Stephen E. Jones

Projects: Book (Outline): "Progressive Creation: A Scientific General Theory of Creation":
Chapter 1, Introduction

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This is Chapter 1, Introduction, of the outline of a book that I plan to write on Progressive Creation.

"Progressive Creation" (Outline): Chapter 1. Introduction
Copyright (c) 2004-2005, Stephen E. Jones

1. Assumptions
• Existence of God
• Christianity is True
• Two Books of God
2. Approach
• Mutual support

1. Assumptions
My basic assumptions are that there is a God, Christianity is true, and the Bible and nature are God's two books. It is beyond the scope of this book to provide extensive evidence and argument for these basic assumptions. In any scientific theory there is an infinite regress, and so any such explanation has to begin somewhere (Ratzsch, 1996, pp.191-192; Johnson, 1993b).

• Existence of God
The Bible from the outset assumes the existence of God (Gn 1:1). The Bible assumes that the God of nature (General Revelation) is the same God revealed in its pages (Special Revelation). While the Bible nowhere attempts to prove the existence of God, it does provide support for arguments from nature to the existence of God. For example, the teleological argument: "Does he who implanted the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?" (Ps 94:9 = Rom 10:1718) and the cosmolological argument: "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." (Heb 3:4) (Buswell, 1968, p.I:87; Shedd, 1888, pp.I:242,245). The Bible asserts that the evidence of design in nature has always made it been plain to all humans that God exists (Ps 19:1,2), leaving them "without excuse" (Rom 1:18-20). The Apostle Paul in Acts 14:15-17 used the argument from design in his mission to the Gentiles (Buswell, 1968, p.I:87). Darwin himself was impressed by the Cosmological and Anthropological arguments (Barlow, 1958, pp.92-93)!
• Christianity is True
Evidence and arguments for the truth of Christianity are covered in leading Christian apologetics and theology (e.g. Erickson, 1983; Swinburne, 1977; 1991; 1994 & 1996).
• Two Books of God
It is here assumed that both the Bible (Special Revelation) and nature (General Revelation) are two books of God, having the one Author, and therefore must ultimately agree, if all the facts were known and layers of human misinterpretation were removed (Ramm, 1955, pp.25-26; Dembski, 1999, pp.192,235). [top]

2. Approach

• Mutual support
A number of different ways of viewing the relationship Christianity and science are possible. Christian theology and science can each be seen as being in conflict. This is the preferred position of atheists, rationalists, sceptics and debunkers of religion in general and Christianity in particular. Under the conflict model, all religion, especially Christianity, is viewed as mere superstition (Dembski, 1999, p.189). Another way of regarding the relationship of Christianity and science is compartmentalisation, with science and Christian theology in separate compartments that never overlap. Gould and the USA's National Academy of Sciences argue for this view (Dembski, 1999, p.189). Then there is complementarity view, favoured by the American Scientific Affiliation, which unlike compartmentalisation admits that science and theology can each address the same reality, but their perspectives and languages are so radically different that they cannot be integrated within a single coherent discourse (Dembski, 1999, p.189). While these three models contain elements of truth, they are inadequate (Dembski, 1999, p.191). A fourth model, mutual support, in which Christian theology and science overlap in some areas where each can provide epistemic support to the other, contains what is correct in the previous three models(Dembski, 1999, p.191). Mutual support is more in keeping with the assumption that God has revealed Himself in two books: the book of Scripture and the book of nature, and both books, because of their common author agree and each helps in understanding the other (Dembski, 1999, pp.191-192). This mutual support model is the approach taken here. [top]