Dale Appleby

Science and Christianity – a starter reading guide

Science and Christianity – a starter reading guide

The debate about science and Christianity is broad, confusing, heated and often unnecessary. Creation Science seems to take the main position in the debate, but there are other views that may be more helpful.  Here are some books that I have found helpful:

The Language of God by Francis Collins (Free Press, 2006. ISBN 9781416542742).

Francis Collins was head of the Human Genome Project from 1993 to 2008, a leading expert in DNA research. He describes his movement from agnosticism to atheism to Christian faith (prompted by a dying patient’s question about what he believed). He outlines some fascinating aspects of DNA research, but the main thrust of the book is to outline four options for explaining the relations between science and faith: “Science trumps faith (atheism)”; “Faith trumps science (Creationism)”; “Science needs divine help (Intelligent design)”; Science and faith in harmony (what he calls BioLogos)”.  A terrific book. Very readable. A review is here.

Dawkins’ God: Genes, memes and the meaning of life by Alistair McGrath (Blackwell, 2005 ISBN 1405125381).

McGrath has a doctorate from Oxford University in molecular biophysics as well as a doctorate in theology. He has many books on the subject of science, faith and natural theology. This book takes issue with Dawkins’ main ideas (before he became a more strident atheist). This debate is part philosophical and part scientific. A very good critique of the general Dawkins approach to the faith versus science debate. A review is here.

Two books on other aspects of the debate may be of interest:

Read more: Science and Christianity – a starter reading guide

Who can receive Holy Communion? 31 Oct 10

Who can receive Holy Communion?

The other day someone asked about who was allowed to receive the holy Communion in church? The short, general, answer is those who have made a public confession of faith in Christ. In practice, from the early days of the church, this means those who have been baptised.

However with the development of infant baptism, confirmation became the occasion for the child’s public confession of faith in Christ.  Our Anglican church says that none shall be admitted to the holy Communion until they are confirmed or are ready and desirous of being confirmed.

In recent years baptised children have been allowed to receive the holy Communion before confirmation under certain circumstances. However faith in Christ is still the essential requirement.

Read more: Who can receive Holy Communion? 31 Oct 10

Know any good saints? 24 Oct 10

Know any good saints?

Are you sick of saints yet? They are a troublesome group. The church at Corinth was full of difficult saints according to Paul. But he made the astonishing assertion that although many of them had been amongst  the worst of the immoral, greedy and corrupt, they were nevertheless now in the group that God regarded as saints. Despite the fact that many of them were in conflict with Paul himself.

Paul had a different understanding of saints to the one we have been hearing about this last week. A saint was someone God had made holy by forgiving their sin because of the death of Jesus. Their sainthood had nothing to do with how well they behaved or what they did.

Read more: Know any good saints? 24 Oct 10

Talking about God 17 Oct 10

Talking about God

It has been wonderful to hear so much talk about God and Jesus in the Chilean mine rescue. I wonder whether you saw the amazing interview with the Protestant Chaplain to the President of Chile on ABC24? The Revd Alfredo Cooper, is a CMS UK mission partner.   You can see a transcript of one interview with him here. Certainly there are plenty of opportunites to engage in discussions about God from this news story. The other news this week will be Mary McKillop.

Here are some suggestions by Elizabeth Smith, the Director of Evangelism in the Diocese of Perth, to get us started talking about God, as the wider Australian community gets talking about Mary McKillop.

Read more: Talking about God 17 Oct 10

Key Builders of the Church – 5. Martin Luther 10 Oct 10

Key Builders of the Church – 5. Martin Luther

Born in Germany in 1483, Luther joined an Augustinian monastery after a terrifying experience in a thunder storm in which he feared for his soul. However his experience in the monastery led him to despair of ever being saved.

The reason was that the practice of the time was that penance had to be done for sins so that grace could be received (mostly through the sacraments) as a reward and thus  they could move towards a state of justification. Except that none of this seemed to break the cycle of sinful acts.

Read more: Key Builders of the Church – 5. Martin Luther 10 Oct 10

Is it more blessed to give? 3 Oct 10

Is it more blessed to give?

Did you work out who said this? It was Jesus, but the quotation is not found in the gospels. It is quoted by Paul, but not in any of his letters. It occurs in a very interesting place.

Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem from Greece and had stopped over at Miletus in order to meet briefly with the elders of the church at Ephesus. Luke tells the story in Acts 20.17-38. Paul reminds the elders of the church how he had declared the whole purpose of God to them, warning, proclaiming, teaching – for three years.

And he did not do it in order to get something back. He told them the gospel free of charge. For Paul this meant that he refused the reciprocal side of gift-giving. He did not want them to think he was in it for the money, like many itinerant teachers and philosophers of his day.

Read more: Is it more blessed to give? 3 Oct 10