Copernicus-Jan-Matejko
Copernicus as painted by Jan Matejko (1838–1893) in 1873

John Bloom on the Match that Lit the Scientific Revolution

Series
Discovery Institute
Guest
John Bloom and Casey Luskin
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Audio File (11M)

On today’s ID the Future Biola University physicist John Bloom discusses his chapter in the recent anthology The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith, co-edited by host Casey Luskin. Bloom’s focus in his contributed chapter is the pivotal role of Christianity in the rise of science. Bloom, the academic director of Biola’s master’s program in science and religion, draws on his PhD training in physics but also on his PhD in ancient Near Eastern studies and his study of the history of science. Here he argues that while the Babylonians and Greeks contributed some discoveries and insights that would eventually play into the rise of science, science did not take off, was not born, until a cluster of crucial ideas drawn from the Judeo-Christian worldview infused Western thought. Only then did astrology become astronomy, alchemy chemistry, and the great adventure of scientific discovery begin in earnest. Tune in as Bloom and Luskin discuss the ancient predecessors of science and some of the key founders of science, including Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Bacon, along with crucial ideas drawn from the Judeo-Christian worldview that lit the match. And find your copy of The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith here.

John Bloom

Fellow, Center for Science and Culture
John Bloom is a Fellow of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture and a Professor of Physics at Biola University in La Mirada, California. He serves as the Academic Director for Biola’s M.A. in Science and Religion program (MASR), which he founded in 2004, and previously served as Chair of the Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Department. Dr. Bloom teaches a variety of undergraduate courses in Physics and graduate courses in the MASR. His research interests include the integration of Christianity with the sciences, and apologetics.

Casey Luskin

Associate Director and Senior Fellow, Center for Science and Culture
Casey Luskin is a geologist and an attorney with graduate degrees in science and law, giving him expertise in both the scientific and legal dimensions of the debate over evolution. He earned his PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg, and BS and MS degrees in Earth Sciences from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied evolution extensively at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. His law degree is from the University of San Diego, where he focused his studies on First Amendment law, education law, and environmental law.
Tags
science and faith