Summary Statements - 6 of X - Special & “Natural” Revelation; Operational Science & Historical/Origins Science
[Include Christian response: You don't need to have certain knowledge in science – useful and practical knowledge is sufficient for man to fulfill the dominion mandate]
As Christians, our motto should be: “I believe in order to understand” (Augustine).
The ways that God (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) reveals Himself :
Special Revelation (Bible)
Natural Revelation (the so-called “book” of nature → science): There are two types of sciences associated with modern science: Operational Science & Historical/Origins Science. (see definitions given in J Byl/T Goss “How Should Christians Approach Origins”)
Operational Science - Operational Science deals with current repeatable phenomena (e.g., motion, gravity, chemistry, optics, etc.). Associated (mathematical) theories can be tested in the present for validity and conformance to expectations (but they can't be “proven”; problem of induction).
Historical/Origins Science - Historical/Origins Science deals with events (typically one time, singular, non-repeatable events, such as creation, origin of life, macroevolution, etc.) which are assumed to have occurred in the distant past (e.g., theory of evolution, Big Bang theories, etc.). As such, theories associated with Historical/Origins science cannot be tested. Similarly, these theories cannot be proven.
Questions to be answered:
What is special revelation?
What is natural revelation?
What is Operational Science?
What is Historical (Origins) Science?
Can one achieve certain knowledge in science? How?
Is the Lordship of Christ a fact?
Other questions ….
