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Unnatural Enemies - An Introduction to Science and Christianity

Unnatural Enemies: an introduction to science & Christianity
By Kirstin Birkett.
St. Matthias Press. 143 pages. £4.99
ISBN 1 876326 01 8

It is common knowledge that science is based on reason, is objective, and has given us the wonders of the modern world, from medicine to men on the moon. It is equally well known that religion is subjective, and deals with personal experience and morals, rather than facts. In short, science can be tested; religion can only be blind faith. The sign at the church door reads: 'Leave your brains here'.
If you believe any of this, you need to read this book. Kirstin Birkett writes in a clear straightforward style, avoids jargon or technical discussion, and yet clearly communicates the ideas she discusses. She sets out to explain in everyday language:

* What science is, and what its limits are. She summarises important research on the nature of science which is still little known outside the profession.
* What Christianity is, and what the Bible teaches about the world. Her approach is solidly within the evangelical tradition. This is an ambitious undertaking in less than 150 pages, and she largely succeeds. The bibliography is brief but helpful. We do not have to agree with every detail to benefit from the knowledge she brings to bear and her concern to be faithful to the whole gospel.

A particular strength of this book which will prove valuable to students is her treatment of the alleged 'warfare thesis' between science and religion - the 'unnatural enemies' of the title. The idea is well known: faith is supposedly shown to be unscientific and is taken to be an anachronism in our modern world. As Isaac Asimov puts it in his popular history of science, the 'controversy' over Darwin's theory of evolution shows 'the strength with which human beings can turn away from facts and cling to superstition'. Birkett draws out the misunderstandings about both Christianity and science which underlie Asimov's error, and illustrates the historical connections between science and religion. She briefly summarises the nineteenth century origins of the 'warfare thesis', referring to major figures such as T. H. Huxley in England and Andrew White in the United States. She could, perhaps, have included more discussion of the close links between the 17th-century Puritan movement and the rise of science, but then one cannot do everything in a short book.
Birkett's book has many strengths. If it has a weakness, it is the assumption that science remains as authoritative as it once was. There are few people left who are as uncritical of modern science as 30 years ago. Environmental disasters and the failure of science to deliver on its promises have led to a loss of faith in science as the hope of humankind. Contemporary pluralism has also weakened the assumption that there are single truths about the world, whether scientific or religious.
The same person who believes that Darwin explains human existence will shortly ask about your star sign. This book does not discuss these changes, but, what it does deal with, it does well.

Dr. Philip Sampson