Science, Religion, and Public Education
There has been a perception throughout my life, and probably long before I was born, that science and religion are in conflict. Of course, this isn’t true for all religious people, nor is it true for all scientists. Only a vocal minority outright condemn or willfully misrepresent the work of the other, but even if most of us get along well, there still remains a bit of tension. If you fully embrace the Bible, even without being a fundamentalist or young earth creationist, your worldview needs to be shaped by the stories contained in Scripture. I doubt most people who are entirely devoted to the empiricism of science could accept that anyone rose from the dead. You cannot be fully devoted to science and all its assumptions and fully devoted to faith, or so the argument goes in popular culture.
In the first few verses of 1 Corinthians, Paul says something that makes me doubt this rejection of science by the faithful. In verse five, Paul writes “In every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind.” That last part can be translated “knowledge of every kind” as it is in the New Revised Standard Version, or it could be translated simply “all knowledge.” Whatever the case, it makes us wonder, does Paul really mean “all?”
Certainly, Jesus enriches our knowledge of God. In Christ, we see God incarnate. We see what God wants for the world, and we see how God chooses to work in the world. The most powerful action isn’t fiery wrath or leading an angelic host to destroy evildoers. Rather, God’s most powerful action in the New Testament is a humiliating and excruciating death followed by a glorious resurrection. Furthermore, Jesus enriches our knowledge about the Old Testament. In Christ, we understand the purpose, the true meaning, of the Law. Perhaps we even gain some understanding of each other and what it means to live in community. But do we really gain “all” knowledge?
Does Jesus enrich our understanding of meteorology and climatology? Can we better predict the weather or make sense of long term climate patterns because Jesus died on a cross? Does Jesus help us somehow understand germ theory and advance medical science? Does Jesus complete the fossil record and give us insight into the biological history of the world? It doesn’t seem so. However, what then could Paul mean when he refers to “knowledge of every kind?”
Even if Jesus does somehow help us gain scientific knowledge, we should be clear that there are scientists who are not Christian. Some are atheist or agnostic, some belong to different faith traditions, some come from cultures where Christianity is not a dominant cultural force. While we might say that salvation is a gift exclusively given through Christ (John 14:6), and we might say that Jesus enriches our understanding of all things, that doesn’t mean the same exclusivity applies. Christ is the only way to the Father. That doesn’t mean he is also the only way to understanding chemistry, but perhaps there is a way that he genuinely enriches it for us.
I don’t want to suggest that the themes of the Jesus narrative underlie fundamental scientific concepts. Certainly, there are cycles of life, death, and rebirth in nature. At certain latitudes the days get shorter and shorter and then swing back to growing longer again. However, this doesn’t mean that relating astronomy to the story of Jesus makes us better astronomers. The story of Jesus is not a mythic representation of nature at work. The story of Jesus is what really happened to our incarnate God, who lived, died, and lived again, ascended into heaven, and will come again at the end of time. As Christians, we believe these things to have happened as historical facts, not as tales arising out of resonance with the patterns of nature.
Still, there may be some ways in which our faith enriches our understanding of these things. Because we are saved by grace through faith, we no longer need to rely on our own works of righteousness for salvation. Instead, we can turn our attention to the world. We should certainly spend much of our energy helping our neighbors in need. However, God doesn’t expect us to only work. There are times when God invites us to explore the wonder of creation that God has established. Sabbath rest is important, and perhaps part of Sabbath rest is a genuine curiosity and wonder about the world God has made. Furthermore, sometimes the discoveries we make in exploring creation help us to better serve our neighbors. Scientific advancement, especially in medical science, biology in general, and engineering, has vastly improved the lives of many people throughout the world. The Christian freedom to serve and explore instead of being bound to endless holiness rituals, helps us to deepen and enhance our dedication to discovery of all kinds of knowledge.
While many Christians have some suspicions about public school, we should note that Martin Luther was in favor of public school in some form or another. Naturally, this was an entirely different understanding of public education. Separation of church and state hadn’t really been a developed idea yet, and Luther probably would be confused about our modern schools not teaching Bible and theology. However, ultimately Luther would have seen education as a public good, something that God provides through civil government rather than through the church for the upbuilding of society.
Public education improves society as a whole. People are better able to communicate, think critically, understand the best ways to get what they need and help where they can, and generally enjoy life. Access to education helps to raise people out of poverty and sets them on paths toward generational stability if not outright success. Seeing the good of learning in general, Christians should support the work of public education providers, trusting that they are called by God to serve in those roles for the good of all.
If we take seriously our freedom in Christ to not only serve but explore the world and our commitments to creating a society that works well for everyone, we can see that Jesus drives us toward learning, discipline, and study. Again, this isn’t exclusive to Jesus, but we can see in the gifts God has given us in Christ, a call to learn and grow as people, an enrichment in all kinds of knowledge. We don’t need to endlessly wage a war between science and religion, between church and public education. In fact, we can see the two as working together. Jesus uses science and education to enrich our knowledge of creation, allowing us to enjoy the world and be thankful to God and to better serve our neighbors in need.
