By Rev. Ken
Blank and Dr. John Campbell – Oklahoma Health Center Clinical Pastoral
Education Institute, Inc. Ó 2005
In the April, 2004, issue of Science and Theology News, Wolfgang Achtner wrote about a long-standing but not very popular tradition in Christian theology conceiving of God as a mathematician. He said those adhering to this tradition point to descriptions of God as an ‘architect, designing the world with mathematical structures’.
The more popular view of God would argue that the concept of certain mathematical structures challenges the freedom and creativity of God to create ex nihilo or “out of nothing” (In other words, a “mathematical God” may not be a God totally free in His will). This view of God argues that God can act against the laws of nature – violating therefore the mathematical laws of nature – as illustrated in the case of miracles. In medicine, the specific issue may relate to medical miracles, usually meaning miraculous cures or healings.
From some of our own anecdotal observations, we noted that life scientists, including medical practitioners and researchers, tended to state their religious preference as agnostic, or even atheist, more often than the scientists in areas such as physics or chemistry. Scientists in the latter two realms of science are heavily reliant upon mathematical structures and it appears, from a very limited observation, that their numbers tended to include more “believers”. The physical scientists more often listed membership in mainline denominations or traditions.
Indeed, in studies conducted by researchers in the area of medicine and spirituality, it was noted that patients are, on the average, more religious than their physicians.
Wolfgang Achtner points out from an historical
perspective, new and innovative mathematical concepts often precede their
applications in the natural sciences, sometimes by decades. He uses matrices as
an example, invented long before their use in quantum mechanics. The field of
bioinformatics, with mathematics applied to medicine, may also be a good example. He contrasts the free, creative
will of God with God’s wisdom mirrored in the laws of nature. The laws of
nature (including medical outcomes) demonstrate God’s reliability and
intelligibility, accessible to human comprehension. The latter statement
means we can scientifically study God’s creation. The person believing this could argue that God acts through the
laws of nature. But Achtner also suggests that it is possible the laws of
nature are not eternally fixed but the result of an evolutionary process
(Achtner says this idea was originally stated by scientist and philosopher
Charles Sanders Pierce). Achtner declares this is where he sees mathematics
linked to the structure of creation. Mathematics may represent part of the
mystery of God’s creative power.
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A short survey is being prepared by the Oklahoma Health Center Clinical Pastoral Education Institute to explore the religious preferences of scientists, including medical, life, and physical scientists. The findings may add some interesting raw material to add to this discussion.
Report and Commentary by Rev. Ken Blank, M.Div.,
Executive Director, and Dr. John Campbell, PhD., Director of Research,
Oklahoma Health Center Clinical Pastoral Education Institute, Inc.Ó 2005
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