REDISCOVERING FAITH ON THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE

REDISCOVERING FAITH ON THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE By Christopher T. Baglow, Ph.D. AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM OF THE POPE BENEDICT XVI INSTITUTE FOR FAITH, ETHICS AND SCIENCE MCGILL TOOLEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL MOBILE, ALABAMA Scientia Pro Amore Dei (Knowledge for the Love of God) MIDWEST THEOLOGICAL FORUM

Table of Contents x xi xiii Abbreviations Foreword Introduction 1 Part One: A Friendly Reunion: The Relationship between Natural Science and Supernatural Faith 2 Chapter One: Faith and Science: At the Crossroads of Nature and Spirit 2 A. Truly, Madly, Deeply: A Tale of Two Loves 4 B. Nature and Spirit: Defining and Exploring the Levels of Reality 4 Nature: The Mystery of Visible Reality 6 Spirit: The Mystery Beyond Visible Reality 8 C. Faith and Science: The Two Paths of Knowledge 9 Which Love to Choose? 10 Theology on the Cutting Edge 11 D. Conclusion: Standing at the Crossroads 12 Supplementary Reading 18 Vocabulary 18 Study Questions 19 Practical Exercises 20 Chapter Two: Science and the Christian Faith: Renewing an Old Relationship 20 A. New Rumors about an Old Friendship 21 B. Fighting for the Friendship: Credibility and Affirmation 22 Credibility: Science Correcting Itself 22 Affirmation: Faith Fosters Science 24 C. Scientific Atheism and Scientific Creationism: Some Misconceptions about Faith and Science 24 Materialism, Reductionism, Scientism: What You See is ALL You Get! 27 Scientific Creationism 28 D. Separation Anxiety: A False Solution 28 Going for the Gould? 29 Getting the Facts about the Christian Faith 30 E. Looking Ahead 32 Supplementary Reading 36 Vocabulary 36 Study Questions 37 Practical Exercises 38 Chapter Three: The Big Bang about Creation: Is Sacred Scripture Anti Science? 38 A. The Bible: God Reaching Down, Humanity Reaching Up 41 B. In the Beginning : The Genesis Story of Creation (Genesis 1: 1 2: 4a) 45 C. The Divine Message of the Creation Story 45 The Plain Message: God, the Cause of the Cosmos 46 The Medium has a Message: Reading the Shape of Creation 48 D. Obstacle or Origin Genesis 1 and Modern Science 49 Concordism: Dressing Up the Details 49 Dealing with the Days: What God is NOT Telling Us in Genesis 1 51 The Deeper, Greater Truth: Science and Scripture 52 The Final Word on Creation: The Word was God 53 E. The Whole Picture 55 F. Looking Ahead v

Table of Contents 56 Supplementary Reading 62 Vocabulary 62 Study Questions 63 Practical Exercises 64 Chapter Four: Patroness or Persecutor? The Catholic Church and Scientific Discovery 64 A. The Catholic Church, Patroness of Science 64 Great Catholic Moments in Faith and Science: The Pre Natal Period 66 The Church and the Growth of the Scientific Age 67 The Pontifical Academy of Sciences 68 B. Priest Scientists throughout the Ages 68 The Middle Ages 71 The Tradition of Jesuit Astronomy 72 The 1600 s, the Century of the Scientific Revolution 75 Later Centuries 77 Summary 77 C. The Example of Pope John Paul II 78 The Papacy: Reuniting Theology and Science 79 D. A Misleading Moment: The Galileo Affair 80 How to go to Heaven, not How the Heavens Go : The Situation Before Galileo 81 The Condemnation 82 The Rest of the Story 84 Summary 85 Supplementary Reading 90 Vocabulary 90 Study Questions 91 Practical Exercises 92 Chapter Five: A, B, C, Infinity: Learning to Read the Story of the Universe 92 A. Galileo and the Two Books 93 Book Learning: The Magic of Reading the Universe 93 A Lesson from Hogwarts 96 B. Science without Wisdom 97 C. Learning the Levels 99 D. Metaphysics: Infinity Between and Beneath the Lines 99 The Grammar of the Universe 102 Lucy and Infinity: The Truly Magical Universe 103 Metaphysics: The Key to a Friendly Reunion Between Faith and Science 104 E. Reading the Book of the Universe with Pope John Paul II 104 Step One: Distinguishing in Order to Unite 104 Step Two: Recognizing the Blessings of Unity 105 Step Three: The Love of Wisdom: Finding the Missing Link between Science and Faith 105 Step Four: Man, the Key to the Unity between Science and Faith 106 The Dispassionate Search for Marvelous Mysteries 107 F. Looking Forward: Faith and the Frontiers of Science 108 Supplementary Reading 112 Vocabulary 112 Study Questions 113 Practical Exercises vi

Table of Contents 115 Part Two: God and Science: The Credibility of the Creator 116 Chapter Six: The Biggest Question: Has Science Disproved God? 116 A. God: Forgettable or Just Forgotten? 117 Scientific Atheism as Blind Faith 118 Scientific Atheism and the Perpetual Universe Idea 119 B. God and the Limits of a Perpetual Universe 120 A Metaphysical Moment 122 C. Simply Divine: God, the Cause of all Causes 122 God is Infinite in Perfection 122 God is Singular: There is Only One God 123 Eternal with a Capital E 123 God is Simple 124 God is All powerful (Omnipotent) and All knowing (Omniscient): God, the Cause of Causes 126 God of the Gaps? 127 God is Not a What, but a Who: God is Personal 127 God is Creator 127 D. Beauty and Being: Converts from Scientific Atheism 129 E. The Divine Playwright 130 Shakespeare in Heaven 133 F. Conclusion 134 Supplementary Reading 138 Vocabulary 138 Study Questions 139 Practical Exercises 140 Chapter Seven: The Twist in the Tale: Modern Science versus Scientific Atheism 140 A. Marvels Beyond All Expectations 141 B. Starting Things Off With a Bang 142 Einstein s Equations 143 Hubble and His Telescope 145 The End of the Debate 146 Going Out With a Bang: Modern Science versus Materialism 147 Theology on the Cutting Edge: The Big Bang and Faith 148 C. Curious Coincidences: The Setting of the Stage 149 Gravity and the Big Bang 150 Move Over, Skywalker: the Strong Nuclear Force is with Us 151 Anthropic Coincidences and God the Creator 152 D. Beauty Beyond Description: Symmetry, Modern Physics, and the Argument from Design 157 E. The End of Scientific Atheism? The Curious Case of Antony Flew 159 F. Conclusion: The Unfolding of the Plot 160 Supplementary Reading 164 Vocabulary 164 Study Questions 165 Practical Exercises 166 Chapter Eight: Going Deeper than Darwin : Faith and the Origins of Living Things 166 A. Strange Signs and Deceptive Discoveries 168 B. Darwin s Theory of Evolution 170 The Catholic Church and Evolution 172 The Evidence for Evolution vii

Table of Contents viii 174 C. Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations of Evolution by Believers 174 Chance versus Providence 176 Natural Selection versus Design and Purpose 179 Nature versus God 180 D. Atheistic Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations of Evolution 180 Evolution as Survival of the Fittest 182 The Omission of Beauty 182 Evolution as Ideology 183 E. Remembering the Signs: The Book of Genesis and the Theory of Evolution 184 The Word of God and the Spirit of God (Gn 1: 1 3) 187 Excluded Possibilities: Evolutionary Biology as the Great Amen 189 F. Believing the Signs: The Christian Faith and the Origins of Living Things 189 Evolution and the Example of Great Believers 190 Believing the Signs: The Church and the World 192 G. Looking Forward: The Missing Amen 194 Supplementary Reading 197 Vocabulary 197 Study Questions 199 Practical Exercises 201 Part Three: In His Image: Human Personhood and Modern Science 202 Chapter Nine: In His Image: The Human Person from the Divine Perspective 202 A. Looking Back: The Amen is Ourselves 203 B. The Forming of the Image: Genesis 2, Reason, and Freedom 203 The ABC s of Imaging God 203 The Second Creation Account: The Breath of Life 204 Rationality: The First Foundation of Imaging God 206 The Amazing Indestructible Soul 207 Free Will: Imaging God Who Is Love 208 C. An Image in Three Dimensions: Substance, Sex, and Subjectivity 209 Body and Soul but Truly One 210 Man and Woman: A Unity in Two 211 Personhood and Communion 212 Sin: The Image Distorted but not Destroyed 213 D. Conclusion: The Human Person, Stewardship, and Science 214 Supplementary Reading 218 Vocabulary 218 Study Questions 219 Practical Exercises 220 Chapter Ten: Image or Illusion? Scientific Challenges to Human Dignity and Personhood 220 A. A Challenge to the Foundations of Human Dignity 222 B. Washoe, Kanzi, and Koko: Is Man Simply a Naked Ape? 223 The Clever Hans Effect: A Horse is Only a Horse, of Course 225 The Hallmarks of Human Rationality 228 C. Artificial Intelligence: Is the Human Mind a Complex Computer? 228 Welcome to the Computer Age: Defining Computers 230 Mathematics Outside the Box : Kurt Gödel and the Lucas Penrose Argument 232 D. Human Freedom and Modern Science 232 Causal Determinism: The Human Will on the Cutting Edge 233 Quantum Theory: The Probable versus the Predictable 234 E. Conclusion: Man Outweighs the Entire Work of Creation

Table of Contents 235 Supplementary Reading 240 Vocabulary 240 Study Questions 241 Practical Exercises 242 Chapter Eleven: The Emergence of the Image: Modern Science and the Origins of Humanity 242 A. A Little Child (?) Shall Lead Them : The Dikika Baby and the Origins of Humanity 243 B. Human Evolution in Catholic Teaching 247 C. The Origins of the Human Person According to Divine Revelation 247 The Creation Account in Genesis 2 3 248 The Church s Interpretation of Genesis 2 3 251 D. The Origins of Humanity According to Evolutionary Biology 251 Human Pre History and Early History according to Paleoanthropology 253 Investigating Origins: Where is Adam? 255 E. Theology on the Cutting Edge of Paleoanthropology 255 From Primate to Man: Adam s Ensoulment 257 The Fall: Uncovering Sin beneath the Sands of Time 259 One Man, One Woman: Monogenism and Paleoanthropology 261 F. From the Dikika Baby to the Christ Child: The Theological Implications of Human Evolution 263 G. Conclusion 264 Supplementary Reading 267 Vocabulary 268 Study Questions 270 Conclusion: Miracles: Signs and Wonders at the Crossroads of Faith and Science 270 A. An Unexpected Physician 272 B. Miracles: Discovering the Borderline between Nature and the Supernatural 272 Defining Miracles 273 Miracu less Mentalities: Answering the Main Objections to Miracles 276 C. Meeting the Man of Miracles on the Frontiers of Faith and Science 276 The Incarnation 277 The Earthly Life of Jesus 279 The Resurrection 280 D. The End of the End: Christ, the Savior of Science 282 Supplementary Reading 284 Vocabulary 284 Study Questions 285 Practical Exercises 286 Art and Photo Credits 290 Index ix

yr i M ght or (c w e ) w In M w fo id.th rm w eo a es lo tio t T gi n h ca A eo lfo va lo ru ila gic m ble a lf.o a rg t o ru m op C Part One A Friendly Reunion: Natural Science and Supernatural Faith The Relationship between

faith, science, and reason theology on the cutting edge Chapter One Faith and Science: At the Crossroads of Nature and Spirit THE LOVE OF GOD AND OF SPIRITUAL REALITIES, ESPECIALLY THE DEEP DEVOTION TO THOSE MOMENTS AND TRUTHS THROUGH WHICH GOD HAS MANIFESTED HIMSELF IN OUR WORLD, HAVE POWERFULLY SHAPED OUR CULTURE AND OUR WAY OF LIFE.... Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth in a word, to know himself so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves. John Paul II, Fides et ratio, Prologue A. Truly, Madly, Deeply: A Tale of Two Loves This textbook is, from beginning to end, about two love affairs that have powerfully shaped human history. Anyone who knows about that history knows that the effects of these two loves are so powerful that they touch our individual lives at every moment. The first of these loves is the love of God and of spiritual realities, especially the deep devotion to those moments and truths through which God has manifested himself in our world. Above all, this is the love of Jesus Christ, the person who is true God and true man, who was and ever will be the full appearing of the supernatural in history. By supernatural we mean that fullness of being and goodness that is beyond every created nature: the intimacy of God s inner life that we desire but cannot obtain by our natural powers. Our families, our national form of life, our culture all of these have been touched and shaped by people whose lives and hearts were passionately directed toward the One Beyond the World; the very One who created and sustains history and the universe. Faith and science are both essential to the human quest for understanding and fulfillment, and reason is essential to both. In faith, reason makes possible a deeper grasp of spiritual realities. In science, reason unaided by faith discovers the truth about nature, an adventure God has left to us ourselves. (Pope Benedict XVI) 2

FAITH AND SCIENCE: AT THE CROSSROADS OF NATURE AND SPIRIT: CHAPTER ONE... AS HAS THE LOVE OF NATURE, THE VISIBLE, PHYSICAL COSMOS AND EVERYTHING IN IT, INCLUDING THE HUMAN SPECIES. THE KIND OF KNOWLEDGE INVOLVED IN THE LOVE OF GOD IS CALLED FAITH, AND THE KIND OF KNOWLEDGE INVOLVED IN THE LOVE OF NATURE IS CALLED SCIENCE. The second kind of love that touches and steers history as well as our individual lives is the love of nature. By nature we mean the visible, physical cosmos and everything in it, but especially the strange and marvelous phenomenon of living things, including the human species. This love is the most recent and most potent form of love that shapes our world at present. Scientific discovery and the benefits we derive from it shape every facet of our lives. For instance, in your own circle of family and friends, there are almost certainly some who, had you and they been born just one hundred years ago, would not have survived to share your life today. In fact, you yourself might only be alive today thanks to the passionate lovers of nature who study it and learn its secrets. The love of nature is, without a doubt, a vital force or energy that has made modern life possible. But how well do we understand these two loves? Where do they come from? Why do they exist? We cannot have sufficient knowledge of our own destinies if we do not understand, at least basically, these two great love affairs which are like two hands that shape and steer our history. Only if we have some knowledge of both, can we begin to say where we fit into that history and how we should respond to its changes. If one of these loves is an empty love, a wishful thinking about something unreal or imaginary, then we must know to avoid it. If either one is valid, real, or worthwhile, then we must know it, so we can participate in it. Knowledge of both gives us the power to respond correctly to both. So what can be known about these two great loves? The first thing we should recognize about both of these passionate love affairs is that they involve the human mind, the human ability to know. It is sometimes said that love is blind. But really, it is impossible to love anything that is unknown or unseen. For example, to love someone you have never met or at least seen is impossible. Even in a fantasy, a person loves something or someone imagined on the basis of other things or people that he or she knows. If I were to develop a total case of amnesia, losing all of my personal knowledge, my love for my family and friends would cease, because I would not know them in order to love them. Therefore, in order to understand the two great love affairs with God and with nature that shape human history, we have to start with knowing who God is and knowing what nature is. That is, we have to examine both the spiritual and natural in order to know why they evoke such powerful responses in human beings. We must also study the kind of knowledge involved in the love of God, the knowledge called Faith, and the kind of knowledge involved in the love of nature, the knowledge called Science. Only then can we examine how the two might be related, and the issues involved in that relationship. 3

faith, science, and reason theology on the cutting edge B. Nature and Spirit: Defining and Exploring the Levels of Reality What objects could be so great that the love and effort they inspire could literally move and shape the whole history of humanity? Much of this text is devoted to examining the characteristics of nature and spirit. Defining either of them is a massive task because both are massive realities. In this short introduction, we will begin to examine the basic traits that help us identify and distinguish the natural realm from the spiritual realm. In many ways, the rest of this text will simply be about expanding and refining our definitions of nature and spirit. N AT U R E : T H E M Y S T E RY O F V I S I B L E R E A L I T Y When we speak of nature, we are referring to the visible world, which is also called the universe or the cosmos. The priest and physicist Stanley Jaki has given an excellent definition of nature nature is the true and specific totality of all coherently and consistently contingent [physical] interacting beings. 1 I have added the word physical because we must distinguish nature from immaterial beings, such as angels. Let us break Jaki s definition down in order to understand it: A True and Specific Totality: Simply put, this phrase refers to nature as the sum total of all that exists in it, the universe taken as a whole. Coherently and Consistently Contingent: All that exists in nature is characterized by coherence (order and harmony), and, therefore, intelligibility, which is the ability of a thing to be understood. Here we can speak of the laws of nature, which govern each and every part of it, describing how natural things exist and act. The beings within nature are also contingent. They are beings which exist because of other beings. To be contingent is to lack a sufficient explanation for your existence within yourself. No thing in nature has ever been located or identified which is not somehow dependent for its existence on things that are independent of it. For instance, a human being is dependent on his or her parents when his or her bodily existence is considered from its beginning; THIS TEXT IS DEVOTED TO EXAMINING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURE AND SPIRIT. DEFINING EITHER OF THEM IS A MASSIVE TASK BECAUSE BOTH ARE MASSIVE REALITIES. IN THIS SHORT INTRODUCTION WE WILL BEGIN TO EXAMINE THE BASIC TRAITS THAT HELP US IDENTIFY AND DISTINGUISH THE NATURAL REALM FROM THE SPIRITUAL REALM. Because it is the organ of sight, the human eye is a classic symbol for the human ability to discover truth. 4