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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theistic science | 2/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theistic_science | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T04:34:13.307812+00:00 | kb-cron |
'Unnatural Science', 'Creation Science,' 'Theistic Science' — call it what you will: what we need when we want to know how to think about the origin and development of contemporary life is what is most plausible from a Christian point of view. What we need is a scientific account of life that isn't restricted by that methodological naturalism. He suggests that generally God uses secondary causes, but miracles may be needed when theistic scientists are unable to find a materialistic explanation. In 1997 he wrote "Why couldn't a scientist think as follows? God has created the world, and of course He created everything in it directly or indirectly. After a great deal of study, we can't see how he created some phenomenon P (life, for example) indirectly; thus probably he has created it directly." Plantinga also refers to this concept as Augustinian science, and states that "in doing Augustinian science, you start by assuming the deliverances of the faith, employing them along with anything else you know in dealing with a given scientific problem or project." Plantinga argues for the acceptance of differing worldview-partisan sciences in place of a single common science. Plantinga employs a conflict thesis in assessing the relationship between religion and science. These views have been criticised by Christian physicist Howard J. Van Till, who rejects the conflict thesis, for relying on "folk exegesis" in his assessment of the bible's teachings on creation. Van Till argues that the problem is not evolution, but its misuse for "naturalistic apologetics". Philosopher and Roman Catholic priest Ernan McMullin also disagrees with Plantinga's call for a theistic science, stating that it should not be considered to be science at all, and suggesting that Plantinga seriously understates the evidential support for evolution. Plantinga only disagrees with naturalism, not with evolution.
== Mousavirad == Seyyed Jaaber Mousavirad has proposed his own account of theistic science, which diverges from others in several key respects: A. Some contemporary philosophers, such as Roy Clouser, argue that neutrality in science is impossible and that all sciences rest on specific religious or naturalistic assumptions. Mousavirad rejects this sweeping claim. He maintains that only certain areas of science involve religious or naturalistic presuppositions, while the majority of scientific domains remain independent of religion, though they may still rely on other philosophical assumptions. B. Theistic science, as debated by philosophers like J.P. Moreland, typically centers on the natural sciences. In contrast, Mousavirad argues that theistic science is more appropriately applied to the social sciences. This is because natural sciences, by their nature, rarely contain overt religious or anti-religious presuppositions, whereas social sciences frequently do. C. Philosophers such as Alvin Plantinga seek to categorically reject methodological naturalism. Mousavirad takes a more nuanced position: while methodological naturalism is not always feasible—since scientists inevitably draw on religious or secular assumptions—it can still function as a practical convention to facilitate a shared scientific discourse. The deeper problem with methodological naturalism, he contends, arises when it is conflated with epistemological naturalism.
== Others == Similar ideas have been expressed by George M. Marsden and Mehdi Golshani (the latter referring to it as 'Islamic science').
== Notes ==
== References == Forrest, Barbara; Gross, Paul R. (8 January 2004). Creationism's Trojan Horse. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515742-7. Pennock, Robert (2001). Intelligent Design Creationism and Its Critics. Cambridge: MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-66124-1. Stenmark, Mikael (2004). How to Relate Science and Religion. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 0-8028-2823-X.