From Science to Christianity: Hypothesis Testing, Theory, Model, Experiment and Practice

Abstract

This manuscript is about how to start from relying on science to be more certain about Christianity. This is because science is so pervasive in our everyday life that we expect that it works almost every time. However, when it comes to Christianity, we need to have faith because most of the time God does not appear to respond to us. Therefore, we feel uncertain about beliefs in Christianity. Instead of being uncertain, this manuscript tries to find a way so that we are more certain about our beliefs in Christianity. We borrow our method to be certain from science. Science faces a similar situation as in believing in Christianity because its knowledge is fallible. Scientists themselves cannot be certain that the scientific knowledge is true all the time. So, they rely on a method called hypothesis testing to make their decisions to believe or not in scientific knowledge. We borrow this method to believe in Christianity. Therefore, we need evidence to make our decision of belief. We mention some evidence from past miracles to help us to make decisions. These include Eucharistic miracles, Marian apparitions, incorruptible corpses, etc. After we decide to believe in Christianity, we work out a theory of Christianity based on the salvation plan of God. We try to substantiate the principles in the theory by referencing testimonies from the Bible and from evidence of miracles that happened. We show that these principles are related to models and experiments that we formulate based on our beliefs in Christianity. Having obtained an understanding of Christianity like a (historical) science, we formulate our practice as a Christian.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

  • Only published works are available at libraries.

Similar books and articles

Locke and Hume on Competing Miracles.Nathan Rockwood - 2023 - Religious Studies 59:603-617.
Christianity & Science in Harmony?Robert W. P. Luk - 2021 - Science and Philosophy 9 (2):61-82.
Knowledge and Christian belief.Alvin Plantinga - 2015 - Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
10 lies about God: and the truths that shatter deception.Erwin W. Lutzer - 2009 - Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications.
Seven brief lessons on magic.Paul G. Tyson - 2019 - Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books.
God of our fathers?: do we know what we believe?Peter Vardy - 1987 - London: Darton, Longman, and Todd.
Religious experience and the knowledge of God: the evidential force of divine encounters.Harold A. Netland - 2022 - Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Analytics

Added to PP
2024-07-22

Downloads
403 (#75,427)

6 months
288 (#8,588)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Robert Luk
Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

The structure of scientific revolutions.Thomas Kuhn - 1996 - Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Does God Exist?John McGinley - 1978 - Philosophy Today 22 (2):168-171.
The Problems of Philosophy. [REVIEW]John Pickett Turner - 1913 - Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods 10 (6):161-164.
St. Francis and Pope Francis.R. R. Reno - 2015 - Nova et Vetera 13 (1).
The Evidence for the Resurrection.R. A. Edwards - 1941 - Hibbert Journal 40:252.

Add more references