As I took my faith more intentionally in high school, I began studying more deeply God’s word and the common objections to believing in him. What I found in my experience with people I knew and from what others said was that the belief that science and the Christian faith are incompatible was a major reason why many people didn’t identify as Christians. In the broader world, my experience is not the exception. According to a Pew Research Study conducted a decade ago, more than 50 percent of people polled believed that religion and science were mostly in conflict. From a Christian perspective, that percentage seems to be in keeping with how many believers view issues of science and matters of faith. It’s not uncommon for a college student who grew up in the church to return on break with questions and doubts about the compatibility of Christianity and science. So, for Christians living in a highly science-focused age, it is important to wrestle with this question: Are Christianity and science opposed to one another?
The Book of Nature
In order to grapple with this question, it is important to view the discussion through the lens of God’s two kinds of revelation. The first is sometimes called General Revelation. Some theologians have referred to this as the Book of Nature. This is God’s revelation through creation that testifies of his existence to all of mankind and reveals some of his attributes, like his power, wisdom, and goodness (Job 28:23–28, Ps. 104:24, Rom. 1:20). While it is not sufficient to give personal knowledge of the Triune God or knowledge about salvation in Christ, this revelation is nevertheless sufficient to hold all people accountable before God and to leave them without excuse for their sin and rebellion against God (Ps. 19:1–3; Rom. 1:19–20, 32; WCF 1.1).
Book of Scripture
God reveals himself more fully, however, through his word, to make known his will and what is necessary for man to believe for salvation in Christ (John 17:3, 2 Tim. 3:15). Most fully and supremely, God has revealed himself through his Son, Jesus Christ, as testified by Scripture (Heb. 1:1–2). This is traditionally called Special Revelation. Special because, unlike General Revelation, it is not revealed to all people, but only to God’s church. This revelation carries with it the purpose of informing God’s people of everything necessary for God’s glory, our salvation, and all things pertaining to faith and life (Gal. 1:8–9, 2 Tim. 3:16–17, 2 Thess. 2:2 WCF 1.6). Additionally, this revelation is written down for the encouragement of God’s people (Rom. 15:4). Because its source is God, it cannot err or assert anything false (2 Tim. 3:16–17, Titus 1:2, 2 Peter 1:19–21).
God As Author of Both
Just as Special Revelation cannot err, so also, General Revelation cannot err either. God is the author of both. Understanding this is crucial for thinking about the relationship between Christianity and science. Since God is the revealer of himself in his creation and his word, the two cannot be opposed because God is one and cannot contradict himself (Deut. 6:4, 1 Cor. 8:6, Titus 1:2). God’s word and world are not in conflict. So if there is no conflict between these two, why does the tension of thought between science and Christianity exist?
The perception that there are issues or differences between what we know in science and what we read in the Bible lies in our interpretation of both. God’s revelation is perfect, but our interpretation—science and theology—is subject to human error. Even with all of the new scientific evidence and discoveries recently, in all fields of science, there is still much more to be discovered. While something we know from science now may seem irreconcilable with what Scripture teaches, the issue is not that there is conflict with the world God created and his word, but instead with our own limitations in understanding both science and Scripture. This is important for reading all of Scripture, but is especially relevant for the early chapters of Genesis (Gen. 1:1–2:3, 4:14–15, Joshua 10: 12–14). As finite creatures, we will never have perfect and complete knowledge of either science or God’s word.
Studying Scripture and Science
Limitations are not bad. They are a part of God’s good design for us as humans. Nevertheless, in light of our limited understanding of this subject, Christians ought to exercise humility and patience. We should be careful not to put into conflict two things that God has not. Instead, we should study both fields with a posture of modesty. Christians should not be overzealous in looking to science to give us all the answers we desire. Also, when reading Scripture, we need to interpret each passage in its own context without seeking to make it answer scientific questions it was not meant to address.
Christianity and science are not enemies, but friends. The relationship between the two should lead us to marvel at the wondrous revelation of God, both in nature and his word to his people. In seeing the beautiful harmony between God’s two kinds of revelation, let us praise him for his wisdom and say along with the apostle Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33).
Footnotes
Cary Funk, “Perception of Conflict Between Science and Religion,” Pew Research Center, October 22, 2015, https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2015/10/22/perception-of-conflict-between-science-and-religion/
