Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-31T23:40:01.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - Liberal natural theology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2009

Get access

Summary

It is obvious, but perhaps all the more worth stating on that account, that much scientific research was carried out in the nineteenth century without any reference to actual or possible conflict with religion. Many technical issues had no apparent connection with religious belief, and in any case the truths revealed to careful observation and intelligent experiment remained truths regardless of human taste, feeling and judgment. Furthermore, such matters had their own fascination for certain minds, whereas theology and biblical study did not; and if the essence of religion was to walk humbly with one's God, such humility could only be deepened by an increased appreciation of the works of God in nature. Indeed, contemplating the wonders of creation might seem to be a far more elevating occupation that participating in endless, and at times acrimonious, theological and biblical debate; and the pursuit of scientific research had nothing to gain by attaching to itself the burden of ecclesiastical censure.

A glance at the early volumes of the Edinburgh Review reveals much free discussion of scientific matters: chemistry, mineralogy, geology and a new French Natural History in twenty-four volumes, involving reference to such men as Black, Irvine, De Luc, Werner and Lavoisier. The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal was very largely devoted to technical scientific matters, this being actually a cause for complaint by the Very Revd Dean Ramsay in his Opening Address to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, December 1861. The Dean wanted, alongside such technical subjects, more time and space devoted to topics of a more general cultural interest; thus bearing indirect witness to the dominating influence exercised over many reflective minds by the novel revelations of practical empiricism.

Type
Chapter
Information
Philosophy and Biblical Interpretation
A Study in Nineteenth-Century Conflict
, pp. 138 - 171
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×