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Friday, July 23, 2010

The Marriage of Theology and Science

Oil and water. Cats and sweaters. Neckties and table fans. Some things just aren't made to go together. Like being given plastic cutlery at a Brazilian barbecue restaurant, they're incongruous and difficult to reconcile. Some more profound examples could include faith and doubt, humility and self-confidence. And what about God and science?

Today on Thinking with Somebody Else's Head, the Marriage of Theology and Science.

This is a prickly subject. I'm aware of that. But I feel I would be doing a dis-service to you who listen faithfully to this program if I didn't address the subject. Because there are fundamental questions to raise that can only be addressed if we wade into these uncertain waters.

What is the origin of life and the universe? What is the purpose of life? These are the questions that perhaps should occupy our dinner conversations with dear friends much more than they do. Especially in recent years. And in large part, I think this is because science has split from theology and philosophy over the past 500 years or so - culminating in our 20th Century position that there's no way to marry science and theology. Science has become a strictly materialistic pursuit perfectly represented in Einstein's famous formula - the most famous of the 20th Century - that E=mc2. No material, no energy is the inevitable conclusion of this equation, making Einstein's proposal one of the most materialistic theories in the history of science.

And it's also difficult to distill spirituality from the Quantum Physics camp. Parallel realities. Alternate universes. Unlimited realities awaiting your choice to come into being. How to make sense of that in any practical way? I watched What the Bleep do we Know a couple of times and, I must confess, couldn't make head or tails of it.

The Architect's speech from Matrix Reloaded is a classic example of how confused we've become by this separation of science and theology. Critics call it "profound" but "confusing". And it is that. Listen:

"The first matrix was perfect ... flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure."

What does that mean? No, we need a better starting point than this. A starting place that can be found in the work of Norberto Keppe. His Analytical Trilogy is a re-synthesis of science with philosophy and theology that has been missing. Keppe considers philosophy to be the mother of science and theology the grandmother, and it's very illuminating to look at reality through Analytical Trilogy eyes.

Let's do that today ... try to bring the incredible wisdom from 5000 years of theological and philosophical study back into science. Or at least, start the process of understanding that. Keppe's books will fill out the knowledge. If you're interested in more, write me at rich@richjonesvoice.com.

One of the discoveries here at the International Society of Analytical Trilogy is the application of Keppe's disinverson of metaphysics to result in the Keppe Motor, and we'll start our conversation there with Dr. Claudia Bernhardt Pacheco.

How do you see the Keppe Motor's importance, Claudia, in this consideration of bringing theology back into science?

Click here to listen to this episode.