우주와 생명의 기원에 대한 신학 전공 대학생의 관점 변화

Abstract

By comparing the understandings of theology major with science major in a college, this study investigates how theology major students view the origin of universe and life and how they portray the view of sciences. In addition, this study examines how theology majors change their viewpoints through a series of lectures related to understanding of the modem sciences. Twenty six theology majors and nineteen science education majors participated in the survey investigation. For theology majors, questionnaire data revealed that 42% of theology majors support theistic evolution, while 42% responses with young and old Earth creation and none with evolutionism. On the other hand, most respondents in science education major espoused evolutionism and no one with extreme creationism. Most respondents with creationism shared the insights that science is an instrument for describing the creator`s work, whereas most with evolutionisms perceived science as a logical and descriptive system of the natural world. After taking science courses, the theology majors` support of an extreme view like young Earth creationism has decreased by 4% (was 23%), while their support of the theistic evolution increased by a small percentage. This result lends support to the idea that science related courses helps theology major undergraduate students to understand the scientific evolutionism based on their theological backgrounds.