State of Affairs: The Science-Theology Controversy

The last sixty years have witnessed a virtual explosion of interest in how modern science and traditional Christianity intersect. This new rapprochement with science has irrevocably altered how we think of God. It constitutes a foundation from which we cannot retreat but from which we also cannot move forward until we examine the presumptions on which it is based. For the first time Richard Coleman interprets in a clear and meaningful way the themes and practitioners that make this rapprochement different and what it has achieved. But this book is more than description--it is an inquiry into whether Christian theology has lost its authentic voice by its singular focus on accommodating modern science. In this candid survey and synthesis Richard Coleman states clearly what he considers to be both right and wrong in contemporary attempts to integrate science with the world of faith and theology. This well-informed book deserves careful reading and commentary. --John F. Haught Georgetown University Washington DC Rejecting simple models Coleman calls for Christian theology to be a holy irritant to redescribe a world only partially explained by science. This is a valuable contribution to the state of affairs it describes so well. --Karl Giberson Stonehill College Easton MA About fifty years ago a new dialogue between science and religion began to replace the older period of conflict. While the dialogue has been rewarding its time for some hard questions. Is it really possible to do interdisciplinary work between science and religion? Is a new academic field being launched? Or are theologians and scholars of religion just being too accommodating seeking to be relevant in a culture of science but losing their own distinctive voice? . . . Honest forthright sometimes disturbing but always insightful and instructive. --Ron Cole-Turner Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh PA This book is essential reading for anyone who believes we need to reexamine the suppositions of the academic discourses of theology and science and who wonders what it would take for Christian theology to develop a more critical--dare I say prophetic--voice. --Lisa Stenmark San Jose State University San Jose CA Richard J. Coleman is the author of two previous books exploring the subject matter of religion and science: Competing Truths: Theology and Science as Sibling Rivals and Edens Garden: Rethinking Sin and Evil in an Era of Scientific Promise. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Princeton Theological Seminary Coleman has retired from a career as teacher executive director and minister in the United Church of Christ.