scientific discoveries & influence of christianity

Question 1

deism

Answer 1

if everything can be explained in terms of physical laws there’s little scope for belief in a personal god who enters into nature and affects its operation

Question 2

deism - what does an ordered universe suggest

Answer 2

• may have been created by an intelligent designer which led to development of idea of deism

Question 3

deism - advantage

Answer 3

• offers religious way of explaining predictable nature of universe

Question 4

deism - limit (polkinghorn)

Answer 4

• christian god regarded as personal but an impersonal deistic idea of god is just intellectual idea

Question 5

what is existentialism

Answer 5

• based on idea that humans create their own personal reality through choices they make

Question 6

existentialism - what does tillich suggest about christian belief & symbols

Answer 6

• they need to be understood in relation to existential questions concerning the meaning of life
• role of christian beliefs & symbols give a sense of meaning & purpose then decide whether or not to accept those beliefs

Question 7

existentialism- what questions are christian’s most concerned with

Answer 7

• existential questions
• so no conflict between religion and science as they’re different ways of looking at the world