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Vern S. Poythress
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Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach Kindle Edition

by Vern S. Poythress (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings
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Many people think science is antagonistic to Christian belief. Science, it is said, shows that the universe is billions of years old, while the Bible says it is only thousands of years old. And some claim that science shows supernatural miracles are impossible. These and other points of contention cause some Christians to view science as a threat to their beliefs.

Redeeming Science attempts to kindle our appreciation for science as it ought to be-science that could serve as a path for praising God and serving fellow human beings. Through examining the wonderfully complex and immutable laws of nature, author Vern Poythress explains, we ought to recognize the wisdom, care, and beauty of God. A Christian worldview restores a true response to science, where we praise the God who created nature and cares for it.

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  1. Print length
    386 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Crossway
  5. Publication date
    October 13, 2006
  6. File size
    1454 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poythress shows how a proper understanding of biblical theology makes possible not just one but many credible harmonizations of biblical and scientific truth. Along the way, he provides an insightful defense of the theory of intelligent design as a viable scientific research program. His examination of the mathematical beauty inherent in the universe gives yet another compelling reason to acknowledge the wisdom and design that lie behind physical reality." Stephen C. Meyer, Director, Center for Science and Culture, Discovery Institute "With doctorates in both New Testament and mathematics, and with a solid commitment to orthodox Reformed theology, Vern Poythress is uniquely qualified to write on the theology of science. This is by far the most important book you can read on this subject. I recommend it without reservation." John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando "Poythress demonstrates just how natural the partnership is between science and Christianity. Using examples from a variety of scientific disciplines, he gives a prescription for how science and the Christian faith can interact in a way that mutually benefits both." Fazale Rana, Vice President of Science Apologetics, Reasons to Believe "Not only does this book offer a theological perspective rooted in the historic Reformation, it also attends to strategies of interpretation of Bible texts concerning nature and history that underwrite doctrine but are often left out of the dialogue." Jitse van der Meer, Professor of Biology and History and Philosophy of Science, Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario "Sound theology meets sound science in this book as Vern Poythress shows us how to see the beauty of God's character revealed in everything that scientists study in the created universe." Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Bible, Phoenix Seminary, Scottsdale, Arizona

Review

"Poythress shows how a proper understanding of biblical theology makes possible not just one but many credible harmonizations of biblical and scientific truth. Along the way, he provides an insightful defense of the theory of intelligent design as a viable scientific research program. His examination of the mathematical beauty inherent in the universe gives yet another compelling reason to acknowledge the wisdom and design that lie behind physical reality."
―Stephen C. Meyer, Director, Center for Science and Culture, Discovery Institute; New York Times best-selling author, Darwin’s Doubt

"With doctorates in both New Testament and mathematics, and with a solid commitment to orthodox Reformed theology, Vern Poythress is uniquely qualified to write on the theology of science. This is by far the most important book you can read on this subject. I recommend it without reservation."
―John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy Emeritus, Reformed Theological Seminary

"Poythress demonstrates just how natural the partnership is between science and Christianity. Using examples from a variety of scientific disciplines, he gives a prescription for how science and the Christian faith can interact in a way that mutually benefits both."
―Fazale Rana, Vice President of Science Apologetics, Reasons to Believe

"Not only does this book offer a theological perspective rooted in the historic Reformation, it also attends to strategies of interpretation of Bible texts concerning nature and history that underwrite doctrine but are often left out of the dialogue."
―Jitse van der Meer, Professor of Biology and History and Philosophy of Science, Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario

"Sound theology meets sound science in this book as Vern Poythress shows us how to see the beauty of God's character revealed in everything that scientists study in the created universe."
―Wayne Grudem, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary

"Poythress's analysis of the relationship between science and faith proceeds from an unapologetic, undisguised confession of belief in Christ, clear-minded evaluation of the nature of science, careful analysis of Scripture, and honest reflection on the present state of this debate."
―T. M. Moore, Pastor of Teaching Ministries, Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Tennessee; author, Consider the Lilies: A Plea for Creational Theology

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002A4MIMW
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crossway; Illustrated edition (October 13, 2006)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 13, 2006
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1454 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1581347316
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings

About the author

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Vern S. Poythress

Vern S. Poythress

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Dr. Vern S. Poythress (PhD, Harvard; DTh, Stellenbosch) is professor of New Testament interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary. His academic interests include the triune nature of God, Christ's sovereignty over all areas of life, and the study of biblical hermeneutics. He is also an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. You can read more of his content at faculty.wts.edu.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
75 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024
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Cant wait to read, delivered on time.
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Jason G
5.0 out of 5 stars A good Biblical philosophy of science
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2008
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Some would say that science and theology are antagonistic to each other, especially since the 19th century's movements of higher criticism in theology and naturalism in science. To some degree, this reflects a larger issue in Western Civilization, that of a loss of unifying purposes that has been lost. Some would prefer to ignore any relation between science and theology, saying they take up such completely different spheres, you cannot even speak of them at the same time, one belongs in the classroom and laboratory, the other belongs in the sanctuary. Dr. Vern Poythress has taken what can be called a more traditional approach to understanding the role of science as a way to understand God, take care of creation and help man, almost hearkening back to the scientific revolution of the late 17th century.

Poythress has math degrees from Cal. Tech and Harvard, and college teaching experience; and for the last 25 years he has been a New Testament professor at Westminster Seminary, so he brings a unique perspective in how he understands scientific thought and theology, at a high level. His goal in Redeeming Science is two fold. He wants the reader to understand scientific philosophy and inquiry as a good thing, that as a Christian he wants the reader to embrace science as a way to adventure, govern and take care of a creation that God is actively cultivating. He also wants to call for a higher, unifying element in how we understand knowledge and inquiry, that individuals would see all true knowledge as God's knowledge.

Poythress begins his book with a clear worldview statement, that all scientists, whether proclaimed atheists or traditional Christians, believe in God, because he says you have to operate with certain assumptions in how the universe works and how you perceive it to work, that flow out worldview consistent with how God describes himself in the pages of the Bible. So he says there is no such thing as neutrality, no position that allows the observer of nature to stand apart and make statements.

Due to its large importance, especially since the rise of scientific naturalism in the 19th century, Poythress spends several chapters discussing different theories for understanding creation, and with a sound attempt at a hermeneutical analysis of Genesis 1 and 2. Poythress takes an analogical view of understanding creation. He does a fine job of pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of various understandings of how we understand creation, but is most of all concerned with not making the Bible say things it does not say, nor making our understanding of creation inconsistent with what we know about God.

Where the book is its strongest, is Poythress' explanation of why science should have the influence of the redeeming effect of Christ. He takes a traditional understanding of the effects of sin, and points to how that distortion makes knowledge murky and hard to comprehend. Poythress makes the case that Christ came to fulfill the creation mandate - to restore the natural world, the cultural mandate - to redeem human relations and how people understand the world and he calls Christ the "final scientist", that is the goal of science is to understand creation with wisdom and dominion, and since Christ has achieved final rule over wisdom and over creation, he is the final archetype of what true science should pursue, on principle and philosophy especially.

Poythress is a fair writer about his subject, and towards other views other than his own. He has written, in about 350 pages, a good overview of a philosophy of science, based on Biblical theology, that he argues should drive everyone's understanding, manipulation and exploration of the world around them. Some of the subjects that he attempts to overview, such as theological approaches to physics and chemistry are probably a bit too scientifically complex for the general reader, years removed from their secondary science classes. Yet, anyone with a solid foundation in science and a desire to understand an overarching Christian theological framework, based on first principles, should find Redeeming Science a welcome addition. He is not adding to an inter or intra religious and scientific debate per se, but is simply describing, exegeting and developing conclusions based on applied theology. What he most wants the informed reader to take away is that God's calls people to explore and rule over his creation, largely for the sense of discovering how big and great God is as a part of the divinely given privilege.
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Rich
5.0 out of 5 stars When I realized that an author with a Christian worldview had written a good textbook to use in the sociology course I am ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015
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I did not know that this book existed, but I was looking for it. When I realized that an author with a Christian worldview had written a good textbook to use in the sociology course I am teaching, I was so relieved and thankful. Unfortunately, the classic and most recognized textbooks in the field of sociology attempt to teach how humans relate without recognizing that God made us. The classic textbooks also totally ignore the very evident fact that sin exists. How do you study human relationships while ignoring God and sin? Thankfully, Poythress has written an excellent book that is consistent with reality. It's a great book and fills an obvious need to help young Christian students navigate their way through the fascinating subject of sociology without getting confused by the implication that God has nothing to do with mankind or that sin has nothing to do with the conflicts that men face every day.
3 people found this helpful
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B. C. Richards
4.0 out of 5 stars A valuable contribution to the Reformed tradition
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2006
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I am very pleased with this book. The first thing to know is that while Dr. Poythress is a seminary professor, he also holds a PhD in mathematics from Harvard University in addition to his PhD in New Testament. He has a sophisticated grasp of the ideas behind science and mathematics, as well as theology. Being a scientist myself, I sometimes get nervous when non-scientists draw philosophical or theological conclusions from things they don't understand, for instance Heisenberg's uncertainty relation, but we do not have this problem with Dr. Poythress. Nevertheless, he has aimed this book at laymen, and I believe that the majority of the material should be easily accessible to most readers.

The book seeks to develop a self-consciously Biblical view of science. In the opening chapters he discusses the divine attributes of scientific law, such as omnipresence and immutability, and the questions of the Bible and authority in their relation to the scientific enterprise. It is in these opening chapters that he develops the Van Tillian epistemological framework for understanding science, and shows the radical contrast between this and atheistic worldviews. He shows that all scientists must operate under the assumptions of a Biblical worldview, (rational order to the universe, reliability of physical law, etc.) even though the worldviews they profess to believe may not be able to justify such assumptions.

Chapters four through ten tackle the issues surrounding the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. Here I think Poythress has done a masterful job of attempting to maintain the absolute authority of the Bible as divine revelation, while helping us, who read the Bible with a modern scientific mindset, to really get to the bottom of what God's Word is and is not asserting. This subtlety is what seems to have eluded a previous reviewer.

Chapters eleven through thirteen deal with some of the more specifically theological issues, the role of man (such as image of God and cultural mandate), the role of Christ (perfectly fulfilling cultural mandate), and the role of God's Word (scientific law as God's Word ruling the physical universe).

Chapters fourteen through seventeen consider some of the more epistemological and philosophical questions involved in science, such as the nature of truth, reality, scientific knowledge, and ordinary experience. Here, as throughout the book, the idea of the unity between different aspects of reality as well as the different ways we can look at reality in terms of the being of God is especially helpful. I also appreciated his discussion of miracles, in terms of primary and secondary causes, and in terms of the rationality of both miracles and physical laws as equally reflecting God's sovereign rule of the universe.

Chapters eighteen and nineteen deal with the questions of life, evolution, and intelligent design, and I think give a very nice overview of some of the issues that are involved in these discussions, as well as the ideological problems that will almost always completely overwhelm the actual scientific evidence. The final four chapters conclude appropriately with some specific examples of seeing the beauty and majesty of our God revealed in the physical and mathematical reality that we encounter.

As you can see, Dr. Poythress covers an ambitious amount of ground in this book. As you may imagine, in a 350 page book, several of the discussions are somewhat limited in terms of their depth, but there are certainly plenty of references for further study if you have the interest. Incidentally, the extensive bibliography at the end is alone worth the price of the book. It is unlikely that anyone will agree with all of Dr. Poythress' conclusions; I did not, but he certainly is making a serious attempt to deal with the issues, and the obvious humility and tentativeness he exhibits on matters that may admit more than one interpretation is an attitude that I wish was more characteristic of people who claim to stand in the Reformed tradition.

Perhaps in a later edition we may hope for a chapter on quantum mechanics, which in my opinion must surely reveal some interesting things about God that were perhaps not so obvious in the years, following Newton, of seemingly total physical determinism. Additionally, I would have liked to have seen a chapter outlining how the historical rise of science was squarely grounded in the specifically Biblical worldview of the reformation, as well as the contemporary near-infinite ideological chasm existing between the (unbelieving) practitioners of physical science (the only truth is scientific truth) and the other academic disciplines (there is no truth) as a result of the abandonment of a Christian consensus. But you can't do everything at once. The book is an enjoyable and edifying read, and with so much breadth of subject matter, there's never a dull moment. Dr. Poythress has given us a valuable contribution to developing a specifically reformed view of faith and science, and I certainly hope that his book will receive the attention and the consideration that it deserves.
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