Science and Theology Since Copernicus The Search for Understanding [Paperback]

A textbook surveying the key developments in the natural sciences over the past 450 years and all the main associated theological questions. It provides an outline of the present science and theology discourse and suggests how a scientific description of the world may be placed within a broad theistic scheme.

INTRODUCTION Historical Phases of Natural Science Historical Phases of Natural Theology Roles and Limits of Science and Theology THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION The Medieval World-View The Scientific Revolution and its Background Nicolaus Copernicus Johannes Kepler Galileo Galilei Frances Bacon Rene Descartes Robert Boyle Issac Newton The Significance of the Scientific Revolution NATURAL HISTORY Early Natural History and Deism Carl Linnaeus Comte de Buffon Chevalier de Lamarck Georges Cuvier James Hutton William Buckland Adam Sedgwick Charles Lyell Charles Darwin Darwin's Theory of Evolution Early Controversies over Darwin's Theory The Elaboration of Darwin's Theory THE EVOLVING UNIVERSE Classical Physics The New Physics Particle Physics Cosmology Complexity Theory A 'Theory of Everything' Features of the Evolving Universe Anthropic Principle Chance and Necessity The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics The Hierarchy of Levels of Complexity THE PRESENT SCIENCE-THEOLOGY DISCOURSE The Challenge of New Knowledge Epistemic Aspects Divine Temporality Divine Action Divine Kenosis A Theistic Cosmology Toward a Trinitarian Cosmology The Beginning of Humanity and the Fulfilment of the Universe The Doctrine of Creation in the Light of Beauty Beauty on Every Scale FUTURE AGENDA ENDNOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX