How does the idea of “scientism” undermine a biblical worldview? Can science and faith actually work together? Is the church anti-science? What is the difference between “science” and “scientism”? And how should Christians respond when bad ideas take root in our culture?
Dallas Willard wrote that “the idea that knowledge, and of course reality, is limited to the world of the natural sciences is the single most destructive idea on the stage of life today.” There’s no question that science is king in our culture. But many have moved past a healthy respect for the natural sciences to a rigid adherence to scientism, a worldview that actually undermines real science and marginalizes faith and morality.
In this episode of the podcast, Jonathan sits down with Dr. J.P. Moreland, author of Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology. Dr. Moreland talks with Jonathan about these questions and discuss why it’s important to understand the worldview of scientism, how scientism is self-refuting, how scientism has allowed bad ideas about tolerance to take root in our culture, and how the church can respond in a non-defensive and winsome way.
Dr. JP Moreland is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Biola University and director of the Eidos Christian Center. With degrees in philosophy, theology, and chemistry, Dr. Moreland has taught theology and philosophy at several schools across the US, and authored numerous books including The Soul: How We Know It’s Real and Why It Matters, Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique, Love Your God with All Your Mind, and the book we talked about today, Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology. You can find Dr. Moreland online at jpmoreland.com.