As one grows older, he begins to question life and how the universe was made. Therefore, it is vital that he has a solid worldview. This worldview has its foundation in cosmology. Cosmology is defined as the branch of science concerned with origin, structure, changes, and the final destiny of the universe. Therefore, the importance of origins/cosmology in a worldview is that it shapes how one sees the universe. Without studying cosmology, one would not have a firm foundation for his worldview because he would not understand how or why the universe was formed. Through the study of cosmology, one is able to better understand how the universe was formed and how it will one day become. Therefore, cosmology affects a worldview because it sets a foundation for the perspective of the person because it explains how the world and living things came about. Thus, once someone determines the origin of the universe, he is able to build the rest of his worldview around that one idea.
In order for cosmology affect one’s worldview, he must first study it so that he is able to better understand it. This theory can be demonstrated in Spurgeon’s article, “Astronomy As a Source of Illustration”. Spurgeon opens his article with the statement, “every student for the Christian ministry ought to know at least something of every science, he should intermeddle with every form of knowledge that may be useful in his life’s work. God has made all things that are in the world to be our teachers” (Spurgeon 404). This statement could not be more true. Through studying cosmology, students are able to understand more about the universe that God has created. Thus, learning more about God and building the foundation for their world...
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...on event. However, it is important to keep in mind that the theory must be aligned with the Bible.
Works Cited
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Moffett, Rick. "Worldviews-Biology/Geology." Kenosha Christian Life School, Kenosha. 2012. Lecture.
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Spurgeon, C. H. "Astronomy As a Source of Illustration." Lectures to My Students. Fearn,
Ross-shire: Christian Heritage, 1998. 404-409. Print.
“The lack of conflict between science and religion arises from a lack of overlap between their respective domains of professional expertise—science in the empirical constitution of the universe, and religion in the search for proper ethical values and the spiritual meaning of our lives. The attainment of wisdom in a full life requires extensive attention to both domains—for a great book tells us that the truth can make us free and that we will live in optimal harmony with our fellows when we learn to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.”
There is a fundamental dilemma that, presumably, each person faces as they begin to develop an understanding of their existence and identity which is something like, "What am I? Who am I? Where am I?" These questions are almost identical because they each address the same essential metaphysical issue of identity, "How and why Am I; why do I exist; what am I? What is the origin of I? Where am I going?" The answers to these difficult questions, whether intellectually satisfying or not, come in the form of cosmologies. Cosmologies create systems with which we understand the existence of the phenomenal world, and our own existence within it. They offer us a map, a concept, of our existence, tell us why we are here, where we are, and most often, where we are going. Of course, the most pervasive cosmologies are directly linked with particular religions, for religions are based upon the same issues: identity, origin, purpose, structure. However, this is not the domain of inquiry that I wish to pursue here, rather, I am interested in how the genre of Science Fiction creates, or recreates, cosmologies with which we might understand the universe and our individual meaning within it. How does SF create linguistic models of the cosmos, and what are the underpinnings of those cosmologies? If cosmological representations are created so that we can understand reality, in some sense, how is it done, and what questions do these cosmologies pose for the disciples thereof? I will look at two works in particular for this inquiry, Italo Calvino's short story cycle, Cosmicomics, and Pamela Zoline's short story, "The Heat Death of the Universe." I have chosen to focus my in...
... defines the scriptural meaning of the word “day” and explores its usage throughout the Scriptures to provide evidence for a literal six day creation. MacArthur dispels the notion that each day was a long period of time, an idea held by old-earth creationist, through scriptural insight that “whenever the word [day] is modified by a number the clear reference is to a normal solar day” (40). To MacArthur the word day marks “clearly defined boundaries” instead of indeterminate span of time (39). MacArthur beautifully challenges his readers to see that the purpose of Scriptural account of creation is to reveal an infinitely powerful God, who created everything perfectly in a short period of time (41).
"Cosmology itself speaks to us of the origins of the universe and its makeup, not in order to provide us with a scientific treatise but in order to state the correct relationship of man with God and with the universe. Sacred Scripture wishes simply to declare that the world was created by God, and in order to teach this truth, it expresses itself in the terms of the cosmology in use at the time of the writer . . . other teaching about the origin of and makeup of the universe is alien to the intentions of the Bible, which does not wish to teach how heaven was made but how one goes to heaven."
The main point in the cosmological argument is the first cause. As stated (by Aquinas) the world...
Lucretius. On the Nature of the Universe. Tr. R. E. Latham. Introduction by John Godwin. Penguin Books, London: 1994.
John C. Lennox, Seven Days That Divide the world: The beginning according to Genesis and science. Zondervan,
An underlying theme present throughout the series is the possibility that our existence is not the only one. According to current theories in physics, it is entirely possible that our universe is just one of many universes f...
Cosmology is the answer when it comes down towards how the universe was created. Cosmology comes from the Greek words: kosmos-meaning world and logia- meaning study of.Cosmology is the science of the origin and the development of the universe. Mainly, everyone knows how the world
Humans have asked questions about their origin and their purpose on earth for eons. The Bible tells humans that God created them and explains their purpose. However, since the Renaissance, humanism answers questions about origins by naturalistic means and science has been redefined in the process. Most institutions of higher education and many individuals have adopted the naturalistic theory of evolution to explain human origin without considering its effects on faith. In contrast to prevailing thought at Goshen College, a literal six-day creation is foundational to the Gospel message. Combining evolution and Christianity makes one’s faith less logical and opens one’s science to new quandaries.
The word “genesis”, in the original Hebrew, means “in the beginning”; the book of Genesis tells the account of how all of earth, humanity, celestial bodies, and life came to be. It is more than just a historical document about the origins of life itself; it is a book that establishes the foundation of the Christian faith, and it affects the worldviews that are held by the believers in faith. When analyzing Genesis, it is arguable that chapters one through eleven are very crucial in shaping the way Christians view the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and civilization.
Impey, Chris. How It Began: A Time-traveler's Guide to the Universe. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 123+. Print.
Rust, Peter. 1992. How Has Life and Its Diversity Been Produced? Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 44 (2): 80-94.
Franz Delitzsch, A New Commentary on Genesis: Vol. I (New York: Scribner & Welford, 1889), p. 409.
Up until the Enlightenment, mankind lived under the notion that religion, moreover intelligent design, was most likely the only explanation for the existence of life. However, people’s faith in the church’s ideals and teachings began to wither with the emergence of scientific ideas that were daringly presented to the world by great minds including Galileo and Darwin. The actuality that there was more to how and why we exist, besides just having an all-powerful creator, began to interest the curious minds in society. Thus, science began to emerge as an alternative and/or supplement to religion for some. Science provided a more analytical view of the world we see while religion was based more upon human tradition/faith and the more metaphysical world we don’t necessarily see. Today science may come across as having more solid evidence and grounding than religion because of scientific data that provides a seemingly more detailed overview of life’s complexity. “Einstein once said that the only incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible” (Polkinghorne, 62). Yet, we can still use theories and ideas from both, similar to Ian Barbour’s Dialouge and Integration models, to help us formulate an even more thorough concept of the universe using a human and religious perspective in addition to scientific data.