Science & Its Limits: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective

by Del Ratzsch

Book Overview

Science, especially naturalistic science, has come under fire of late. No longer does it command the near universal respect it once held. From the right has come a fresh attack on Darwinism and arguments for intelligent design. From the left postmodern theorists have attacked the very notion of objective truth claims, scientific or otherwise.

Into the fray Del Ratzsch breathes a breath of calm. He asks, What is science? What can it tell us?...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830815805
• ISBN13: 9780830815807
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Length: 191 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.7" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

You thought you knew what science is?

Think twice. Excellent primer on epistemology by a Christian philosopher. In a field (science and faith) where carricatures, misunderstandings, and insults are too frequent, Del Ratzsch brings a welcome sound of nuance, respect and depth. In a clear and accessible way, the author first reviews the various theories that have been developed over time to describe the relationship between science and reality. In a very interesting section, he then outlines the present work in progress of philosophers of science fraying their way between positivism and post-modern relativism. He points there to several questions that we can ask ourselves about our interpretation of scientific observations. In a section that could have been more developed, Del Ratzsch then discusses several options that Christians can choose to link biblical and scientific interpretations in their quest for a coherent understanding of our world. In a welcomed last chapter, he reminds them that unloving and simplistic Bible slamming and accusations are not among these options. A must read.