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This article covers the historical and conceptual relationships between Western science and Christian thought, especially theology. As we shall see, these relationships have moved in both directions, with theology providing foundational assumptions for certain key scientists, and scientific discoveries challenging theology to revisit and revise its conclusions on several matters relating to a Christian understanding of the world, especially the doctrine of creation. 1. Historical Approaches Differing theories of the relationship between theology and science ha…

1. Biblical Aspects 1.1. OT The Heb. word for truth is ʾemet, indicating something firm, reliable, and trustworthy or durable. True words or events may be denoted (Deut. 22:20; 1 Kgs. 10:6), or authentic guarantees (Josh. 2:12). The truth may be that of a revelation (Dan. 10:1) or of wisdom (Prov. 22:21). The antithesis is what is false, deceptive, or unstable. Those who tell the truth are people of truth (Gen. 42:16). The reference may be to the truth of their statements or to their inner truthfulness (1 Kgs. 17:24). The word ʾemet often occurs for the truthfulness of God and is somet…

The philosophy of science studies the sciences, their methods, and their results, including a broad complex of questions relating to the analysis and reconstruction of scientific language, hypotheses, and theories, and the rationality and methodology of the natural and human sciences. 1. Historical Development Historically, the philosophy of science reaches back to the beginnings of scientific knowledge in antiquity. Plato (427–347 b.c.) showed that knowledge can have different degrees of certainty. For him mathematics and philosophy were…