Science & Faith

FRIENDS OR FOES?

C. John COLLINS

wheaton, illinois

Science and Faith: Friends or Foes?

Copyright © 2003 by C. John Collins

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Josh Dennis

Cover photo: Getty Images

First printing 2003

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked nasb are from the New American Standard Bible® Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture and Apocrypha references marked rv are from the Revised Version of the Bible.

Scripture and Apocrypha references marked rsv are from the Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Scripture references marked nrsv are from the New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Apocrypha references marked nab are from the New American Bible, copyright © 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Collins, C. John, 1954–

Science and faith: friends or foes? / C. John Collins.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 13: 978-1-58134-430-1 (TPB: alk. paper)

ISBN 10: 1-58134-430-9

1. Religion and science. I. Title.

BL240.3.C65	2003
261.5’5—dc21		2003004799

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Contents

Acknowledgments

1 Introduction to the Questions and Survey of the Book

SECTION I: PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES

2 Science, Faith, and Rationality: A Short Course in Good Thinking

The Importance of Philosophy

Principles of Sound Thinking

Testing a Truth Claim

A Word About Rational Christian Faith

3 Must Science and Faith Be At Odds?

Defining “Science”

Defining “Faith”

Premises of the Methods of Science

Science and Knowledge

Operating Relationships of Science and Faith

Conclusion

SECTION II: THEOLOGICAL ISSUES

4 This Is My Father’s World: The Biblical Doctrine of Creation

How Many Creation Accounts Does One Religion Need? Literary Relationships of Genesis 1 and 2

Outline of Genesis 1:1–2:3

What Is Genesis 1:1–2:3 About?

Is Genesis 1:1–2:3 Supposed to Be a Historical Record?

Does Genesis 1:1 Teach “Creation from Nothing”?

Does Genesis ...