It is proposed that the essential message of Genesis 1–3 with its theology of humanity created in the image of God and embracing the development of a sinful human nature needing redemption is not compromised by this reading.Adam, Fall, Anthropology, Genesis, Biblical Interpretation | Allan J. Day | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Human Nature: Unitary or Fragmented? Abstract Our humanity, as the Holy Spirit speaks of it to all cultures through the writers of Scripture, is that of material beings who live in community and can relate to God. A human person’s life (the soul) is somatic (the body), a set of individual achievements and viewpoints (the mind and heart), which can be evaluated as a whole (the flesh and the spirit). This biblical conception of a unitary human nature conflicts with both clerically fostered ideas that the dead have temporal consciousness and also the rationalistic dualism of `the ghost in the machine’. On the other hand, this concept of a psychobiosocial unity in human life is consistent with scientific research into the neural bases and the cultural origins of the conscious and unconscious mental processes involved in our actions, thoughts and feelings.human nature, psychological science, life, mind, soul, spirit, body, flesh | David Booth | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Science, Christianity and the Post-Modern Agenda Abstract Modernists equated rationality with science and thus supposed that religious belief was irrational. Post-modernists show a welcome openness to non-scientific belief systems, yet tend to endorse relativism. This article examines the transition from modernist to post-modernist philosophy of science with particular reference to the work of Thomas Kuhn. The manner in which Kuhn’s work undermines the rationality of science and tends towards an objectionable relativism will be examined. However, Kuhn’s work can be re-interpreted within a broadly realist framework, which sees paradigm choice as a rational procedure, and scientific progress as leading towards an objectively true account of the world. This re-reading of Kuhn yields a partially post-modern philosophy of science, which succeeds in retaining post-modernism’s openness towards religion, without lapsing into a denial of the possibility of objective truth.Post-modernism, rationality, relativism, realism, paradigm, incommensurability | John Taylor | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | J. Emyr Macdonald | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | Michael B. Roberts | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Revelation and the Environment: AD 95–1995 | Sarah Hobson & Jane Lubchenko (editors) (Celia Deane-Drummond) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Web of Life: A new Synthesis of Mind and Matter | Fritjof Capra (Ernest C. Lucas) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Good God: Green theology and the value of creation | Jonathan Clatworthy (Ron Elsdon) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Scientific Revolution | Steven Shapin (Charles Webster) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology of Creation in an Evolutionary World | Karl Schmitz-Moormann, with James F. Salmon S.J.(Christopher Southgate) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Faith and the New Millennium | Keith Ward (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reconciling Theology and Science: A Radical Reformation Perspective | Nancey Murphy (Michael Peat) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Psychology of Religious Behaviour, Belief and Experience | Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi and Michael Argyle (Rosamund Bourke) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Humanizing Brain: Where Religion and Neuroscience Meet | James B. Ashbrook and Carol Rausch Albright (Fraser Watts) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Robert Boyle: A Study in Science and Christian Belief | Reijer Hooykaas (Edward B. Davis) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Belief in God in an Age of Science | John Polkinghorne (William K. Kay) | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | ESSAY REVIEW The Crucible of Creation: the Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals by Simon Conway Morris | Robert S. White | October | 1998 | 10 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Of Christians and Information Technology | Lawrence Osborn | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Infanticide: An Ethical Battlefield Abstract This article examines the historic and modern contexts of infanticide and its links with passive and active euthanasia, and with abortion. Current debate on the treatment or non-treatment of imperilled newborns, most commonly those suffering from Down’s syndrome or spina bifida, is the result of shifts in ethical perception brought about in part by technological advance and also by the focus of many in modern society on good health and normality. These have led to an ethic of perfectionism whereby infants are viewed as the property of parents, to be disposed of if they so choose. Arguments in favour of infanticide and those opposing it are presented and discussed. The Christian perspective proposed explores our valuation of human infants and the care and protection to be afforded to disabled newborns. Based on the belief that all are created in the image of God, it is suggested that all human beings should be valued irrespective of disease or disability. From this basis, the withholding or withdrawal of treatment may only be justified where a case can be made that the best interests of the debilitated infant will not be served by its continued provision.Infant, infanticide, imperilled newborns, Down’s syndrome, spina bifida | D Gareth Jones | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Criteria of Success in Science and Theology Abstract In this paper I asses the merits of the strategy by which theologians explicitly borrow criteria from the sciences for justification of religious belief-systems. In particular, I examine the standards according to which scientists affirm the reality of those unobservable, explanatory components of their best theories . A survey of the most promising arguments for scientific realism reveals those standards: a parallel survey of explanatory theology provides an analysis of the claim that relevantly similar considerations support the belief that God actually exists. Of particular interest is the claim that explanatory theology fails because it lacks the predictive resources to support a realist interpretation. In the end, I offer a favourable assessment of the prospects for an argument for the existence of God based on the explanatory adequacy of specifically Christian beliefs.Scientific explanation, theological explanation, justification of belief, realism | Robert O’Connor | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to O’Connor: Inference to the Best Explanation and Predictive Power | Phil Dowe | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | William Paley Confronts Erasmus Darwin: Natural Theology and Evolutionism in the Eighteenth Century Abstract This article examines the relations between natural theology and evolutionary theories in the eighteenth century, and in particular William Paley’s response to the Zoonomia of Erasmus Darwin. It discusses the status of the argument from design, and suggests that in eighteenth century Britain the argument became less prominent after about 1730 when the threat of atheism, as distinct from deism, was felt to have receded. Paley should be seen as successfully reviving and updating natural theology to counter new philosophical and scientific threats, and in particular Erasmus Darwin’s evolutionary theory, the first to give a systematic account of biological adaptation. In his response Paley showed the inadequacy of any theory that explains adaptation by the active exertions of organisms. The article concludes with suggestions for further study of Paley’s influence in the nineteenth century.Natural theology, evolution, argument from design, William Paley, Erasmus Darwin | David Burbridge | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Berkeleyan Approach to the Problem of Induction Abstract The problem of induction has plagued scientists and philosophers of science ever since Hume’s famous critique. Specifically, it seems that any attempt to reason from observed phenomena to future or otherwise unobserved events is destined to beg the question. Traditional attempts to solve the problem seem inadequate to avoid circularity. In this essay, I elucidate an approach to the problem of induction which might have been taken by one of Hume’s immediate predecessors, George Berkeley. I show how a Berkeleyan model offers a theistic justification of inferences about unobserved events. First, the existence of a benevolent God is inferred from the numerous helpful regularities in nature. Second, based on the trustworthiness of God, it is concluded that nature is uniform (that the future will resemble the past). In addition to explaining the Berkeleyan model, a variety of implications about the nature and practice of science are noted. The paper concludes with a discussion of objections to a Berkeleyan approach.Berkeley, Hume, induction, laws of nature, uniformity of
nature | James Spiegel | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Plan and Purpose in Nature | George C Williams (Arthur Jones) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Survival and Religion: Biological Evolution and Cultural Change | Eric Jones and Vernon Reynolds (editors) (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reality through the Looking-Glass: Science and awareness in the postmodern world | C J S Clarke (Revd Nicholas Moir) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | How Brains Think—Intelligence then and now | William H Calvin (Diana Briggs) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | What is Life? The Next Fifty Years: Speculations on the Future of Biology | Michael P. Murphy and Luke A. J. O’Neill (editors) (J. N. (Tim) Hawthorne) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Biologist: Faith at the Frontiers of Science | R. J. Berry (John A Bryant) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Energy and Environment | Peter E Hodgson (Sir John Houghton) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Prehistory of the Mind | S. Mithen (Mike Alsford) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and Creation | Keith Ward (Graham McFarlane) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fabric of Reality | David Deutsch (John Polkinghorne) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | But is it Science?: The Philosophical Question in the Creation/Evolution Controversy | Michael Ruse (Ed) (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Super, Natural Christians: How we should love nature | Sallie McFague (Ron Elsdon) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion and the Order of Nature | Seeyed Hossein Nasr (Celia Deane-Drummond) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Earth Under Threat: A Christian Perspective | Ghillean Prance (Steve Bishop) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Monad to Man; The Concept of Progress in Evolutionary Biology | Michael. J Ruse (Michael Roberts) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Pythagoras’ Trousers: God, physics and the gender wars | Margaret Wertheim (Revd Nicholas Moir) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reinventing Darwin | Niles Eldredge (Michael Roberts) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | River Out of Eden & Climbing Mount Improbable | Richard Dawkins (Mike Poole) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Testing Darwinism | Phillip E. Johnson (Paul Helm) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Uncertain Knowledge: An image of science for a changing world | R G A Dolby (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In Search of Personality: Christianity and Modern Psychology | Peter Morea (Dr. Robert Innes) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Impossibility: Thoughts About the Unknowable, the Undoable and the Unthinkable | John D. Barrow (John Polkinghorne) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God And The Scientists | Michael Poole el al (Adrian Brown) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Soul Searching | Nicholas Humphrey (Andrew Briggs) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Nature at the Millennium. Reflections on the Integration of Psychology and Christianity | Malcolm A. Jeeves (D. A. Booth) | April | 1998 | 10 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: On Book Reviews | Colin A. Russell | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Christians and the Environment: Our Opportunities and
Responsibilities Abstract The following is the text of the Drawbridge Lecture given on 1st October 1996 in St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London, for the Christian Evidence Society. | John Houghton | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Darwin’s Doubts About Design—the Darwin-Gray
Correspondence of 1860 Abstract Darwin is credited with overturning Paley’s ideas of design. However, Darwin’s prob!ems with design are more complex, and are often misunderstood by neither grasping Paley’s ideas of design, nor those of his successors, who were beginning to replace arguments leading from design to God by arguments to design from God. Darwin’s doubts about design arose from three main sources: first, he used the argument from design, in contrast to Gray’s argument to design; second, the issue of chance and determinism; and, third, his doubts that a ‘Beneficent God’ could design a world with so much pain. The correspondence between Darwin and Gray and Gray’s articles on Darwin show how Gray sought to be Darwin’s retriever. Hodge’s challenge in What is Darwinism? was centred on chance, and as natural selection depended on chance Darwinism had to be atheistic, even if Darwin himself was not. In conclusion Darwin’s doubts about design stemmed directly from his doubts about God, and especially suffering.Design, teleology, Darwin, Paley, Gray, Hodge | Michael B. Roberts | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Quantum Indeterminacy and the Omniscience of God Abstract Does God know the precise moment that an individual radium atom will decay? This article examines the `limited omniscience’ proposal of Arthur Peacocke, who argues that God has voluntarily limited his knowledge of events in the quantum world, to make genuine contingency possible. The author presents as an alternative to the Peacocke proposal a revisionist version of classical Christian theism, in which the divine knowledge is unlimited, but which recognizes genuine contingency in nature.quantum mechanics; indeterminacy; God; omniscience | John J. Davis | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to Davis | Arthur Peacocke | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | In Search of a More Focussed Response: a Reply to Howard J. Van Till | Philip P. Duce | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Duce | Howard J. Van Till | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | Chris Clarke | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | R. J. Berry | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Flamingo’s Smile | Stephen Jay Gould (R.S. Luhman) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Atoms and Icons: A Discussion of the Relationships Between Science and Theology | Michael Fuller (David Atkinson) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Gaia and God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth Healing | Rosemary Radford Ruether (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fire in the Equations | Kitty Ferguson(D. A. Wilkinson) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Prisons of Light—Black Holes | Kitty Ferguson (Robert Boyd) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | `Bioethics for the People by the People’ | Darryl R. J. Macer and others (David Hardy) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Psychology of Interpersonal Behaviour | Michael Argyle (Michael Nazir-Ali) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Paradigms and Barriers. How Habits of Mind Govern Scientific Beliefs | Howard Margolis (M. Alsford) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Laws of Nature (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy) | John W. Carroll (Steve Bishop) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ecotheology July 1996, Issue 1 | Mary Grey (editor) (Steve Bishop) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolving the Mind | A. G. Cairns-Smith (Diana Briggs) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reluctant Heroine. The life and work of Hélène Duhem | Stanley L. Jaki (R. N. D. Martin) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Galileo, Courtier: The Practice of Science in the Culture of Absolutism | Mario Biagioli (Revd Nicholas Moir) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Edward Frankland: Chemistry, Controversy and Conspiracy in Victorian England | Colin Russell (John Nicholson) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion, Science and Naturalism | Willem B. Drees (Denis Alexander) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Memory of Water | Michel Schiff (Revd. Dr. Ernest C. Lucas) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Wonders: conversations about science and belief | Russell Stannard (William K Kay) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Large, the Small and the Human Mind | Roger Penrose (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | From a Biological Point of View: Essays in Evolutionary Philosophy | Elliott Sober (Arthur Jones) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Lives to Come. The genetic revolution and human possibilities | Philip Kitcher (Caroline Berry) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Troubled Helix: Social and Psychological Implications of the New Human Genetics. | Theresa Marteau & Martin Richards (editors) (John A Bryant) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | What is Intelligence? | J. Khalfa (editor) (P. C. Knox) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Impossible Minds. My neurons, my consciousness | Igor Aleksander (D. A. Booth) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Radiance of Being. Complexity, Chaos and the Evolution of Consciousness | Allan Coombs (A. P. Stone) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Mind Machine | John Puddefoot (Rosamund Bourke) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Psychology of Religion: Classic and contemporary | David M. Wulff (Tim Marks) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Gaia in Action: Science of the Living Earth. | Peter Bunyard (editor) (Celia Deane-Drummond) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Black Box | Michael J. Behe (Michael Roberts) | October | 1997 | 9 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: Science, Religion and the Media | (not given) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Chance and Providence Abstract This paper considers an area of putative conflict between science and religion, namely, the Chance Worldview. It is thought by many that the existence of chance, allegedly proved in quantum physics, refutes the classical theist doctrine of providence. In this paper I consider the implications of Bell’s Theorem for the relation between divine and natural causation.chance; providence; divine causation; quantum mechanics | Phil Dowe | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the
Christian Doctrine of Redemption Abstract The history of discussion in the ancient, medieval, and modern periods of the theological implications of the possible existence of extraterrestrial beings is reviewed and related to modern scientific interests. In the contructive section of the paper it is argued that the Pauline “cosmic Christology” of Colossians 1:15–20 makes it unnecessary to postulate additional incarnations as atonements in order to conceptualize the redemption of any extraterrestial beings that might exist elsewhere in the universe. This conclusion is consistent with earlier opinions expressed by Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Chalmers, but is based on a more developed exegetical argument from biblical theology.Extraterrestrials; Christology; incarnation; redemption | John J. Davis | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Internet: Beyond Ethics? Abstract The Internet throws up a number of serious ethical issues at just the time when ethical resources are few and far between. Various reasons for this state of affairs are discussed, several of which show a continuity rather than a disjuncture with other communication and information technologies (CITs). These include exaggerating the ‘newness’ of the Internet, and forgetting that technology is a human activity, always amenable to ethical critique. It is suggested that the contribution of CITs to postmodern (un)realities puts the Internet in a peculiar position. While modern rationalities, including ethical ones, may be in doubt, by bringing users into more indirect relationships, the Internet also sharpens the question of ‘otherness’ and thus points the way to a relevant and potentially fruitful category for an Internet ethics.Internet, communication and information technologies, ethics,
morality, post/modern, rationality | David Lyon | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Meaning of Man, ‘Kind’ Abstract In order to claim biblical support for their theories, both theistic evolutionists and creationists have distorted the meaning of the Hebrew word man, ‘kind.’ Although man can refer to modern taxonomic levels from phylum to species, ethno-biological studies indicate that the meaning of man depends in part on the type and size of animal being considered. With reference to insects and ‘fish’, man may correspond in rare cases with phylum or class, but more often with order, usually with family, sometimes with genus or species. For mammals and birds, and probably for reptiles and amphibians, biblical, historical and anthropological studies indicate that man although occasionally referring to order or family, usually refers to genus or species. These findings indicate that neither theistic evolution nor creationism can be closely correlated with the biblical text.Genesis, creationism, theistic evolution, ethno-biology,
taxonomy | Paul H. Seely | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | An Engineering Approach to Reductionism Abstract Various aspects of reductionism are considered. It is shown that the uses of reductionism lie in the separation of variables, which allows the construction of models required to answer specific questions. It is shown that a particular object or process can be modelled in many ways, so that no model is coextensive with that object or process. In spite of this limitation the use of reductionist models is wonderfully useful.reductionism, modelling, knowledge | P. Hammond | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | A Response to R. J. Berry on ‘The Virgin Birth of Christ’ | Peter Addinall | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | A Response to Addinall | R. J. Berry | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Debate | Indeterminacy, Time and the Future | Peter J. Bussey | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | George L. Murphy | George L. Murphy | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | K. Helmut Reich | K. Helmut Reich | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Shadows of the Mind | Roger Penrose (P. C. Knox) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Conscious Mind. In search of a fundamental theory | David J. Chalmers (D. A. Booth) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, Chance and Necessity | Keith Ward (Dr Kay) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Putting It All Together: Seven Patterns for Relating Science and the Christian Faith | Richard H. Bube (J. C. Polkinghorne) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Signs of Life: The Language and Meanings of DNA | Robert Pollack (R. B. Heap) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In the Blood | Steve Jones (Caroline Berry) | April | 1997 | 9 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | D. Gareth Jones | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Virgin Birth of Christ Abstract The Bible describes Jesus as being born to Mary ‘by the power of the Holy Spirit’, implying (although not stating) that the Spirit was his father. This has been rejected by some as an unnecessary doctrine, separating Jesus from the rest of humankind and dependent on an intrinsically incredible miracle. Such an objection is wrong: some form of distinctiveness like a Virgin Birth is theologically required if Jesus is to be divine as well as human, and there are several mechanisms by which the virgin birth of a male child could occur. The reason for recognising these is not to suggest that God necessarily used any of them, but simply to point out that apparent scientific difficulty should not determine the acceptability of a theological concept.virgin birth; miracle; parthenogenesis; chromosome; gene;
Virgin Mary; incarnation | R. J. Berry | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Spacetime and Revelation Abstract This paper explores two contrasting understandings of time in relation to theology and contemporary physics. The process theory (or ‘common sense’ view) of time is widely used by theologians but has certain theological limitations. A rival stasis theory of time is suggested by certain interpreters of relativity theory. The paper highlights affinities between the latter theory and classical conceptions of eternity. A concluding section suggests that a more consistent use of trinitarian theology may permit a revised form of the process theory that avoids the limitations cited earlier.time, spacetime, process, change, relativity theory, block
cosmos, eternity, Trinity | Lawrence Osborn | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | ‘Speak to the Earth and It Will Teach You’ Abstract In the garden of Eden, the monarchs were Adam and Eve: Hebrew monarchs were shepherds, and the task of the shepherd monarchs was to guard and protect their flock. Humanity has been given the skills and the challenge to set a measuring line to the Earth, to draw out Leviathan with a hook, even to reach the Pleiades if we can: but with this ability we now also face the challenge and responsibility to care for the garden. The geological record shows that catastrophes and sudden changes have taken place in the past, and illustrates the likely consequences of humanity’s present behaviour, while also giving us the evidence to understand the complexity of our planet. Creation groans: our actions across the planet are now on a scale that can radically change the operation of the whole biosphere in a way that is comparable to the sudden past catastrophes. Simultaneously, we are discovering new scientific knowledge, and growing in our understanding of the natural world. This is giving us the ability to manage the Earth, just as our unplanned actions impose change on the planet. Managing the atmosphere, determining climate and environment, sustaining the biosphere, are all tasks we can no longer avoid, as we already control the planet. Creation is not to be worshipped—creation spirituality is dangerous doctrine—but it is to be respected, for in understanding and maintaining the biosphere, humanity itself grows as an heir, jointly with the rest of life, of Noah’s covenant.environment; Eden; creation; Gaia; extinction; ecosystem | Euan G. Nisbet | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Complementarity in Perspective | Philip P. Duce | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Debate | Response to Duce | Howard J. Van Till | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | John Polkinghorne | John Polkinghorne | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Errata | Errata | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Is There a God? | Richard Swinburne (J. C. Polkinghorne) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Physics of Immortality: modern cosmology, God, and the resurrection of the dead | Frank Tipler (E. J. Squires) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Superforce | Paul Davies (G. A. D. Briggs) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Day before Yesterday: Five Million Years of Human History | Colin Tudge (Gordon E. Barnes) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Promise of Nature: Ecology and Cosmic Purpose | John F. Haught (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Alternative Medicine: Helpful or Harmful? | Robina Coker (Caroline Berry) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Grammar of Consciousness. An exploration of Tacit Knowing | Edward Moss (D. A. Booth) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Dangerous Idea—Evolution and the Meanings of Life | Daniel C. Dennett (Denis Alexander) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World | Amit Goswami (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Earth, Humanity and God | Colin A. Russell (P. C. Knox) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beliefs and Values in Science Education | Michael Poole (R. S. Luhman) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Sea of Faith | Don Cupitt (M. B. Roberts) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | After All | Don Cupitt (M. B. Roberts) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Eternity and Time’s Flow | Robert Cummings Neville (John A. Mills) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Newton | I. B. Cohen and R. S. Westfall (G. A. D. Briggs) | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Index to Vols 7 & 8 | Index to Vols 7 & 8 | October | 1996 | 8 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial: The Problem of Theological Illiteracy | Denis Alexander | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Ethical Issues in the Application of Medical Technology to Paediatric Intensive Care: Two Views of the Newborn Abstract Recent advances in medical technology have led to a marked improvement in the chances of survival of sick or preterm infants, thereby stimulating renewed ethical debate on the status of the newborn. Two contradictory attitudes to the medical care of preterm or congenitally malformed newborn infants can be discerned in our pluralistic society. The two attitudes have their historical roots in the classical Graeco-Roman and Judaeo-Christian ethical traditions respectively. The former views newborn infants as of potential value only whereas the latter emphasises the intrinsic worth and dignity of the individual made in God’s image. Recent secular philosophical reflection has provided a rationale for infanticide of the sick or abnormal newborn. A Christian approach to the care of the newborn prohibits intentional killing yet may encompass the withdrawal of treatment that is inappropriate or unduly burdensome. Medical care should be based upon respect for the value of the individual, protection of the defenceless from abuse or exploitation, and wise stewardship of limited health-care resources.Newborn, Human, Intensive Care, Ethics, Infanticide, Graeco Roman. Judaeo-Christian | John S. Wyatt | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Basil, Augustine, and the Doctrine of Creation’s Functional Integrity Abstract Contemporary scientific theorising regarding the formative history of the universe (including its multifarious forms of life) presumes that the developmental economy of the physical world is gapless—that is, that material systems lack none of the form-producing capacities needed to actualize, in the course of time, all of the physical structures and biotic forms that have ever appeared. Hence, divine acts of special creation in time, although not proscribed, are not incorporated into scientific theories regarding the world’s formative history. Some Christian critics of modern science have argued that this approach, by its appearing to transfer the agency of creative action from God to matter itself, constitutes an abandonment of the historic Christian doctrine of creation and an apologetic capitulation to philosophical Naturalism. In this paper we will examine this verdict in the light of works by St. Basil and St. Augustine and find it to be contrary to early Christian thought regarding the character of the created world. These patristic writers re-focus our attention on what may be called ‘the doctrine of Creation’s functional integrity’.gaps, special creation, evolving creation, functional integrity, philosophical naturalism. Basil, Augustine | Howard J. Van Till | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Transgenesis in Animal Systems: A View from Within Abstract The introduction of ‘foreign’ or altered genes into animals arouses both scientific and public concern. So too does any extension of this practice to human beings at the somatic (tissue) level, let alone interference in the human germ-line (genetic material passed on to future generations). The range of possible genetic modifications, both those in progress and those likely in the near future, is so vast as to make a uniform Christian response untenable. As with other technologies, there are both laudable and dubious uses for genetic engineering in animal systems; it is neither an unmixed blessing nor an unmitigated curse. It is argued that Christians should engage with these issues on a case-by-case basis, giving due weight to the possible risks and concomitant suffering for the animals used, but basing our ultimate approval or disapproval on the congruence of means and aims with those evinced by Jesus in his ministry of healing, teaching and reconciliation.Transgenic animals, gene therapy, telos, genetic engineering, oncomouse, targeted mutagenesis, animal experiments, Christian perspective | David I. de Pomerai | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | Dr Stephen Lloyd | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Michael Poole replies | Michael Poole | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | Dr T. J. Reddish | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Doing away with God? Creation and the Big Bang | Russell Stannard (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | David Bohm’s World–New Physics and New Religion | Kevin J. Sharpe (Euan Squires) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Technology at the Crossroads: The Story of the Society, Religion and Technology Project | Ronald Ferguson (Steve Bishop) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Human Genome Project: Deciphering the Blueprint of Heredity | Necia Grant Cooper (Ed) (J. A. Bryant) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Life and Death of Charles Darwin | L. R. Croft (V. Paul Marston) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Bright Air, Brilliant Fire: On the Matter of the Mind | Gerald M. Edelman (D. A. Booth) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Biblical Flood | Davis A. Young (Stephen Walley) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Is God a Virus? Genes, Culture and Religion (The Gresham Lectures, 1992-3) | John Bowker (D. R. Alexander) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Collapse of Chaos | Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart (G. A. D. Briggs) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | How Things Are–A Science Tool-kit for the Mind | John Brockman & Katinka Matson (Eds) (K. Freeman) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Search for God–Can Science Help? | John Houghton (Brian Ford) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Left Hand of Creation: The Origin and Evolution of the Expanding Universe | John D. Barrow and Joseph Silk (Robert Boyd) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | About Time: Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution | Paul Davies (John Polkinghorne) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Question Is . . . ? | Russell Stannard (John Bausor) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Heisenberg’s War: The Secret History of the German Bomb | Thomas Powers (John Polkinghorne) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Quark and the Jaguar | Murray Gell-Mann (E. J. Squires) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Seven Experiments That Could Change the World: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Revolutionary Science | Rupert Sheldrake (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Runaway Brain | C. Wills (Alun Morinan) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation and other Evolutionary Writings | Robert Chambers (Ed J. Secord) (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Impact of Evolutionary Theory; A Christian View | Russell Maatman (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ever Since Darwin | Stephen Jay Gould (William K. Kay) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Passion for Plants: from the rainforests of Brazil to Kew Gardens | Clive Langmead (F. Nigel Hepper) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ethics, Religion and Biodiversity | L. S. Hamilton (ed.) (Peter D. Moore) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution Extended: Biological Debates on the Meaning of Life | Connie Barlow (ed.) (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Periodic Kingdom | Peter Atkins (A.B. Robins) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nature’s Numbers | Ian Stewart (A.B. Robins) | April | 1996 | 8 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Sam Berry | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Response to Polkinghorne | Arthur Peacocke | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Creatio Continua and Divine Action Abstract The notion of continuous creation requires for its validity a concept of God’s continuing interaction with the world. The thinking of Arthur Peacocke on these issues is surveyed. The act of creation involves a divine kenosis, in which agency is shared with creation itself. The unpredictability of physical process is interpreted as Indicating an openness of cosmic history, in which God acts through an input of information. This interpretation requires some form of argument from critical realism. Peacocke’s ideas are subjected to a critical discussion and comparison with those of other authors. A discussion of anti-reductionism discriminates between weak and strong versions. Peacocke holds to the former but arguments are presented in favour of the latter.Arthur Peacocke, anti-reductionism, chance and necessity, chaos theory, contextualism, creation, critical realism, dissipative systems, divine action, information input, kenosis, mind and brain, panentheism, providence | John Polkinghorne | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Contemporary Perspectives on Chance, Providence and Free Will - A critique of some modern authors Abstract We discuss the implications of modern science for the doctrine of providence by examining the writings of the late Donald MacKay, Arthur Peacocke, and John PoIkinghome. We summarise their views on the Origin of human freedom, the nature of divine action and the relationship of God to his creation. We endeavour to weigh the scientific merits and biblical compatibility of these views.chaos, chance, complementarity, determinism, divine sovereignty, free will, levels of description, logical indeterminacy, mind, providence, purpose, time | Jonathan Doye Ian Goldby Christina Line Stephen Lloyd Paul Shellard David Tricker | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Genesis 1-2 and Recent Studies of Ancient Texts Abstract This essay surveys recent applications of ancient Near Eastern philology and literary study to the interpretation of the first two chapters of the Bible. It considers the significance of the seven days of creation and the reason for two accounts of creation. It examines a variety of expressions including: formless and empty, Image of God, Sabbath, Adam and Eden. The results of recent comparative research provide a rationale for the structure and organisation of Genesis 1-2 as well as new significance to the meaning and antiquity of many of its key expressions. At the same time the study touches upon some of the wealth of ancient Near Eastern literature available for the interpretation of the Bible.Ancient Near East, Genesis 1-11, Genesis 1-2, Creation, Image of God, Sabbath, Adam, Eden, Enuma Elish | Richard S. Hess | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Eruption of Santorini and the Date and Historicity of Joseph Abstract We suggest that a cataclysmic eruption of Santorini in the 17th century BC was responsible for major famines in Egypt and the surrounding area recorded in Old Testament writings in the account of Joseph, and we give arguments for the historicity of this account. Evidence of climatic disturbances in the northern hemisphere from tree-ring widths and of a huge acidity spike in ice cores from Greenland are consistent with widespread climatic modification at this time. We suggest that the famines occurred during the period of the Hyksos pharaohs of the Fifteenth Dynasty in Egypt, probably during the reign of King Khyan, thus providing a date for this pharaoh, and also for the Old Testament patriarch Joseph. If our arguments are accepted, the eruption of Santorini, for which we take the best date to be 1628 BC, provides an absolute chronological marker for both ancient Egyptian and ancient Hebrew chronology.chronology, dendrochronology, Egypt, famines, Hyksos Dynasty, Israel, Joseph, pharaohs, Santorini, volcanoes | Colin J. Humphreys Robert S. White | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Response to Tipler’s Omega-Point Theory Abstract Frank J. Tipler’s Omega-Point Theory claims to be a purely scientific theory which adequately accounts for the existence of an evolving personal God who possesses traditional divine attributes and in virtue of whom we enjoy free will, personal immortality, the prospect of resurrection from the dead, and the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. among other things. Here we present a critique of that theory, concentrating on its principal flaws, which are philosophical, not scientific. They include arbitrarily endowing an abstract geometrical construction (the causal boundary)–which may or may not eventually come into existence–with personal and divine characteristics (through a misuse of language), failing to acknowledge the limitations of physics, and making unwarranted assumptions concerning the character and necessity of life in the universe.Tipler, Omega-Point, resurrection, cosmology, information theory | W. R. Stoeger G. F. R. Ellis | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | John Polkinghorne | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Guide to Science and Belief | Michael Poole (Michael Walker) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Designer Universe | John Wright (John Bausor) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | In the Beginning: the birth of the living universe | John Gribbin (John Bausor) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mind Fields. Reflections on the Science of Mind and Brain | Malcolm Jeeves (D. A. Booth) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christian Doctrine in the Light of Michael Polanyi’s Theory of Personal Knowledge | Joan Crewdson (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Darwin Legend | James Moore (V. Paul Marston) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Kanzi–The Ape at the Brink of the Human Mind | Sue Savage (Victor Pearce) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Origin of the Universe | John D. Barrow (Robert Boyd | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Last Three Minutes | Paul Davies (Robert Boyd) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Quarks, Chaos and Christianity. Questions to Science and Religion | John C. Polkinghorne (Oliver Barclay) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Genetic Revolution | Patrick Dixon (Ernest Lucas) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Emotion and Spirit | Neville Symington (Michael W. Elfred) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How to think about the Earth: Philosophical and theological models for ecology | Stephen R. L. Clark (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Gene Wars. Science, Politics and the Human Genome | Robert Cook-Deegan (V. Kleinwächter) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Psychology of Religious Knowing | Fraser Watts and Mark Williams (Michael W. Elfred) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The language of the genes | Steve Jones (Caroline Berry) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Creative Cosmos: A Unified Science of Matter, Life and Mind | Ervin Laszlo (Steve Bishop) | October | 1995 | 7 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: The Science-Faith Debate: Important New Developments | Colin Humphreys | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | What happens when we pray Abstract The practice of prayer as presented in Scripture and as experienced by Christians through the centuries presupposes a belief that God knows about, cares about and can take action regarding the matters being prayed about. How does the ‘faith story’ of the events in question relate to the ‘scientific story’ of those events? I explore the analogy of a spiritual dimension to assist in understanding how God works in relation to our prayers and certain problems associated with such an analogy. I then briefly consider further related questions: does God know the future, are there limitations to prayer and can prayer be tested?prayer, George Muller, spiritual dimension, Flatland, models of God, God and time, healing, prayer test, providence, miracles, divine action | John Houghton | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Creation and the Environment Abstract Debates about creation and evolution have distracted attention from the proper understanding of the environment as God’s creation, for which we are responsible to God. This has left the way open for a plethora of odd religious ideas, which in turn have raised suspicions about orthodox Christian interpretations of the environment and distracted from the obligations of stewardship laid by God on his people. This essay reviews some of the deficiencies and divergences of creation doctrine, beginning from the implicit teaching of scripture that God created the world ex nihilo, that nature is not divine, and that it has been redeemed by Christ’s work. The consequence of living in God’s image in God’s world is that we are stewards, accountable to God for our creation-care. The working-out of this doctrine is explored in terms of the more important distortions of our relationship to the world (syncretism, New Age teachings, Gaia, creation spirituality, deep ecology) and the weakness of our current perceptions. The conclusion is that traditional teachings about responsible stewardship need to be asserted and emphasized by Christians, and that these form the basis of environmental care for Christian and nonbeliever alike.creation, environment, syncretism, New Age, stewardship, Gaia | R. J. Berry | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Reply to Poole Abstract The following comments are in response to an article by Michael Poole entitled ‘A critique of aspects of the philosophy and theology of Richard Dawkins’, Science and Christian Belief (1994) 6, 41-59. | Richard Dawkins | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Essay Review: Science and Christian Belief by John Polkinghorne | Paul Helm | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A response to Dawkins | Michael Poole | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | (Letter) | Peter Addinall | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Correspondence | Reply to Peter Addinall | Colin Humphreys | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond Brundtland: Green Development in the 1990’s | Thijs de la Court (Ron Elsdon) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Value Free Science? Purity and Power in Modern Knowledge | Robert N. Proctor (V. Paul Marston) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Astonishing Hypothesis. The Scientific Search for the Soul | Francis Crick (D. A. Booth) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Nothing But Atoms And Molecules?: Probing the limits of science | Rodney D. Holder (Ernest Lucas) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God, The Big Bang and Stephen Hawking: An Exploration into Origins | David Wilkinson (Oliver Howarth) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Complexity: the emerging science at the edge of order and chaos | M. Mitchell Waldrop (David Atkinson) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Black Holes and Baby Universes and other essays | Stephen Hawking (Robert Boyd) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Complexity | Roger Lewin (J. Houghton) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | ‘The Doctrine of DNA’ | R. C. Lewontin (Alun Morinan) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rationality & Science: Can Science Explain Everything? | Roger Trigg (Denis Alexander) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biothethics in a Liberal Society | Max Charlesworth (Caroline Berry) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation Revisited | P. W. Atkins (E. Rogers) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Science and Theology of Information | C. Wassermann, R. Kirby and B. Rordorff (P. Lendsberg) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Genesis | Ronald Cole-Turner (R. B. Heap) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Golem: what everyone should know about science | Harry Collins and Trevor Pinch (Ernest C. Lucas) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Eternity and Eternal Life. Speculative Theology and Science in Discourse | Tibor Horvarth, S. J. (Brother Jacques Arnould) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science Education for a Pluralist Society | Michael J. Reiss (Steve Bishop) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Our Place in the Cosmos | Fred Hoyle & Chandra Wickramasinghe (Robert Boyd) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Environmental Ethics: Divergence and Convergence | Susan J. Armstrong and Richard G. Botzler (Steve Bishop) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Man and Creation: Perspectives on Science and Theology | Michael Bauman (ed.) (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1995 | 7 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Eighteenth Century Evangelical Responses to Science: John Wesley’s Enduring Legacy Abstract John Wesley (1703-1791) maintained a lifelong interest in the natural sciences. This was reflected in his reading, interaction with scientists and incorporation of scientific material In his sermons and other writings. He particularly valued the use of science in medicine and in the education of his lay preachers. Wesley’s emphasis on the themes of mankind’s probation and redemption was accompanied by an attempt to describe the physical and biological state of the world as salvation history was being played out. Although criticized for his suspicion of theoretical systems and emphasis on the limits of natural knowledge, he was willing to accept new scientific ideas except where they threatened Christian faith. Succeeding generations would apply his scientific interests to serve diverse agendas.John Wesley, natural theology, natural history, necessity, antivisection, Bonnet, Buffon, electrotherapy, education, Dallinger, chain of being, Arminian Magazine | John W. Haas, Jr. | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Cosmology and Christology Abstract We consider here some possible implications of modern scientific cosmology for theological understanding of Christ and his work. In order to do this, We must make the initial decision to view big bang cosmologies within the context of a Christian understanding of God’s relationship with the world. Scientific studies of the very early universe and attempts to explain the origin of space-time and matter, together with reflection on the character of modem physics, suggest a need to focus on the origin of the world’s pattern as an important element of an adequate doctrine of creation. The idea of a preexistent logos, which has encountered some opposition in modem theology, provides one way to express such Ideas. At the same time, the controversial anthropic principles of modern cosmology suggest that the development of human life plays a central role in the universe, and motivate attempts to understand the doctrine of the Incarnation as a theanthropic principle. Significant ideas of modern cosmology are thus correlated with belief in the divine-human Christ through whom and for whom the universe is created.anthropic principles, christology, cosmology, Logos, platonism | George L. Murphy | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Christian Approach in Teaching Science Abstract This article was first published by The Tyndale Press in January, 1960. In it Prof. Hooykaas argues that there is a correct Christian secularisation of science which avoids the attempt to extract theology from science or, conversely, the mistaken use of theology to support scientific theories, even though the history of science provides abundant examples illustrating the difficulty of achieving such an aim in practice. At the same time the teaching of science should not degenerate into scientism, the idea that scientific descriptions provide the only valid type of knowledge. Instead teachers of science should remember the liberating influence of Biblical doctrine in stimulating the emergence of modern science and technology and allow this same Biblical perspective to permeate their life and their work.Objectivity, scientism, science education, rationalism, Plato, puritans. | Reijer Hooykaas | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary: Professor Reijer Hooykaas | Oliver R. Barclay | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Knight’s Move. The Relational Logic of the Spirit in Theology and Science | J. E. Loader and W. J. Neidhardt (Mike Alsford) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Replenish the Earth: A History of Organized Religion’s Treatment of Animals and Nature–Including the Bible’s Message of Conservation and Kindness to Animals | Lewis G. Regenstein (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Unnatural Nature of Science | Lewis Wolpert (Oliver Barclay) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Character of Physical Law | Richard P. Feynman (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Our Genetic Future: The Science and Ethics of Genetic Technology | British Medical Association (BMA) (R. B. Heap) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Steps towards Life–A Perspective on Evolution | Manfred Eigen with Ruthild Winkler-Oswatisch (Translated by Paul Woolley) (David M. Taylor) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Triumph of the Embryo | Lewis Wolpert (Caroline Berry) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Scientist Guide to Chaos | Nina Hall (Editor) (John Houghton) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Diversity of Life | E. O. Wilton (Paul C. Knox) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science | Michael White and John Gribbin ((Sir) Robert Boyd) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ethics in an Age of Technology: The Gifford Lectures 1989-1991 | Ian Barbour (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Facts of Life | Richard Milton (Reg Luhman) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | More Things in Heaven and Earth: God and the Scientists | A. van den Beukel (Peter Landsberg) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Scientist Inside Science | Richard Fifield (ed.) (John Bausor) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biblical Faith and Natural Theology (The Gifford Lectures for 1991) | James Barr (Steve Bishop) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology for a Scientific Age: Being and Becoming–Natural, Divine and Human | Arthur R. Peacocke (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Pie in the Sky, Counting, thinking and being | John D. Barrow (Robert Boyd) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dreams of a Final Theory | Steven Weinberg (Peter Landsberg) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | ‘Human Minds’: an Exploration | Margaret Donaldson (P.C. Knox) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Christianity, Wilderness and Wildlife: the original desert solitaire | Susan Power Bratton (David Williams) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin on Trial | Phillip E. Johnson (Oliver Barclay) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Gospel and Contemporary Culture | Hugh Montefiore (ed.) (Tony Lane) | October | 1994 | 6 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Human Embryo: Between Oblivion and Meaningful Life Abstract The status of the human embryo continues to be the subject of intense debate. although many discussions concentrate on the status of the embryo per se, Ignoring other morally-relevant considerations. In the present article, a variety of scenes (destruction of a laboratory, married couples wanting a child, response to the embryo/foetus during pregnancy) is used in order to emphasize the context within which decisions regarding what is to be done with embryos takes place. It is argued that the moral value ascribed to the human embryo has to be placed alongside the moral value ascribed to humans involved in decision-making processes affecting both pre- and postnatal parties. An attempt to throw light on the status of the embryo leads to consideration of doomed embryo and embryo destruction syndromes, and of embryos as persons, non-persons, and potential persons. Emphasis is placed on embryos as protectable beings, and this perspective is enhanced by reference to biblical guidelines on fetal life.Human embryo, foetus, fertilization, personhood, human value | D. Gareth Jones | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Ecofeminism and the Problem of Divine Immanence/Transcendence in Christian Environmental Ethics Abstract Ecofeminism, a combination of feminist concern for justice for humans with environmentalist concern for care of the earth, has produced both cosmological and ethical criticisms of Christianity. Although a number of influential ecofeminists wish to abandon Christianity completely and replace it with goddess worship, animism or witchcraft, other ecofeminist leaders wish to retain Christianity, while revising its theology. On the grounds that divine transcendence is innately hierarchial and encourages theologies of oppression, several ecofeminists have attempted to place a greater emphasis on divine immanence, or to incorporate goddess images into Christianity. These efforts are often historically or Biblically uninformed. Notwithstanding, ecofeminism is doing a service for Christian environmental ethics by emphasizing the relationship between the oppression of humans and the destruction of the natural world.environmental ethics, cosmology, animism, witchcraft, ecofeminism, social ethics, environmentalism, goddess worship, nature, love, hierarchy, process theology | Susan Power Bratton | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A critique of Aspects of the Philosophy and Theology of Richard Dawkins Abstract Pronouncements made by scientists about religion are frequently seen as carrying some special authority. Undue weight may therefore be attached to their views on matters outside of their own fields of expertise. This possibility seemed to be particularly acute during Richard Dawkins’ 1991 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, both on account of the number of antireligious assertions and of the youth of the audience. It is because of the widespread attempts which Dawkins has made to disseminate his personal world-view in the name of science, that a paper examining his claims seems called for. For those unfamiliar with his works, this paper offers a commentary on scientific naturalism.Richard Dawkins, design argument, evolution, explanation, faith, God, language. meaning, meme, metaphor, miracles. purpose. religion, selfish gene, supernatural | Michael Poole | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Scientific Fraud and Scientific Method: A Comment on J. N. Hawthorne’s Paper Abstract A recent paper by Tim Hawthorne in this Journal appeals for Christian standards to be applied in scientific practice. One of the examples of apparent scientific fraud quoted by Hawthorne is the work of Gregor Mendel on the inheritance of variation in peas. This may be too harsh: clearly Mendel’s results have stood the test of time, and it may have been that Mendel’s pea experiments were merely intended as a demonstration of concepts previously established by Mendel, but unreportable for reasons irrelevant to the science. Although we must be ruthlessly honest in our research, we must also recognise that scientific hypotheses do not arise (inductively) from simply collecting and organizing data. The conventional methods of publishing scientific results do not give scope for describing the reason for carrying out the investigation described.Scientific method, scientific fraud, Mendel, hypothesis | R. J. Berry | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetically Modified Organisms: Benefits and Risks | J. R. S. Fincham and J. R. Ravertz (Darryl Macer) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Miracles: Science, the Bible and experience | Michael Poole (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God is Green: Christianity and the Environment | Ian Ronald (Alastair Grant) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cruelty and Christian Conscience: Bishops say no to Fur | Andrew Linzey (ed.) (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Fearful Symmetry, Is God a Geometer? | I. Stewart and M. Golubitsky (Peter Landsberg) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Real Science, Real Faith (Sixteen leading British Scientists discuss their science and their personal faith) | R. J. Berry (Ed.) (D. C. Spanner) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Discovery of Subatomic Particles | S. Weinberg (Peter Landsberg) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | From Apocalypse to Genesis: Ecology, Feminism and Christianity | Ann Primavesi (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Creationists | R. L. Numbers (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Portraits of Creation | Van Till et al. (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science held Hostage | Van Till (ed.) (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Seven Pillories of Wisdom | David R. Hall (D. C. Spanner) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Practical Medical Ethics | A. Campbell, G. Gillet and G. Jones (Caroline Berry) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | One Long Argument: Charles Darwin and the Genesis of Modern Evolutionary Thought | Ernst Mayr (D. C. Spanner) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Leaving Eden: To protect and manage the Earth | E. G. Nisbet (Julian Evans) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Interpreting the Universe as Creation: A Dialogue of Science and Religion | Vincent Brümmer (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wonderwoman and Superman | John Harris (Caroline Berry) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Physics and Metaphysics: Theories of Space and Time | Jennifer Trusted (D. A. Wilkinson) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Threat and the Glory | P. B. Medawar (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1994 | 6 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Star of Bethlehem Abstract Evidence from the Bible and astronomy suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet which was visible in 5 BC, and described in ancient Chinese records. A comet uniquely fits the description In Matthew of a star which newly appeared, which travelled slowly through the sky against the star background and which ‘stood over’ Bethlehem. The evidence points to Jesus being born in the period 9 March-4 May, 5 BC, probably around Passover time: 13-27 April, 5 BC. Birth in the spring is consistent with the account in Luke that there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch over their flock by night. Birth in 5 BC also throws light upon the problem of the census of Caesar Augustus. A new chronology of the life of Christ is given which is consistent with the available evidence. This chronology suggests that Christ died close to his 37th birthday.astronomy, star of Bethlehem, birth of Christ, nativity, chronology of the New Testament, the Magi, comets, Christmas, Passover | Colin Humphreys | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Michael Faraday’s Bibles as Mirrors of his Faith | Herbert T. Pratt | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Ethics of Species Manipulation Abstract Life on Earth may be subdivided into discrete taxonomic groups called species using a variety of criteria. Any given species, however, may exhibit variation in different locations and through time. There are numerous natural ways in which the species barriers may be broken for gene flow to occur between diverse organisms of different kingdoms. Human manipulation of some species has acted as a strong selective pressure for millennia resulting in many domesticated breeds. This has been enhanced In the last few decades to such an extent that many animals suffer unduly for the sake of economic expediency. Modem technology may be seen as a refinement of these otherwise crude techniques that, in themselves, often mimic natural phenomena. Genetic engineering may be able to circumvent some of the results of the domestication of both ourselves and other organisms, but careful monitoring, legislation and education are needed in order for the advantages to be conferred without risk and exploitation.ethics,species manipulation, genetic engineering, animal use, gene therapy, DNA transfer, domestication, stewardship, suffering, welfare, genetically manipulated organisms | Tom Hartman Ross Williams | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Christianity and the Environment: Reflections on Rio and Au Sable Abstract The United Nations ‘Earth Summit’ last year in Rio was an ambitious attempt to address serious environmental issues in an international forum; opinions differ on its success, but one obvious feature of the summit was its recognition that environmental problems are also spiritual problems. The underlying spirituality of the earth summit was, however, a vague monism which affirmed little more than the sacredness of the earth. Though there was little attempt at the Earth summit to address environmental issues from a Christian basis, a Iater international meeting of Christian environmentalists and theologians at the Au Sable Institute In Michigan made significant progress in articulating a Biblical basis for addressing the complex issues of environment and development. One achievement of the Au Sable forum was the formation of an International Evangelical Network.Environment, Earth Summit, Au Sable, Creation | Loren Wilkinson | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Quantum Interpretation and Christian World-views Abstract It has been suggested that interpretations of quantum theory (such as that proposed by Wigner) which bring in the observer’s consciousness are somehow related to, or tend to support, ‘eastern mysticism’. This paper argues that in fact they come closer to supporting traditional Christian views of human nature, and discusses some of the objections raised to them, for example those which accuse them of non-realism or of being unable to cope with situations where a single event has two or more observers. Analogies are drawn with the nature of secondary qualities and with mediaeval debates over the age of the universe.Causation, consciousness, dualism, monism, quantum interpretation, realism, secondary qualities, special relativity, Wigner | R. L. Sturch | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Michael Faraday: Sandemanian and Scientist (A Study of Science and Religion in the Nineteenth Century) | Geoffrey Cantor (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Chemical Evolution: Origin of the Elements, Molecules and Living Systems | Stephen F. Mason (Colin A. Russell) | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Astronomer by Chance | Bernard Lovell (Robert Boyd) | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Understanding the Present: science and the soul of modern man | Brian Appleyard (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1993 | 5 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Guest Editorial: ‘Without a Memory’ | Colin Russell | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Appropriate Technology and Christian Belief: A Case Study of Amazonia Abstract The Amazon region is being destroyed because of the use of technologies that are Inappropriate for the region. Examples of this bad stewardship of the most diverse part of creation are given followed by some examples of how a more appropriate technology could achieve a balance between conservation and sustainable use of the region. This is related to the need for a christian concern for better stewardship of the earth based on strong biblical principles.Appropriate technology, agroforestry, Amazonia, Creation theology, justice, Amazon Indians | Ghillean T. Prance | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Consistency of Physical Law With Divine Immanence Abstract A model is presented to show how the existence of physical law could be a reasonable consequence of Divine Immanence in the world of natural phenomena. Divine Immanence is seen as the continual production of the principal causes or dispositions which enable created thIngs to act and change. It is argued that this model is physically consistent, philosophically coherent, and theologically sound.Immanence, transcendence, theism, natural law, physics, science, dispositions, problem of evil | Ian J. Thompson | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Scientific Fraud and Christian Ethics Abstract Fraud In science, though not common, is sufficiently widespread for governments to react. Examples of fraud are given, including the Piltdown skull, the work of Moewus on the genetics of algae and recent deceptions by biological scientists. Manipulation of statistical data, if not outright fraud, was practised by Mendel, the father of modern genetics, also by Sir Cyril Burt in his study of the heritability of intelligence. The motivation of such deceivers is considered and a Christian response to the problem is offered.Scientific fraud, Piltdown skull, Mendel, Statistics, IQ, Truth, Ethics | J. N. Hawthorne | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Animal Rights: A Reply to Barclay Abstract The following comments are in response to an article by Dr Oliver BarcIay entitled ‘Animal Rights: a Critique’ (Science and Christian Belief (1992) 4, 4961). | Andrew Linzey | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Chance and Chaos | David Rouelle (John Polkinghorne) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Pierre Duhem: Philosophy and History in the Work of a Beliving Physicist | R. N. D. Martin (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin on Trial | Phillip E. Johnson (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution of the Brain: creation of the Self | John C. Eccles (Stuart Judge) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Mind of God: Science and the search for the ultimate meaning | Paul Davies (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Politics of Evolution | Adrian Desmond (V. Paul Marston) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin | Adrian Desmond and James Moore (V. Paul Marston) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology for Scientific Age. Being and Becoming–Natural and Devine | A. R. Peacocke (Jacques Arnould) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Justification of Science and the Rationality of Religious Belief | Michael C. Banner (Sally Alsford) | April | 1993 | 5 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Natural Law in the Natural Sciences: the Origins of Modern Atheism? Abstract It is commonly argued that the sciences have eroded religious belief by explaining physical phenomena in terms of natural laws. This formulation is, however, defective because it fails to recognise that what was often in dispute between secular and sacred philosophies of nature was not the possibility of law statements but the meaning to be attached to the ‘law’ metaphor. The object of the paper is to explore some of the resonances of the term in different historical contexts, to stress its strategic role in both secular and sacred constructions of nature, and to argue that the real issues dividing the theist from the atheist usually lay behind the veil of nature’s regularities.Law, nature, natural theology, atheism, deism, Newtonianism, Darwinism | John Hedley Brooke | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Mapping the Human Genome: the Human Genome Project Abstract Growth of knowledge in human genetics for long lagged behind our knowledge of genetics in general. All areas of genetics have benefitted enormously from the input of recombinant DNA (genetic engineering) techniques. For human genetics there is now a coordinated effort, using all available techniques, to map the entire human genome. The Human Genome Project was initiated in 1990 and is due to be completed in 2005. The project, in common with nearly all new developments in science and technology, raises some social and ethical concerns; most if not all potential problems may be controlled by appropriate regulatory bodies. The benefits of the human genome project, especially for medicine, are likely to be enormous.DNA, genetic disease, genetic engineering, genome, human, Human Genome Project, recombinant DNA research | John Bryant | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Review Article. Reason and Reality: The relationship between science and theology by John C. Polkinghorne | Oliver R. Barclay | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to review article | John C. Polkinghorne | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution | Maitland A. Edey & Donald C. Johanson (Darryl Macer) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Shaping Genes | Darryl Macer (John Bryant) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Unheeded Cry | Bernard E. Rollin (T. J. Parkinson) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology and the Justification of Faith | Wentzel Van Huyssteen (W. S. K. Chalmers) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Description of nature. Niels Bohr and the Philosophy of Physics | John Honner (Peter Landsberg) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Thinking about Science–Max Delbrück and the Origins of Molecular Biology | Ernst Peter Fischer and Carol Lipson (David M. Taylor) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God Values, and Empiricism: Issues in Philosophieal Theology | Creighton Peden and Larry Axel (Robert C. Bishop) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Earth is the Lord’s | Steve Bishop and Christopher Droop (Leslie Batty) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Thinking About Nature: An Investigation of Nature, Value and Ecology | Andrew Brennan (Peter D. Moore) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Global Warming | Stephen H. Schneider (John Houghton) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Animal and Christianity. A Book of Readings | Andrew Linzey and Torn Regan (Oliver Barclay) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genesis Today | Ernest Lucas (Reg Luhman) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Religion: One world–changing perspectives on reality | Jan Fennema and lain Paul (Revd. Dr. D. C. Spanner) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Religion in an Age of Science, The Gifford Lectures 1989-1991 | Ian Barbour (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation out of Nothing | Don Cupitt (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Savior of Science | Stanley L. Jaki (David Burgess) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | How to Ploy Theological Ping Pong | Basil Mitchell (M. B. Roberts) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | End | Frank Close (A. G. Stewart) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Beyond the Big Bang: Quantum Cosmologies and God | William B. Drees (Robert L. F. Boyd | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science of the Gods: Reconciling mystery & matter | David Ash & Peter Hewitt (Lawrence Osborne) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Rebirth of Nature; The Greening of Science and God | Rupert Sheldrake (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Fate of the Forest–Developer, Destroyers and Defenders of the Amazon | Susanna Hecht and Alexander Cockburn (Julian Evans) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Purpose of It All | Stanley L. Jaki (Robert C. Bishop) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Power of Miracle | Norman R. C. Dockeray (J. H. Chamberlayne) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biology Through the Eyes of Faith | R. T. Wright (A. B. Robins) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Man on Earth | John Reader (A. B. Robins) | October | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Short Introduction to the New Age Movement Abstract The following notes were written as background information for participants in a ‘Christians in Science’ conference on the subject ‘Science, Christianity and the New Age Movement’ (Regent’s College, London, 28 September, 1991). The notes are reproduced here to introduce the central tenets of New Age thinking, other aspects of this movement being analysed in greater depth in three further articles in this issue. | Ernest Lucas | April | 1992 | 4 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Denis Alexander | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Scientific Truth and New Age Thinking Abstract Proponents of the ‘New Age Movement’ adopt an epistemology that is opposed to that of science. Fritjof Capra’s critique of the classical scientific method epitomises their attitude. However, some New Age writers claim that modern physics supports their view of reality and the nature of truth. Some examples of their argument are given. It is proposed that their criticisms of science are really criticisms of ‘scientism’, a metaphysical construct based on the assumption that the scientific method is the only way to truth. The New Age appeal to modem physics is assessed. It is argued that Christianity provides a metaphysical framework that is more compatible with science than the metaphysical framework of New Age thinking. New Age, Christianity, Relativity, Quantum Theory, Rationality, Objectivity, Subjectivity, Capra, Reductionism | Ernest Lucas | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Machine and the Mother Goddess: the Gaia Hypothesis in Comtemporary Scientific and Religious Thought Abstract James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis has received widespread publicity as a popular explanatIon of the development of the global ecosystem. The article examines its credibility as a scientific hypothesis and examines some of the more common criticisms levelled against it. It has come under suspicion because of its apparent affinity with recent mystical approaches to the natural world. The article argues that a clear distinction must be drawn between its use as a scientific hypothesis and the attempts to associate it with such concepts as planetary consciousness and earth goddess. It is suggested that the hypothesis may have a limited role in contemporary Christian theologies of nature provided certain safeguards are maintained.Earth Mysticism, Gaia Hypothesis, Global Ecosystem, Goddess, Green Spirituality, New Age Movement, Planetary Consciousness, Theology of Nature | Lawrence Osborn | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Gaia, Science and the New Age | Tom Hartman, Bimal Theophilus and Ross Williams: response to Lawrence Osborn | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Animal Rights: a Critique Abstract The concept of animal rights and the difficulty of defining it is examined. The positions of the leading thinkers of the animal rights movement are reviewed. Neither the criteria of ‘the ability to suffer’ or ‘being the subject of a life’ are found satisfactory. Christian thinkers in this area often do not use the concept of rights, but the position of Andrew Linzey, who does so, is criticised. It is argued that a broader and more soundly established Christian approach in terms of responsibilities for and duties to animals and to the whole creation is much more satisfactory. The term animal rights is best abandoned in favour of these other concepts. A brief outline is given of a Christian approach.Animal rights, animal welfare, human duties, human rights, image of God, Andrew Linzey, naturalistic fallacy, Tom Regan, Peter Singer, stewardship, utilitarianism | Oliver R. Barclay | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Review Article. Behind the Eye: Logic and Coherence in the Writings of Donald MacKay Abstract In his book ‘Behind the Eye’ Donald MacKay sets forth an approach to brain science based on a number of hypothetical schemes emanating from information theory. This leads him to distinguish between the I-story and the brain-story, and as a basic hypothesis to view the brain in mechanistic terms. He develops the concept of logical indeterminacy, according to which, even if the brain is physically determinate, it is logically indeterminate and persons have freedom of choice. Theologically, he distinguishes between God as creator and God as he deals personally with his creatures (God-in-dialogue). In the light of this, he discusses randomness, religious knowledge, and eternal life.Brain, Cognitive mechanism, God-in-dialogue, Logical indeterminacy, Gifford Lectures | D. Gareth Jones | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Cosmologists | Stanley L. Jakl (Jonathan Topham) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Divine Actions | Keith Ward (Lawrence Osborn) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Cosmic Odyssey | Jean Heidman (E. J. Squires) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Creation of the Universe | Fang Li Zhi and Li Shu Xian (E. J. Squires) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetic Engineering: An Introduction to Gene Analysis and Exploitation in Eukaryotes | S. M. Kingsman & A. J. Kingsman (Darryl Macer) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism | James Rachels (D. C. Spanner) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Can Scientists Believe? | Nevill Matt (Ed.) (Roland Dobbs) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theories of Everything–The Quest for Ultimate Explanation | John D. Barrow (Robert Boyd) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Pathways in Medical Ethics | Alan G. Johnson (Caroline Berry) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The New Medicine & The Old Ethics | Albert R. Jansen (Caroline Berry) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Greening Business: Managing for sustainable development | John Davis (Oliver R. Barclay) | April | 1992 | 4 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Oliver R. Barclay | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Miraculous Abstract The sceptical attitude to miracles expressed by David Hume, and followed by many others, is examined from several different standpoints. Hume’s argument against attempts to prove the truth of Christianity from miracles reported in the Bible seems largely valid. However, his other criticisms of miracles are weakened by a misconception of the Christian view of the place of miracles in the faith. In common with others, Hume’s view of miracles as a violation of a law of nature reveals a misunderstanding. Finally his views on testimony and experience are examined.Evidence for Christianity, Evidence for miracles, David Hume, Scientific laws, Testimony, Proof | Paul Helm | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | How Not to Think About Miracles Abstract A critique is made of C.S. Lewis’ book Miracles. It is argued that Lewis’ definition of miracle in terms of Invasion of Nature by Supematural power is mistaken, as is his view that rational thought is itself a ‘miracle’. Lewis’ notion of what a mechanistic view of nature entails is also questioned, as is his assumption, without supporting argument, of a Platonistic point of view. While the book does have valuable insights, the weakness of the principal arguments cannot be overlooked.C. S. Lewis, Miracles, Nature, Platonism, Rational thought, Supernatural | Stuart Judge | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Newton’s Rejection of the ‘Newtonian World View’: The Role of Divine Will in Newton’s Natural Philosophy Abstract The typical picture of Isaac Newton as the paragon of Enlightenment deism, endorsing a remote divine clockmaker and the separation of science from religion, is badly mistaken. In fact Newton rejected both the clockwork metaphor and the cold mechanical universe upon which it is based. His conception of the world reflects rather a deep commitment to the constant activity of the divine willi unencumbered by the ‘rational’ restrictions that Descartes and Leibniz placed on God, the very sorts of restrictions that later appealed to the deists of the 18th century. Descartes Deism. Divine upholding, Enlightenment. ‘laws’ of nature, Leibnitz, Mechanistic view, Newton, Newtonian world-view | Edward B. Davis | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Evil in the Non-Human World Abstract The article briefly surveys some of the traditional responses to the problem of evil, focusing on the implications for natural evil of Irenean and Augustinian approaches. It goes on to suggest that a deeper consideration of the interdependence of all creation can illuminate the problem and that there are important theological reasons for questioning the common distinction between ‘natural evil’ and ‘moral evil’, and for using the language of creation-fall-redemption as a way of exploring the connections between them.Creation, Moral evil, Natural evil, Fall, Salvation, Suffering, Irenean theodicy, Augustinian theodicy | S. E. Alsford | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Physics and the World | Niels Bohr (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Philosophy: Past and Present | Derek Gjertsen (Paul Helm) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | What Mad Pursuit | Francis Crick (A. B. Robins) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Brief History of Eternity: A considered response to Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time’ | Roy E. Peacock (David A. Wilkinson) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetics, The Ethics of Engineering Life | David Suzuki and Peter Knudtson (Caroline Berry) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Selfish Gene, New Edition | Richard Dawkins (Darryl Macer) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Word of Science: The Religious and Social Thought of C. A. Coulson | David & Eileen Hawkin (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Big Bang, Revised and Updated Edition | Joseph Silk (Robert Boyd) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Sidereus Nuncius, or The Sidereal Messenger | Galileo Galilei (C. A. Russell) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science, Order and Creativity | David Bohm and F. David Peat (Jonathan R. Topham) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Infinite in All Directions | Freeman J. Dyson (Ernest C. Lucas) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Schrodinger: Life and Thought | Walter Moore (John Polkinghorne) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Grounds for Reasonable Belief | Russell Stannard (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Human Career: Human Biological and Cultural Origins | Richard G. Klein (Gordon Barnes) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science | Anthony O’Hear (Melvin Tinker) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modem Science | Werner Heisenberg (David A. Wilkinson) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Mind on Fire | Blaise Pascal (Oliver R. Barclay) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Darwinian Paradigm: Essays on its History, Philosophy, and Religious Implications | Michael Ruse (Gordon E. Barnes) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Gene Shifters | John Newell (Neil Messer) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wisdom, Information & Wonder. What is knowledge for? | Mary Midgley (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin and the General Reader | Alvar Ellegard (Darryl Macer) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God Who Would be Known: Revelations of the Divine in Contemporary Science | John. M. Templeton and Robert L. Herrmann (Oliver Barclay) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Wonderful Life–The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History | Stephen Jay Gould (Peter Mott) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Multiple Exposure–Chronicles of the Radiation Age | Catherine Caufield (Andrew Fox) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Rochester Roundabout. The Story of High Energy Physics | John Polkinghorne (Robert Boyd) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Healing: Fiction, Fantasy or Fact? | David C. Lewis (John Wilkinson) | October | 1991 | 3 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Oliver R. Barclat | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Christianity and the Environment: Escapist Mysticism or Responsible Stewardship Abstract Sermon preached by Professor R. J. Berry at St. Paul’s Church, Sketty, Swansea on 19 August 1990 at an Ecumenical Service to mark the beginning of SCIENCE 90, the 152nd Annual Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Summary: Christians (or the ‘Judaeo–Christian tradition’) have repeatedly been cast as the villains behind environmental damage. This depends on a wrong understanding of God as remote from the world (a ‘God of the Gaps’, who is perhaps merely a ‘blind watchmaker’) and of mankind as qualitatively inseparable from other animals and not accountable to God. It is here argued that the mechanical (or material) cause of an event (which answers the question ‘how?’) is only part of its explanation, and needs complementing by a formal description of its cause (which answers the question ‘why?’), and that we have to recognize that science cannot supply answers to all questions. This opens the possibility of a reasonable faith in a God who creates and sustains our world. Christianity, properly understood, leads to a responsible stewardship of the environment and not to flagrant abuse or escapist mysticism; it converges with and provides an undergirding to secular thinking as expressed by the Brundtland Commission (on sustainable development) and the Economic Summit Nations (on environmental ethics). But the Bible goes further in urging an awe for creation, and identifying the regularity of crops and seasons as a ‘clue’ to God’s activity. Christians have a positive contribution to make in environmental teaching and practice, and ought to be bolder in their witness.Key Words: Eastern Religions, Environment. Ethics. Francis of Assisi; Gaia, Image of God. Mysticism, Stewardship. Sustainable Development | R. J. Berry | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A Bibliography on Environmental Issues | R. J. Berry | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Report from Bergen Abstract The Bergen Conference of the United Nations achieved some Important advances in directions that should be endorsed by Christians. Mutual understanding between different interests and willingness to co-operate over environmental issues were Increased. Many were convinced that industry can be a partner and not an enemy of the environment and that a long term view must be taken and at an intematlonal level.Bergen, Brundtland, Environment, Industrial responsibility, Sustainable development | Peter Bright | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Creation Time–What does Genesis Say? Abstract Scientists, when they discuss the early chapters of Genesis, can be pushed into generalizations about their literary structure without adequte reference to linguistic opinion on the matter. Some relevant features of the Genesis text are here compared with other ancient Near East texts. It is proposed that the six days of Genesis could very well be days of revelation, rather than days of creational activity.Babylonian tablets, colophons. days of Genesis 1., early writing, literary structure, Sabbath | D. J. Wiseman | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Gödel’s Theorem in Perspective Abstract Interest continues in a mathematical theorem first stated by Kurt Gödel in 1931. This paper reviews a recent popularization of the theorem by Raymond Smullyan in his paperback ‘Forever Undecided’. Considerable use is also made of Douglas Hofstadter’s account in ‘Gödel-Escher-Bach’. The key ideas of consistency, formal systems, self-reference, provability and truth are developed. and an outline is given of Gödel’s two theorems and those of Henkin and Lob. Applications and analogies are then distinguished and discussed, including computer theory, the human mind, cosmology, the work of Rosen in biology, and the status of the Church-Turing thesis. Finally, attention is paid to some implications for Christian belief the nature of man, is belief self-fulfilling, is the Bible self-referent, and the importance of the personal encounter.Artificial Intelligence, Church-Turing Thesis, decidability, formal systems, Gödel, Hofstadter, image of God, proof, Smullyan, truth | H. Martyn Cundy | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to Article: What does Gödel tell us? Apologetics, Artiflcial intelligence, Church-Turing Thesis, Gödel, proof, truth | Nigel J. Cutland | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution and Creation: A European Perspective | Svend Andersen (Ed) and Arthur Peacocke (O. R. Barclay) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Free Will and Determinism | Viggo Mortensen (Ed) and Robert C. Sorensen (O. R. Barclay) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The God Who Responds | H. D. McDonald (D. C. Spanner) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Darwin’s Metaphor: Nature’s Place in Victorian Culture | Robert M. Young (D. W. Bebbington) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Bones of Contention | Roger Lewin (John R. Armstrong) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Life Pulse: Episodes from the Story of the Fossil Record | Niles Eldredge (John R. Armstrong) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theories at Work: on the structure and functioning of theories in science, in particular during the Copernican Revolution | Marinus Dirk Stafleu (Peter J. Mott) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Explanation from Physics to Theology: an essay in rationality and religion | Philip Clayton (Peter J. Mott) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Logic and Affirmation, Perspectives in Mathematics and Theology | John Puddefoot (K. G. Horswell) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Mindwaves | Colin Blakemore and Susan Greenfield (Eds) (P. Knox) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Genetic Engineering: Catastrophe or Utopia? | Peter R. Wheale & Ruth M. McNally (Darryl Macer) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and Creation in Christian Theology: Tyranny or Empowerment? | Kathryn Tanner (Lawrence H. Osborn) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Evolution–the Great Debate | Vernon Blackmore and Andrew Page (Denis R. Alexander) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science as a Process. An Evolutionary Account of the Social and Conceptual Development of Science | David L. Hull (David N. Livingstone) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Conquest of the Microchip: Science and Business in the Silicon Age | Hans Queisser (David Lyon) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Knowledge of God: Calvin, Einstein and Polanyi | lain Paul (J. W. Ward) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Was Einstein Right? Putting General Relativity to the Test? | Clifford M. Will (David A. Wilkinson) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The How and Why: An Essay on the Origins and Development of Physical Theory | David Park (J. H. Brook) | April | 1991 | 3 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Environment Issue in 1554AD | John Calvin | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Scientist’s View of Religion Abstract This article is based on the Priestley Lecture given to the Royal Society of Chemistry in September 1989. The triennial Priestley Conferences, sponsored by BOC Ltd. and organized by the Royal Society of Chemistry, include one Priestley Lecture, which is concerned with some theme associated with Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) himself. This lecture was first published in the Conference Proceedings, entitled Separation of Gases (RSC, 1990) and we are grateful for permission to reproduce it here for the benefit of a wider readership. (Summary.) The interaction between scientific and religious views of the world is considered in relation to seven issues: (1) the intelligibility of the physical world; (2) the anthropic principle; (3) the interplay of chance and necessity; (4) the openness of physical process; (5) the ultimate futility of the universe; (6) the idea of resurrection; (7) the problem of miracle. anthropic principle, chance and necessity, chaos, consonance, evil, intelligibility, miracle, personal knowledge, providence, resurrection | John C. Polkinghorne | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Revival of Natural Theology in Contemporary Cosmology Abstract The recent use of cosmology to make theological claims is critically reviewed, with special reference to the work of Hawking, Davies, Hoyle, Polkinghorne, Houghton and Van Till. Their scientific arguments are presented and four basic approaches to the relationship of science and theology are identified. The reason for this recent revival of natural theology is analysed with its limitations and dangers. chance, cosmology, P. Davies, deism, S. W. Hawking, J. T. Houghton, F. Hoyle, natural theology, J. C. Polkinghorne, revealed theology, theism, H. Van Till | David A. Wilkinson | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Evolution, Eschatology, and the Privatization of Providence Abstract The relationship between evangelical Christianity and evolutionary theory has been conceptualized in a number of ways. By reviewing several major historiographical models the real complexity of evangelical encounters with evolution is revealed. This paper argues that ideas about providence and eschatology had important influences on the attitude to evolution adopted by evangelical Christians.design, eschatology, evangelicals, evolutionary theory, historiography, natural theology, providence | David N. Livingstone | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Exploitation of Forests Abstract The disharmony between mankind and the natural world is nowhere better illustrated than in the study of forest ecosystems. Since prehistoric times the removal of forest cover in temperate areas has led to retrogressive processes in vegetation and this form of destruction is now accelerating in the tropics, possibly creating global problems. The stewardship demanded of us in Genesis requires that we seek alternative ways of deriving sustenance from the forests that permit sustainable harvesting.Forest, natural resources, ecology, conservation, stewardship, dominion of nature, sustainable harvests | Peter D. Moore | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Response to Article: Use and Abuse of Tropical Forests | Julian Evans | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Theology and Science at the Frontiers of Knowledge | T. F. Torrance (Ed.) (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Reality and Scientific Theology | T. F. Torrance (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Circles of God: Theology and Science from the Greeks to Copernicus | H. P. Nebelsick (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Theology in Einstein’s Perspective | lain Paul (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Tradition and Authority in Science and Theology | Alexander Thomson (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Einstein and Christ: A New Approach to the Defence of the Christian Religion | R. G. Mitchell (Arie Leegwater) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Economics Today–A Christian Critique | Donald Hay (Colin Hill) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Universe Next Door: | James W. Sire (David Lyon) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Communicating the Gospel in a Scientific Age | Hugh Montefiore (David. A. Wilkinson) | October | 1990 | 2 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Obituary: Professor G. C. Steward | C. A. Russell | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Is there a Preferred Philosophy of Science for Christians? Abstract After some remarks about the relationship between Christian faith and theoretical and experimental enquiry, particularly scientific enquiry, the author provides a sketch of some different approaches to the philosophy of science. The inevitable connection between the theory of science and scientific success is stressed. But there is a basic difference of approach between those who emphasise the formal conditions of explanation in natural science and those who claim that any explanation must, first and foremost, convey an increased understanding of the phenomena. The article concludes by stressing that, while the Christian has considerable liberty in his approach to the philosophy of science, it would be inconsistent with the Christian faith to adopt any philosophy which denied that there were objective truths of nature. Francis Bacon, explanation, falsification, Paul Feyerabend, Thomas Kuhn, objective truths, paradigms, philosophy of science, Karl Popper, prediction, verification | Paul Helm | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Whaling–a Christian Position Abstract Whaling has a long history of depleting successive stocks and the whale has become the symbol of our mishandling of environmental matters in general. The biblical foundation for man’s dominion of nature should be the source of a sound conservation ethic. It implies responsible stewardship, including the taking of no more than sustainable harvests. In the case of the whales this has not happened, through ignorance and greed. The problem of humane killing of animals is highlighted. The question of whether or not whales are ‘intelligent’ is left open; but they are not made in the image of God as is man, and are not his equal. Certain Arctic communities are dependent on whales for their subsistance, with no reasonable alternatives available, while some other coastal villagers have a long whaling tradition, so that its prohibition causes them hardship. We need to be responsive to these human needs.Conservation ethic, dominion of nature, human need, humane killing, intelligence, image of God, stewardship, subsistence, sustainable harvests, whaling | Ray Gambell | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Genetic Engineering in 1990 Abstract This paper seeks to review ‘the state of the art’ in genetic technology and look at key issues of ethics arising from their use on nonhuman life. A Christian approach to these issues is able to deal satisfactorily with them, involving Biblical principles of high respect for life and stewardship.Cloning, Environmental release, genetic engineering, patenting of animals | Darryl Macer | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | John D. Barrow and Frank J. Tipler: The Anthropic Cosmological Principle Abstract Barrow and Tipler’s treatment of the anthropic principle is briefly discussed, and a critique is given of their claim that the ‘strong’ anthropic principle is verifiable without appealing to theological presuppositions.weak and strong anthropic principles, many-worlds interpretation, quantum mechanics, theological presuppositions | Robert K. Clifton | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | A theological perspective on Barrow and Tipler’s: The Anthropic Cosmological Principle Abstract The role of teleology in general and the various forms of the anthropic principle in particular are lucidly summarised in this important book. This review article focuses its attention upon the philosophical and theological implications of Barrow and Tipler’s work. It is argued that, in their hands, the anthropic principle becomes a vehicle for the defence of post-Enlightenment liberalism. The possibility of a natural theology based upon the anthropic principle is noted and several doubts about the wisdom of such an approach are raised.Anthropic principle, many-worlds interpretation, natural theology, post-enlightenment liberalism, teleology | Lawrence H. Osborn | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Divine sovereignty, personal freedom and indeterminacy: A response to Dr. Polkinghorne Chance, control of events, creation, divine sovereignty, indeterminacy, personal freedom | Valerie MacKay | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | God and the New Biology’–an elucidation: A response to Alister E. McGrath evolution, immanence, incarnation, transcendence | Arthur Peacocke | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The World within the World | John D. Barrow (Robert Boyd) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Providence–God’s Interaction with the World | John Polkinghorne (Douglas C. Spanner) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Brief History of Time | Stephen W. Hawking (M. W. Poole) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Does God Play Dice? | John Houghton (David Ingram) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Does God Play Dice? The Mathematics of Chaos | Ian Stewart (David A. Wilkinson) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Towards a Story of the Earth: Essays in the Theology of Creation | Dennis Carroll (Ron Elsdon) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Memoir of a Thinking Radish | Peter Medawar (M. B. Roberts) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Vital Principles | Andrew Scott (A. B. Robins) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Design of Life | Renato Dulbecco (A. B. Robins) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Biology through the eyes of Faith | Richard T. Wright (Oliver Barclay) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Riddles of Jesus & Answers of Science | Osborn Segerberg Jr (Edward Rogers) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Taking Darwin Seriously: A Naturalistic Approach to Philosophy | Michael Ruse (Gordon E. Barnes) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Hermeneutics–Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation | Vern Poythress (Melvin Tinker) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Galileo: Heretic | Pietro Redondi (C. A. Russell) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Chaos: Making a New Science | James Gleick (John Houghton) | April | 1990 | 2 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Oliver R. Barclay | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Still-bent World: Some Reflections on Current Environmental Problems Abstract Long-standing and newly-emerging issues in environmental management continue to pose threats to the continued well-being of humanity and the rest of the created order. After a welter of secular and Christian publications in recent years, reflection suggests a number of particular questions requiring consideration in the context of a biblical theology which encompasses creation, fall and redemption. These questions include issues to do with the nature of the scientific process, the prediction of future trends, and the problems of risk analysis. This approach offers the opportunity for Christians to engage in dialogue with others involved in decision making at a time when governments are increasingly sensitive to public concern over environmental problems.environmental management, creation, fall, redemption, future trends, risk analysis | Ron Elsdon | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | A Note on Chaotic Dynamics Abstract The insights of chaotic dynamics are held to encourage a supple view of physical reality which is capable of accommodating human freedom within its world view. It is suggested that such a metaphysical scheme encourages a move beyond the God of deism to the God of theism, interacting with his creation and known through personal encounter.chaotic dynamics, physical reality, human freedom, deism, theism | John Polkinghorne | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | The Argument from Design in Early Modern Theology Abstract This article traces the argument from design from its origins in pre-Christian Stoicism and its adoption by the early Church Fathers. It underwent a revival in the early modern period of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the Scientific Revolution provided new knowledge of the world which could be used to demonstrate the God-given design in nature. Its popularity was greatest in England, where it was encouraged by the religious open-mindedness, the interest in natural history, the Baconian scientific empiricism and the Newtonian tradition in physics and cosmology. Although it incurred the opposition of some philosophers, it was taken up not only by Christians but also by Deists and by writers of the Romantic Movement. The freedom of thought encouraged by the Newtonian cosmologically-slanted natural theology alarmed orthodox Christian divines, and under their influence there was a move to restrict the argument from design to natural history in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a tendency which reached its peak with Paley’s Evidences of Christianity and Natural Theology.argument from design, Stoicism, early Church Fathers, Scientific Revolution, Baconian scientific empiricism, Newtonian tradition, Deists, Romantic Movement, Paley’s Evidences of Christianity, Natural Theology | Norma Emerton | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Teleology and the Concept of Natural Law: an Historical Perspective Abstract The paper considers the difficulty of retaining an active sense of divine providence when events are explained by scientific laws. Historical examples are used to illustrate how the advance of naturalistic explanation may reduce both the sense of wonder in creation, and the apologetic force of the argument from design. The God-of-the-gaps mentality is rejected in favour of a divine Iegislator conception of God: laws are seen as contingent on God’s will and therefore ‘miraculous’. Difficulties with this approach are discussed, and an agenda is proposed for the formulation of a theology of nature based upon it.divine providence, naturalistic explanation, wonder in creation, argument from design, divine Iegislator, miraculous | Jonathan R. Topham | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Arthur Peacocke’s New Biology: New Wine in Old Bottles Abstract Dr. Arthur Peacocke’s book God and the New Biology is reviewed and its examination of reductionism as well as other features welcomed. His solution of the question of God’s relationship to the world in terms of panentheism and a sacramental model are criticized.God and the New Biology, reductionism, panentheism, sacramental | J. W. Haas, Jr. | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Old Theology and the New Biology Abstract The philosophical and theological aspects of Arthur Peacocke’s God and the New Biology are briefly examined. It is suggested that its more significant conclusions rest upon a questionable merging of two different understandings of the term ‘incarnation’, neither of which appears capable of justification within the framework which Peacocke proposes. Many of Peacocke’s conclusions it is argued lie on Hegelian, rather than biblical, foundations.God and the New Biology, incarnation, Hegelian | Alister E. McGrath | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Anthropic Cosmological Principle | John D. Barrow and Frank J. Tipler (Robert Boyd) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | God and the Processes of Reality: Foundations of a Credible Theism | David A. Pailin (Lawrence H. Osborn) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Superstrings: A Theory of Everything? | Paul Davies and Julian Brown (eds) (Roland Dobbs) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Ages of Gaia: A biography of our living Earth | James Lovelock (Lawrence Osborn) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Human Future? | Alan Jiggins (Richard Skinner) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Glaube und Denken | Jahrbuch der Karl-Heim Gesellschaft (Russell Kleckley) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | ‘An Urchin in the Storm’ | S. J. Gould (P. C. Knox) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | A Passion for Science | Lewis Wolpert and Alison Richards (D. A. Burgess) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Exploring Inner Space: Scientists and Religious Experience | David Hay (A. N. Triton) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Wonderful Mistake: Notes of a Biology Watcher | Lewis Thomas (Douglas C. Spanner) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Philosophy of Biology Today | Michael Ruse (Douglas C. Spanner) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | Persons and Personality, A Contemporary Inquiry | Arthur Peacocke and Grant Gillett (ed) (James S. Nelson) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Genetic Jigsaw | Robin Mckie (Caroline Berry) | October | 1989 | 1 | 2 | Free to view |
| Article | Editorial | Oliver R. Barclay | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | The Conflict Metaphor and its Social Origins Abstract The origins of the widespread myth of an endemic conflict between science and religion are principally to be located in a sustained campaign last century by T. H. Huxley and the scientific naturalists for hegemony in Victorian Britain. In this the members of the X-Club played a prominent role. A main part of their strategy to liberate science from clerical control (as they saw it) was to portray the Darwinian debacle as characteristic of the relations between science and religion in general. Their efforts were aided by highly polemic, Whiggish attempts at historiography in the USA by J. W. Draper and A. D. White.myth, conflict, T. H. Huxley, scientific naturalists, hegemony, X-Club, Darwinian, Whiggish, historiography, J. W. Draper, A. D. White | Colin A. Russell | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | In What Sense can a Computer ‘Understand’? Abstract Computers can in principle carry out many and perhaps all of the functions of the brain. This does not mean that they can think or understand. In debate with behaviourism and with J. Searle it is maintained that brains do not understand. Understanding is something that agents do. It is however possible to devise artificial agents embodied in a computer, but it is the agent and not the computer that understands. This gives no reason for claiming that such artificial agents can think, or are conscious centres of awareness as we are.Computers, brain, understand, behaviourism, J. Searle, agents | Donald M. MacKay | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | New Ideas of Chaos in Physics Abstract Chaotic behaviour in physical systems is described and examples given. Some implications for the limits of scientific prediction in areas where this applies are discussed–especially in weather prediction. Its bearing on a reductionist approach to such areas, its possibly constructive uses and its relevance to the debates about physical determinism are explored briefly.Chaotic behaviour, physical systems, weather prediction, reductionist approach, physical determinism | J. T. Houghton | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Article | Capra on Eastern Mysticism and Modern Physics: A Critique Abstract Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics, one of several popularizations paralleling Eastern mysticism and modern physics, is thoroughly critiqued and his implicit claim that science validates an Eastern mystical world view is challenged.Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics, Eastern mysticism, modern physics, quantum mechanics, relativity | Robert K. Clifton Marilyn G. Regehr | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Science and Creation | John Polkinghorne (C. A. Russell) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Bible in The British Museum | T. C. Mitchell (D. J. Wiseman) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Water into Wine? | Robert A. H. Larmer (Gordon E. Barnes) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Primeval Universe | Jayant V. Narlikar (R. L. F. Boyd) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ideas of Human Nature | Roger Trigg (Paul Helm) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Being and Relation | Carver Yu (John H. Chamberlayne) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Manufacturing Humans | D. Gareth Jones (Barrie Britton) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | In The Name of Eugenics | Daniel J. Kevles (Caroline Berry) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Medicine in Crisis | Ian L. Brown and Nigel M. de S. Cameron (eds.) (R. K. M. Sanders) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Dilemmas | R. Higginson (E. C. Lucas) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Open Mind and Other Essays | Donald M. MacKay (Richard H. Bube) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | Ecological Imperialism | Alfred W. Crosby (J. H. Paterson) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |
| Book review | The Idea of Prehistory | Glyn Daniel and Colin Renfrew (Norma Emerton) | April | 1989 | 1 | 1 | Free to view |