In scientific experiments, the role of Christianity is often misunderstood or ignored by those who claim that religion and science are incompatible. However, a closer look at the history and philosophy of science reveals that Christianity has been and still is a patron of sciences, and that many Christian scholars and scientists have made significant contributions to the development of scientific knowledge and methods. Moreover, Christianity provides a worldview that supports the rational exploration of nature and the recognition of its order and beauty as signs of God’s creation.
One of the common myths about Christianity and science is that the ancient Greeks were on the verge of a scientific revolution, but that the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire stifled their progress and plunged Europe into the Dark Ages. This myth is based on a misunderstanding of both ancient Greek science and medieval Christian science. Ancient Greek science was not empirical or experimental, but rather based on logical deductions from philosophical principles. The Greeks were more interested in finding harmony and proportion in nature than in discovering its causal mechanisms or laws. They also tended to view nature as a living organism that was influenced by the whims of the gods, rather than as a predictable and lawful system that could be investigated by human reason.
Medieval Christian science, on the other hand, was influenced by both the biblical worldview and the classical heritage. The biblical worldview affirmed that God created the universe out of nothing, that He sustains it by His power and wisdom, and that He reveals Himself through His works. The classical heritage provided the tools of logic, mathematics, and natural philosophy that were refined and developed by Christian scholars in the monasteries, cathedrals, and universities of Europe. Medieval Christian science was not afraid to question or challenge the authority of Aristotle or Ptolemy, but rather sought to correct, improve, or replace their theories with better ones based on observation, experimentation, and calculation. Medieval Christian scientists such as John Buridan, Nicole Oresme, Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, Jean Buridan, Nicole Oresme, and many others laid the foundations for modern science by introducing concepts such as inertia, impetus, acceleration, celestial mechanics, optics, chemistry, and scientific method.
Another common myth about Christianity and science is that they are inherently in conflict because they make competing claims about reality or truth. However, this myth is based on a false dichotomy that assumes that there is only one way of knowing or one source of truth. In reality, there are different ways of knowing and different sources of truth that are complementary rather than contradictory. Science is one way of knowing that deals with the natural world and its phenomena. It uses empirical observation, logical reasoning, mathematical modeling, and experimental testing to discover patterns, laws, causes, and effects in nature. Science can tell us how things work or what they are made of, but it cannot tell us why they exist or what they mean. Science is also limited by its methods, assumptions, and scope. It cannot answer questions that are beyond its domain or that require moral, aesthetic, or metaphysical judgments.
Christianity is another way of knowing that deals with God and His revelation. It uses faith,
