Monday, December 3, 2012

Augustine on science


Given that he lived, more than a millenium before the rise of modern science I would have thought that Augustine would not have not had much to say about science or the relationship of science and Christianity.
However, I recently learnt this was not the case and that he had some important, perhaps timeless, insights. Even in his time there were some who conflated their theology with some scientific "theory".
Here is one quote, brought to my attention by Luke Glanville.
Whenever I hear a brother Christian talk in such a way as to show that he is ignorant of these scientific matters and confuses one thing with another, I listen with patience to his theories and think it no harm to him provided that he holds no beliefs unworthy of you, O Lord, who are the Creator of them all. The danger lies in thinking that such knowledge is part and parcel of what he must believe to save his soul and in presuming to make obstinate declarations about things of which he knows nothing. 
Augustine, Confessions, Book V, page 96.

The context is nicely discussed in a post on Eureka Street by Andrew Hamilton. Prior to becoming a Christian Augustine was engrossed in Manichaeism but became intellectually  dissatisfied with the elaborate and unjustified astrology associated with it. 

1 comment:

  1. Part and parceel of what he must believe to save his soul - I love that phrase, because even today, scientific creationists can become very, very dogmatic.
    ...and in presuming to make obstinate declarations about things of which he knows nothing - well, this one is harder to justify today, because we know a lot more about science than they did in 300 AD. So there's the dilemma: we know so much more IN comparison to bygone ages; but the really question is: how much do we really know about the world compared to what can be known? That's realistic and not self-important. I think humility is also in order today when considering all things in God's world.

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