Dalziel St. Andrew’s Parish Church
The Journey
Summary
We believe that a false dichotomy is often set up, in society and in church circles, between the spheres of scientific research/training and Christian spirituality/discipleship. We would wish to challenge the assumption that these disciplines are always contradictory and facilitate a discussion, which encourages openness to learning from both sides. There is much that scientific rationale has to offer people of faith, and a great deal that can be learned from a world-view that includes a spiritual dimension. If we achieve our aims, a respectful debate and discussion could be helpfully opened up between scientists with and without faith, as well as Christians who have little or no formal scientific training. In this way, we might overcome inherent prejudices and suspicions, which often prevail. Furthermore, we have been blessed with good and modernised premises, which we intend to utilize fully in pursuing this objective. For example, the high-tech audiovisual system we have will allow us to film and distribute these “conversations” to a wider constituency, broadening the range of those who are included in engagement with the various questions we address.
Key Questions
- How do we read the early chapters of Genesis in light of claims about the ‘Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Origin of the Species’?
- How do we understand the Bible’s claims about Virgin Birth in an age of In Vitro Fertilization?
- How might scientific research into the uniqueness of humanity as compared with animals inform debates and decisions about end of life issues, including assisted suicide?
- How do studies into brain activity at the point of physical death relate to Christian claims about resurrection and the existence of Heaven?