Grindelwald was glorying in its profusion of professors: scholars in physics, mathematics, zoology, economics and all manner of research abounded.<\/p>\n
The scientists had invited me as a chaplain to their conference. Why a chaplain? Because this profusion of scientists was also Christian!<\/p>\n
The theme of the Conference of Science and Christianity (COSAC 2011)<\/a> was Disenchantment: Faith and Science in a Secular World<\/em>. The description read \u2018From the time of the Enlightenment, Western society has become progressively disenchanted, as a sense of the transcendent and of spiritual forces, which pervaded mediaeval life, was lost, even repudiated…’<\/p>\n Is this true? Is science doing away with God, awe and wonder?<\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps so. Apologist and mathematician John Lennox in his book From God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?<\/em> quotes chemist and atheist, Peter Atkins, \u2018Science has no need of purpose… all the extraordinary, wonderful richness of the world can be expressed as growth from the dunghill of purposeless interconnected corruption.’<\/p>\n But the COSAC description had a challenge: \u2018Are we now disenchanted with disenchantment? How do Christians who are scientists speak into this world?’<\/strong><\/p>\n Materialists only find awe and wonder in themselves, or that which is in the limit of their observation. Anglican minister and columnist Chris Mulherin observes on the ABC Religion website<\/a>, \u2018At last year’s Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, Dawkins encouraged his followers to give thanks for the \u2018gift’ of life, while recognising that some find incongruity in \u2018giving thanks in a vacuum.”<\/p>\n I find this fascinating. This is the beginnings of a description that begins to shape around God, and his <\/em>glory, but it stops at himself. How sad is this truncation!<\/p>\n I want to shout, \u2018Dawkins, keep going! Push on to curiosity, to the wonder of something beyond. You are a scientist; let your inquisitive juices flow to poetry, music, art, love, sacrifice, joy and beauty.’<\/strong><\/p>\n I say this because, \u2018The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ (Psalm <\/em>19:1)<\/p>\n I remember as a teenager climbing the Grampian Mountains and sensing the magnitude and the splendour of God. I remember seeing my mother ironing at 3am: a love that sacrificed for a son. I remember as a father being transfixed by a crib holding our own son – how could this be but a magnet of affection?<\/p>\n Science is based on that which can be measured and marked in repeated experiments. Science has its limits. Love, however, has no end. Hence the inscription on my Bishop’s ring, \u2018God’s love is like a circle – it has no end!’<\/p>\n We can boldly assert what God has revealed to us in sending His Son. We proclaim, ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (John <\/em>1:14)<\/p>\n And returning to science: is love not \u2018evidence’? As John Lennox asks, ‘…where is the evidence that religious faith is not based on evidence? …faith is a response to evidence not a rejoicing in the absence of evidence …’<\/p>\n In turning to Christ, we turn, in awe and wonder, to the true glory in awe. In the miracle of divine transformation we are transformed: a healthy church … transforming life:<\/p>\n And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.<\/em><\/strong> (2 Cor<\/em>. 3:18)<\/p>\n See, Reflected Glory<\/a>\u00a0 and further\u00a0articles in the\u00a0October 2011\u00a0Tasmanian Anglican<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also, “Being Sure of Our Ground” (COSAC Devotion #4)<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Grindelwald was glorying in its profusion of professors: scholars in physics, mathematics, zoology, economics and all manner of research abounded. The scientists had invited me as a chaplain to their conference. Why a chaplain? Because this profusion of scientists was … Continue reading