ASA/CSCA Newsletter
Index
___________________"...the problem of
epistemological authority - whether the truth of cosmological claims was to be
determined by exercise of the human capacities of sense and reason, by appeal to
biblical revelation, or by some combination of the two...was the central
methodological issue in the Galileo affair. We must also recognize that the
issue of epistemological authority in areas of overlap (actual or potential)
remains unresolved for some Christians to this day, as we see in contemporary
battles between "creationists" and "evolutionists." This lack of resolution
means that the tension and the potential for conflict will continue to hover
over the relationship between Christianity and science."
David C. Lindberg,
2003
|
Astronomy & Cosmology...the
big picture
The words "The heavens declare the glory of God.. ." (Ps.19:1)
resonate for the Christian today as they did for the Hebrew Psalmist.
The Sombrero Galaxy - 28
million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the
Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called
M104, are as spectacular as its appearance It has 800 billion suns
and is 50,000 light years across.
******************************************************************************
Cosmology is the scientific study of the large scale properties of
the Universe as a whole.
It endeavors to use the scientific method to understand the origin,
evolution and ultimate fate of the entire Universe -
ultimately a
"theory of everything".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This page examine ways that Christians have sought to relate their
faith and scientific investigation of the sky and offers links to current scientific studies.
" The
peoples of ancient times brought to their study of the heavens the
entire range of human emotions -- fear, religious awe, humor, and
artistry underlie the many sky tales and creation stories of the
world. To fully appreciate the skies as seen by the ancients we need
to feel the emotional climate in which our ancestors operated. As
many of us live in bright, light-polluted cities, and spend much of
our time indoors at night, it is difficult to fully appreciate
the majesty of the night sky, and the important role it played in
ancient times. We need to try to remember the rush of emotions
we felt the first time we looked at a dark night sky, and clearly
saw the Milky Way crossing the sky amidst a sea of countless stars.
In such times, logical and scientific explanations of the stars and
the origin of the universe are lost in our overwhelming
appreciation of our smallness in the vast darkness of space. "--from
pomona.edu.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The arrangement of the heavens
Video (10 minutes)
The Bible and the
Heavens
Biblical references to the heavens need to be
examined in the literary context of the ancient near east to gain a
fuller understanding of their meaning to the writer and to
modern reader. Clearly pre-scientific, these accounts often offered
praise to God for what could be viewed in the night sky. They are
found in the creation accounts and in the warnings of the Jewish
prophets against the worship of pagan gods related to
heavenly bodies. Other references are incidental mention of
the planets Venus and Saturn and clusters of stars. We need to be
cautious about attempts made to relate biblical passages to current
observation or models of the
cosmos.
Scholars differ widely on the actual heavenly
bodies referred to by the biblical authors. The prime importance was
the meaning attached to the reference. A more complete story
and other resources are found
here.
WOW!
Biggest Structure in Universe: Large Quasar Group Is 4 Billion Light
Years Across
Jan. 11, 2013 —
An international team of astronomers, led
by academics from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), has
found the largest known structure in the universe. The large quasar
group (LQG) is so large that it would take a vehicle travelling at
the speed of light some 4 billion years to cross it.
Science Daily
Early Astronomy
One of the most powerful contributions of Greek
science was the mathematical astronomy created by
Hipparchus in the second century B.C. and given
final form by
Ptolemy in the second century A.D. Ptolemy's
work was known in the Middle Ages through imperfect Latin versions.
The geocentric system of Ptolemy
In the Syntaxis
(or)
Almagest), Ptolemy synthesized
mathematical astronomy into a coherent whole which rendered his
predecessors obsolete. His ideas would dominate Western and Islamic
thought until the sixteenth century.
The
thirteenth-century Franciscan Friar Roger Bacon wrote three
treatises on the reform of learning based on the natural science
found in newly available works of the classical Greek tradition at
the request of Pope Clement IV. One of his goals was to show the
value of the science to theology and practical church life - science
seen as a handmaiden to theology. He devoted many pages to describe
the
importance of astronomy to theology, to developing a
chronology of a sacred history of the world, and the timing of
church rituals.
 Clerks
studying astronomy and geometry. France, early 15th century.
By the Middle Ages, the geocentric system took
on a new power as the philosophy of Aristotle (newly rediscovered in
Europe) was wedded to Medieval theology in the great synthesis of
Christianity and Reason undertaken by philosopher-theologians such
as Thomas Aquinas. The Prime Mover of Aristotle's universe became
the God of Christian theology, the outermost sphere of the Prime
Mover became identified with the Christian Heaven, and the position
of the Earth at the center of it all was understood in terms of the
concern that the Christian God had for the affairs of mankind.
The ideas largely originating with pagan
Greek philosophers were assimulated into the Roman Catholic church and
eventually assumed the power of religious dogma. To challenge this
view of the Universe was not merely a scientific issue; it became a
theological one as well, and subjected dissenters to the
considerable and not always benevolent power of the Church.
How was Galileo converted?
BY THOMAS BURNETT, ON DECEMBER 21ST, 2010
painting by Cristiano Banti (1857)
Do you believe that the sun is the center of our solar system?
Why? Very few people have ever carried out the
measurements necessary to determine that earth moves around the
sun. Most of us simply accept it by faith, backed by
scientific authority. But what would we believe if
authorities told us that earth didn’t move? That is the
situation that Galileo found himself in 400 years ago.
Though Copernicus had already published his theory of a
sun-centered universe, he only had some elegant mathematics but
no physical laws to support him. Few scholars took the
heliocentric theory seriously. What convinced Galileo?
Full Article
 The Galileo Affair
The most famous challenge to the reigning
tradition was that of
heliocentrism which moved the earth and humankind out of center
stage. In 1543 church official and astronomer Nicolaus
Copernicus published his On the Revolution of the Celestial Orbs
which offered mathematical models capable of predicting planetary
positions and offered it as a true description of the universe -
appealing more to professionals rather than the general public. He
was convinced to publish the work by friends who included churchmen
and dedicated his work to the Pope. There was hardly a ripple.
Certainly, no cries of heresy.
Seventy years later the discovery of the
telescope stimulated Galileo Galei to revisit the cosmology question
using a home made instrument to collect data. His struggle
with church leadership over his affirmation of heliocentrism
has
reverberated for 500 years and become a touchstone for those who
would pit science against religion.
Galileo's sketches of the Moon
Owen Gingerich, "Truth
in Science: Proof, Persuasion, and the Galileo Affair,"
PSCF
55.2:80-87 (6/2003).
In 1616 in
a letter destined for Galileo, Cardinal Roberto Bellarmine (the
leading Catholic theologian of his day) expressed his doubts about
finding evidence for a moving earth. Would the annual stellar
parallax or the Foucault pendulum have convinced him? The historical
setting explored in this essay suggests that the cardinal would not
have been swayed by these modern "proofs" of the heliocentric
cosmology, even though they are convincing to us today because in
the meantime, we have the advantage of a Newtonian framework. What
passes
today for truth in science is a comprehensive system of
coherencies supported more by persuasion than proofs.
Historian David Lindberg's account of the incident
notes:
"...the problem of epistemological authority -
whether the truth of cosmological claims was to be determined by
 exercise of the human capacities of sense and reason, by appeal to
biblical revelation, or by some combination of the two...was the
central methodological issue in the Galileo affair. We must also
recognize that the issue of epistemological authority in areas of
overlap (actual or potential) remains unresolved for many Christians
to this day, as we see in contemporary battles between
"creationists" and "evolutionists." This lack of resolution means
that the tension and the potential for conflict will continue to
hover over the relationship between Christianity and
science." --David C. Lindberg, "Galileo, the Church, and the Cosmos,"
in Lindberg and Numbers, eds. When Science and Christianity Meet
(2003), p. 58.
Galileo Recants
(mythic)
 ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2012) —
The aftershock of a stellar explosion rippling through space is
captured in this new view of supernova remnant W44, which combines
far-infrared and X-ray data from ESA's Herschel and XMM-Newton space
observatories.
W44, located around 10,000 light-years away within a forest of dense
star-forming clouds in the constellation of Aquila, the Eagle, is
one of the best examples of a supernova remnant interacting with its
parent molecular cloud.
The product of a massive star that has already reached the end of
its life and expelled its outer layers in a dramatic explosion, all
that remains of the stellar behemoth is the spinning core of a
neutron star, or pulsar.
Identified as PSR B1853+01, the pulsar is the bright point to the
top left in W44, coloured light blue in this image.
Modern
Challenges
Today's technology affords opportunities for
space travel, telescopes of incredibly high resolution and the ease
of accumulation of space-time data that give a better scientific
picture of when and how our cosmos was formed in addition to an
enormous and ever expanding size. .
Modern times have seen new concepts added to
those of an earlier era.. string theory, black holes,
dark matter, and big bang discussions have taken center stage.
Questions of when, how, and why
provide new modes of science - faith interaction and
controversy.
Exoplanets, Life and Human Significance
(Video) Dr Jennifer
Wiseman
Faraday Foundation
Here are a few articles from PSCF and other sources that open up these
topics.
Cosmology
cos·mol·o·gy/käzˈmäləjē/
|
Noun: |
-
The science of the origin and development of
the universe. Modern astronomy is dominated
by the big bang theory, which brings
together...
-
An account or theory of the origin of the
universe.
FreeDictionary
|
|
Andrew
Zimmerman Jones and Daniel
Robbins, "The Basic Elements of
String Theory,"
Five key ideas are at the heart of string theory. Become familiar
with these key elements of string theory right off the bat. Read on
for the very basics of these five ideas of string theory ...
Robert A. Cathey, Three
Christian "Cosmologists:" Three Christian "
Karl Barth, Langdon Gilkey, and Kathryn Tanner (web paper)
edited by Thomas J. Sienkewicz and James E. Betts and published by
Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois in 1997.
An analysis of Karl Barth's understanding of the relation between
evolutionary cosmology and the Christian doctrine of creation.
Barth's own account of the relation between science and theology, or
cosmology and creation, also shows some important trends in how
Christian theologians in the late 20th century dealt with issues of
cosmology, evolution, and science.
Robert B. Mann, "Inconstant
Multiverse," PSCF 57:4, (December 2005)
302. Explaining why there is something rather than nothing is one of theology's
primary tasks. Recent scientific findings in cosmology have suggested a new
theological task: explaining why there is something rather than everything. This
task arises because of the conjunction of two intriguing properties of our
universe: its strong biophilic selection effects and its apparent
causal-connectedness on its largest scales. Current explanatory
paradigms "respectively the anthropic principle and the inflationary
universe" have suggested to many that our observable universe is a small part of
a much larger structure called the multiverse. A multiverse presents us with a
containment problem, since its logical extension suggests that anything that can
exist, does exist. I argue such a perspective is incompatible with the
foundations of both science and theology. As an antidote, I propose the
altiverse: a set of possible alternatives that logically exist but are not
physically realized.
Ben M.. Carter, "The
Problem of Epistemology and Cosmic Models,"
PSCF 54.2:114-118 (6/2002).
Cosmic models are themselves not accurate
depictions of the universe but
humanizations
of it.
Rikki
E. Watts, "Making
Sense of Genesis 1"
(2002). Used by Permission.
Schneider,
Robert J. "Does
the Bible Teach a Spherical Earth
?,"
PSCF
53
(September 2001): 159-169.
A number of young-earth creationists purport to find in
Isa. 40:22 and Job 26:7 evidence that the Bible teaches that the earth is
spherical. A detailed analysis of key Hebrew words and their translations in
ancient and modern versions shows that there is no substantive evidence and thus
no warrant for this claim. This analysis is framed in the context of teaching a
course in religion and science, and addresses the fundamental question, also
explored in the course, of how one should interpret the Bible in the light of
scientific knowledge.
Murphy,
George L. "Chiasmic
Cosmology and Creation's Functional Integrity,"
PSCF 53 (March 2001): 7.
The belief that the
character of God is most fully revealed in the cross of Christ is proposed here
as the basis for Howard Van Till's concept of the functional integrity of
creation. A theology of divine action in which the kenosis, or self-limitation,
of God plays a central role is described and applied to our understanding of the
world today and to the origins of the universe and life. The emphasis of this
approach on the Incarnation then makes it possible to speak theologically about
the design of a universe which displays functional integrity.
Philippidis,
Alex, "Cosmic
Controversy: The Big Bang and Genesis 1" PSCF
47.3:190-194 (9/1995)
The name "Big Bang" lives, at least for now. In 1993,
astronomer Timothy Ferris issued a challenge to rename the event believed by a
consensus of scientists to explain the creation of the universe. Ferris and
other astronomy enthusiasts, including television personality Hugh Downs,
believed that "Big Bang" trivialized cosmic creation by
suggesting that a bomb-like explosion took place. Some 12,800 people in 40
countries accepted the challenge, but a panel of three judges found none of the
proposed names to its liking, and left well enough
alone.
Cramer, John "Adler's
Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God," PSCF
47 (March 1995): 32-42.
Fifteen years have passed since the book,
How to Think about God, by Mortimer J. Adler was published. It is a revised
version of the traditional cosmological argument for the existence of God.
Since then, many relevant developments in science have occurred and new
philosophical critiques of cosmological arguments have appeared. In this
article, I review the status of the concept of inertia, current theories of
cosmology, and arguments by J.L. Mackie and Adolph Grunbaum that consider
their implications for the plausibility of Adler's argument. I conclude that,
on balance, these developments enhance its plausibility.
Two Views of the Star of Bethlehem: an enduring
Christmas topic
-
Colin Humphreys, "The
Star of Bethlehem,"
Science and Christian Belief , Vol 5,
(October 1995): 83-101
Evidence from the Bible and astronomy
suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was a comet which was
visible in 5 BC, and described in ancient Chinese records. A
comet uniquely fits the description in Matthew of a star which
newly appeared, which travelled slowly through the sky against
the star background and which 'stood over' Bethlehem. The
evidence points to Jesus being bom in the period 9 March-4 May,
5 BC, probably around Passover time: 13-27 April, 5 BC. Birth in
the spring is consistent with the account in Luke that there
were shepherds living out in the fields nearby keeping watch
over their flock by night. Birth in 5 BC also throws light upon
the problem of the census of Caesar Augustus. A new chronology
of the life of Christ is given which is consistent with the
available evidence. This chronology suggests that Christ died
close to his 37th birthday.
-
Stephen Milton, "Understanding
the Christmas Star," The Turning Magazine
Winter 2007, Vol. 2 #1. Each December, stars are placed on
top of Christmas trees, in remembrance of the light that shone
above Bethlehem. The star only appears in Matthewís gospel,
suggesting that it was not a key part of the Christ story for the
other Gospel writers. So why does the star get a mention at all?
The answer lies in seeing the stars as the ancients saw them,
not as we do now. We need to forget about stars as fiery nuclear
furnaces, and return to a view of the stars that prevailed
before science was born. As we'll see, that star was a kind of
coded signal, delivering a message that would have been clear
2000 years ago, but which we miss if we think of stars in
scientific terms.
Scientific Scenario Of A Comet's Impact With Earth And The
"Wormwood" Prophecy --Messianic Literary
Corner (2008)
 Bergman,
Jerry, "Arno
A. Penzias: Astrophysicist, Nobel Laureate," PSCF
46.3:183-187 (9/1994)
"If the Universe hadn't always existed, science would be confronted
by the need for an explanation of its existence." Since scientists prefer to
Arno A. Penzias
operate in the belief that the universe must be meaningless - i.e., reality consists of nothing more than the sum of the world's tangible
constituents - they cannot confront the idea of creation easily,
or take it lightly. Well, I hope that we, as modern people, might be able to
leave dogma aside and be willing to look at facts, at least the facts as we
understand them today." (Penzias, 1983)
Mark G. McKim,
"The
Cosmos According to Carl Sagan: Review and Critique"
PSCF 45.1:18-25 (3/1993) The writings and television
appearances of Carl Sagan have done much to popularize the scientific
enterprise and to fire the popular imagination. A careful examination,
however, shows that Sagan is highly critical of religious frames of reference,
especially the Christian one. This article sets forth Sagan's major criticisms
and maintains that he is operating from a clear world view, which itself
verges on being a religion. A critique of the major points of that world view
and a response to the criticisms which Sagan levels towards Christianity are
also provided.
Hedman, Bruce
A., "Mathematics,
Cosmology, and the Contingent Universe" PSCF
41.2:99-103 (6/1989.) To say that the universe is "contingent"
Kurt Godel 1906-1998
means
that it need not be the way it is. A contingent universe does not
contain within itself a sufficient explanation of itself. Although the
doctrine of contingence is an article of faith which transcends
scientific demonstration, modern cosmology is making new discoveries
and is asking new questions which point to the contingent character of the universe. Does the universe have a "beginning?" Is the extent of
the universe finite? Does mathematical undecidability preclude any
system from containing within itself a sufficient explanation of itself?
Classical physics thought of the universe as closed, necessitarian, and inincontingent.
Thus, certain questions basic to Christian thought were dismissed
out-of-hand as invalid. An incongent universe precludes any revelation from
the outside itself. Modern scientific models of the universe offer a
more hospitable arena for the discussion of Christian theology.
Phillips, Perry G.,
"A History and Analysis of the 15.7 Light-Year Universe"
PSCF 40.1:19-23 (3/1988.) Objects
in the universe are observed by virtue of the radiation they emit.
On the basis of strongly supported theories dealing with the
formation and propagation of radiation, astronomers have been able
to determine distances from Earth to extremely remote segments of
the universe.1
If one assumes that the radiation received from a distant object was generated
by the object itself, and that the radiation traversed the distance between the
object and Earth at a constant velocity, then the universe is at least as old as
the radiation's travel time. Since radiation from some objects has taken
billions of years to
arrive, the universe is at least billions of years old. A common young-earth retort to the above astronomical argument for an extremely old universe is to
claim that objects were created with their radiation e-n route to Earth. That
is, both the object and the radiation en route to Earth. That is, both
the object and the radiation appearing to emanate from it were
created simultaneously. ...
Van Till,
Howard J., "The
Legend of the Shrinking Sun - A Case Study Comparing Professional Science and
"Creation Science" in Action," PSCF
38.3:164-174 (9/1986.)
In recent years,
advocates of the young earth hypothesis have assembled numerous lists of
"scientific evidences" for their recent creation scenario. In this paper we
critically evaluate the scientific adequacy of one such evidential claim of
"creation-science," viz., that the sun's diameter has been shrinking in such a
manner as to preclude the credibility of the standard multibillion-year
chronology for terrestrial history. Within the professional scientific
community, a preliminary report which suggested a long-term and rapid shrinkage
of the sun presented a puzzle for solar astronomers. Consequently, additional
studies were made and the credibility of the original data was re-evaluated. The
result is that secular shrinkage has not been
substantiated, but an 80-year oscillatory behavior was discovered. Within the
"creation-science" community, however, the response to the original report has
been remarkably different. The suggestion of rapid long-term shrinkage was
uncritically accepted, the evidence and conclusions drawn from subsequent
studies were generally dismissed, and extrapolations of the presumed rapid solar
shrinkage have been performed without restraint. Isolated from the corrective of
continuing professional investigation and evaluation, the "creation-science"
community continues to employ this unwarranted extrapolation of a discredited
report as a scientific evidence" for a young earth. The credibility of the
Christian witness to a scientifically knowledgeable world is thereby clouded.
Books
John H. Walton,
Genesis 1 as
Ancient Cosmology [Hardcover]
Publisher: Eisenbrauns
(September 22, 2011)
John H. Walton, The Lost World of
Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate [PB]
IVP Academic (May 22, 2009
Deborah
Haarsma and Jennifer Wiseman, "An Evolving Cosmos," Chapter 6 in Keith B.
Miller, ed. Perspectives on an Evolving Creation,
Eerdmans, 2003.
Brian Greene,, The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden
Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Paperback , Vintage Books, 2000
Stephen W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to
Black Holes
Paperback, Bantam Books, Incorporated, 1998.
Stephen W. Hawking, Roger Penrose , The Nature of Space and Time
Paperback , Princeton University Press, 2000.
Norris S.
Hetherington, ed., Cosmology: Historical, Literary, Philosophical, Religious,
and Scientific Perspectives Paperback , Garland Publishing,
Incorporated, 1996
Hugh Ross,
The Fingerprint of God Paperback, Whitaker House, 2000
Robert Jastrow, God and the Astronomers, Paperback,
Norton, June 2000
Mark J. Worthing,
God Creation, and Contemporary Physics, Fortress, 1996.
Howard J. Van Till, The Fourth Day: What the Bible and the
Heavens are Telling Us About the Creation, Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1986. Remains a useful introduction
to the field.
Take a look for yourself!
Explore
the Sky in Google Earth
Google Earth goes beyond its initial purpose and has a new
feature that lets you explore the
sky. The latest version (Google
Earth 4.2) brings what could've been a separate
program for rendering the sky, like
Stellarium. After launching the application, click
on the black rounded icon from the toolbar and switch to the sky
mode. Google Earth shows the sky from the current location and
becomes a virtual telescope for amateur stargazers. "This
easy-to-use tool enables all Earth users to view and navigate
through 100 million individual stars and 200 million galaxies.
High resolution imagery and informative overlays create a unique
playground for visualizing and learning about space," explains
the press release. The layers include a lot
of interesting information about stars, constellations,
galaxies, images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Ned Wrighy's
Tutorial on Cosmology, UCLA 2009
Recent News
Science Daily (Sep. 14,
2011) —
ESA's Herschel infrared space observatory has discovered that
galaxies do not need to collide with each other to drive vigorous
star birth. The finding overturns this long-held assumption and
paints a more stately picture of how galaxies evolve.
Martian Methane Reveals the Red Planet is not a Dead Planet
1/15/2009
Mars today is a world of cold and lonely deserts, apparently without
life of any kind, at least on the surface. Worse still, it looks
like Mars has been cold and dry for billions of years, with an
atmosphere so thin, any liquid water on the surface quickly boils
away while the sun's ultraviolet radiation scorches the ground.
But new research reveals there is hope for Mars yet. The first
definitive detection of methane in the atmosphere of Mars indicates
the planet is still alive, in either a biologic or geologic sense,
according to a team of NASA and university scientists.
01 Jun 2006 - This beautiful image shows the supernova
remnant IC 443. The area in the box contains 
what looks like a tiny comet with a tail, but it's actually a
neutron star, moving quickly through the nebula. Neutron stars
have been seen moving away from supernova remnants before, but
in this case, it's moving perpendicular. One possibility is that
the former star was moving quickly through the galaxy before it
exploded. The gas and dust in the nebula have slowed down and
drifted away from the neutron star. Universe Today
Hubble's Detailed Look at Stellar Jets
How
Old is the Universe
NASA
Christian Astronomers
the website for chr-astro, an e-mail list for professional
astronomers who are Christians.
History
of Astronomy: ephemeris.com NASA/JPL
A very complete collection of biblical and
other Jewish references to the heavens, dates of religious feasts, etc. and
calendar design
A History Of Early Astronomy,
Neil Taylor,
The early Greeks, Stonehenge to Galileo.
Astronomy and Astrology
A selection of articles and links of interest to Christians by Chris
Law
Today at NASA Includes
recent missions, news and information, history and launch schedules. Read the
latest press releases
Women of NASA
Highlights the
contribution of women to NASA's development. Find profiles, forums,
teaching tips, and a version of the contents in Spanish
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Center for robotic exploration of the solar system. Includes links to the many
organizational programs governed by the JPL.
NASA Academy Application, eligibility and financial assistance for
NASA's summer institute of higher learning which identifies future space program
leaders.
Astronomy
for Kids
Things for kids
and their parents to do on a clear evening.
The editor acknowledges the editorial assistance of George Murphy
Return
Most Recent Entry: 5/72013
|
){kind=link}