Science and the Church – July 17, 2019
Reading through the scientific revolution is always an interesting affair. We learn of the discoveries and advancements in the sciences by the greatest minds of the time. This often occurred in opposition to the Catholic Church in that time. Though, reading through some of the quotes and commentary of some of those famous men who pushed forward into the unknown, I can’t help be see them affirming what the Church already believes (at least the Orthodox Church, but I am not sure as to Catholic beliefs and positions at that time). I just want to examine some of these quotes.
I would like to begin with Blaise Pascal, when he perhaps spoke for many when he wrote, “The eternal silence of infinite space frightens me.” Indeed those who live in the world, silence is a frightening aspect. Perhaps this is why the modern world has increasingly become a cacophony of noise and information. I am reminded of the words of Saint Isaac the Syrian, in his own ascetical writings when he stated the following: “silence will be the mystery of the future age, while words are mere implements of this world.”
In silence we find stillness, and in stillness we can come to know God.
The next quote I would like to move to is one by Galileo, where he expressed “Nor is God,any less excellently revealed in Nature’s actions than in the sacred statements of the Bible.” This is much akin to a truth acknowledged by many saints and desert fathers, that the created order is a living psalter pointing to and acknowledging the glory of God. This is a truth expressed all throughout the psalms of the scriptures as well.
The above is also something echoed in the words of Newton, who himself was noted as a serious biblical scholar. He said “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being.” Indeed truth is echoed in the created order, for it was by His hand that it was made.
The last quote I would like to bring up is one by Marquis de Condorcet, who boldly declared that “the perfectibility of humanity is indefinite.” We in the Orthodox Church believes that our process of Godward motion, something we call theosis (θέωσις). This is something we partake of this life, striving to be perfect as He is perfect, just as we were exhorted to be in scriptures. As God is infinite, this is a journey that is not completed in this life, but continues in the next, eternally moving Godward towards the perfectibility of man.
All of these comments, comments made by scientific minds in their respective context, all seem to touch on deeper truths, even though such was not the intent. Even today, we see things being “learned” or declared by science those things which the Church has always known: elements of the incense burned in the Churches are psychoactive antidepressants (the Church is the hospital for our soul), fasting twice a week is now discovered to be of immense good for your health, the benefits of music in a Church were the entire service is sung (including the increased memorization of those scriptures repeatedly sung every week), and other things.
These verses show what has already been stated elsewhere: science and the Church are not at odds with one another, one only has to look.
