Rector’s Reflections
Friday 14th March 2025
Science and Religion in the Modern World
We have now reached the end of the current series of reflections on the topic of Science and Religion in the Modern World. I have chosen this topic to mark British Science Week, and as the topic is so vast, I have deliberately limited my reflections to the relationship between Science and Christianity, rather than between Science and other world religions, and I have also limited the period of time under consideration to the last 40 years or so.
I have shared three reflections on this topic. The first is that generally Science and Religion have kept themselves to themselves, recognising that they provide different perspectives on the truth. Very occasionally, there have been those Scientists, such as Dawkins and his fellow New Atheists, who have declared war on religion, declaring that Science is the only source of truth and enlightenment in our world. There have also been those religious folk who have made similar claims for religion. But overall, Science and Religion have lived comfortably together, each recognising the role and value of the other.
Some Christians have decided to make a conscious effort to try and build bridges between the worlds of Science and Religion. For example, one can think of the work of Christians in Science, and the Faraday Institute. There is also increasing interest in the subject from academic theologians- as an aside, the current Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford, Revd. Professor Andrew Davison, is a specialist in this area. He has doctorates in both science and theology, and is Co-editor of the journal Religion, Philosophy and the Sciences . This movement to build bridges between the worlds of Science and Religion is growing in importance, but I think it is fair to say that to date its impact has been fairly limited. It happens to be a subject which is close to my own heart, but I am aware that I am very much in the minority among my fellow clergy.
Most of the effort to build bridges between the world of Science and the world of Religion has come from the Religion side of the divide. But in recent years, many Scientists are increasingly seeing the importance of the values which Science and Religion hold in common. Both communities value the importance of Truth. Both communities seek to grapple with ethical issues, and the whole question of what it means to be human in a world faced by so many challenges, especially the challenges brought about by Climate Change and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence. In a “Post-Truth” world, where Expediency is King, Scientists and religious folk are making a stand for the importance of Truth and Ethics. At times, it might feel that they are fighting a rearguard action, but it is a battle which needs to be fought.
I think the days of a war between Science and Religion are long gone. The current conflict is between those who have given up on Truth and Ethics, and those who continue to believe that Truth and Ethics still matter. Individual Scientists and Christians are, inevitably, to be found on both sides of this conflict, but as a whole, Science and Religion stand together as allies in the war against falsehood, di-information and the selfish pursuit of personal gain at the expense of the common good.
This leads me to my fourth and final reflection. I wonder if In God’s providence, Science has increasingly become one of the ways in which God seeks to bless the world which He loves so much. Indeed, as a Christian, I would go further. I think the world of Science is increasingly operating as a Church: a community in which the saving work of Jesus Christ is shared in our world in the power of the Holy Spirit. The number of people attending “Traditional Church” (with ministers, buildings and Sunday services etc ) is declining. But God is still ensuring that the healing and transforming power of Jesus is at work, and he is doing so by looking beyond the literal and figurative walls of Traditional Church. In short, I think God is often using Science to supplement the work of Traditional Church. Science can and does reach people and places which traditional forms of Church can no longer reach. In theological language, I think we are seeing Science as an expression of the work “the Logos” referred to in the 1st Chapter of John’s Gospel. Put more simply, I am convinced that the Risen Lord Jesus is increasingly working in and through the world of Science in order to bring His healing, hope and new life to our world.
I wonder if you would agree?