Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'science'

October 16, 2007

Why Did Christian Europe Advance?

A long and detailed essay on the topic is available at The Gates of Vienna. A very small sample: The end of religion, thus, didn’t herald an age of reason; it led to a new age of secular superstition and new forms of witch-hunts. Continue Reading...
July 18, 2007

Speaking of ‘Priestly’ Science

Speaking of the “priestly” voice of science, Given all the atheist militancy raising a ruckus lately, I suppose it isn’t too surprising that I am stumbling upon more regular and more baldly dismissive declarations these days about the ineradicable incompatibility of science and religion among Science’s self-appointed Elite Champions online. Continue Reading...
April 09, 2007

Prophecy and the supremacy of consensus

German theologian and philosopher Michael Welker describes in his book God the Spirit (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994) the biblical relationship between the prophet and majority opinion: The prophet does not confuse truth with consensus. Continue Reading...
February 27, 2007

The happiness conundrum

This piece from the Scientific American examines the difficulty that human beings have achieving happiness even in a world characterized by material prosperity. “Once average annual income is above $20,000 a head, higher pay brings no greater happiness,” writes Michael Shermer, in the context of Richard Lay૚rd’s observation that “we are no happier even though average incomes have more than doubled since 1950.” Continue Reading...
December 22, 2006

Buyer’s Remorse

A climatologist reflects on his visit to AGU’s conference last week. Salient bit here: What I see is something that I am having a hard time labeling, but that I might call either a "hangover" or a "sophomore slump" or "buyers remorse." Continue Reading...
September 29, 2006

A Case against Chimeras: Part V

Our week-long series concludes with a reflection on the implications of the great biblical theme of the consummation of creation into the new heavens and the new earth. Consummation – Revelation 22:1–5 To the extent that we are able in this life, Christians are called to the path of holiness. Continue Reading...
September 28, 2006

A Case against Chimeras: Part IV

The penultimate installment of the series on the biblical/theological case against chimeras focuses on the impact and significance of redemption. Redemption – Romans 8:18–27 Flowing out of our discussion on creation and fall, it is the recognition that there still are limits on human activity with regard to animals that is most important for us in this discussion. Continue Reading...
September 25, 2006

A Case against Chimeras: Part I

This week will feature a five part series, with one installment per day, putting forth my presentation of a biblical-theological case against the creation of certain kinds of chimeras, or human-animal hybrids. Continue Reading...