THE NATURE AND HISTORY OF SCIENCE: RESPONSE TO RELIGIOUS CHALLENGES TO EVOLUTION

Anti-evolution advocates commonly argue that the methodological limitation of science to the study of natural agents and processes is equivalent to the denial of the existence and action of God. This is a reflection of their false claim that science, and particularly evolutionary science, is inherently atheistic. It is a fundamental confusion of methodological naturalism with philosophical naturalism or materialism. They are also committed to the belief that God's action is scientifically detectable -- that divine action is subject to scientific inquiry. Accordingly, they argue that science must include the action of intelligent supernatural agents.

However, these attacks are misguided and reveal a failure to distinguish between natural and supernatural agency, and to recognize that scientific descriptions, however complete, pose no necessary threat to theological understandings of the action of God in nature. As scientists and educators, we must find ways to properly communicate the nature of science and dispel the widely-assumed conflict of science and faith. Explicitly discussing the nature of scientific theory building, and its historical and cultural context, can help students understand both the power and limits of scientific reasoning. The history of science also humanizes the process of scientific research and discovery, making it inherently more interesting and engaging. Science is seen as a dynamic process rather than a compendium of facts to be accepted on authority. If science was popularly understood as a powerful tool for answering questions about the natural world, one that transcends culture and religion, the attempt to portray science as an atheistic philosophy would not succeed.