Reformed theology and natural science – Conflict or concurrence?

Izak J Van Der Walt

doi:10.4102/ids.v54i2.2556

Abstract

Atheistic natural scientists propagate a normative materialistic view of the universe, where God as creator is superfluous. Much effort is being expended to bring into disrepute any notion of extraneous control over the laws of nature. The idea of the universe and everything in it as an ongoing ‘cosmic accident’ is presented as the only truth. This is in stark contrast to recent scientific discoveries in disciplines such as biochemistry and palaeontology. In this article, the most recent developments in the fields of intelligent design and the anthropic principle will be interrogated to demonstrate that the reformed faith in God as Creator is credible and that the notion of creation as God’s general revelation to humankind is increasingly being accepted by the natural scientific community.

Highlights

To explore the question whether reformed theology and contemporary natural science are in conflict, it is necessary to start with the second law of thermodynamics, which states that everything in the universe tends towards increasing disorder
It was to be expected that humankind turned to the supernatural to seek clarity, and the Greeks distinguished a so-called ‘Prime Mover’ that they believed was responsible for the creation of everything (Bodnar 2018)
The theory of intelligent design (ID) ‘holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection’ (Discovery Institute n.d.:n.p.)

Summary

Introduction

To explore the question whether reformed theology and contemporary natural science are in conflict, it is necessary to start with the second law of thermodynamics, which states that everything in the universe tends towards increasing disorder. Proponents claim that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection.

Results

Conclusion