Creator creates creature who can study the creation

I am looking forward to the Second Annual Australasian Christian Conference for the Academy and the Church, in 6 weeks.

This weekend I spent some time thinking about the abstract for my talk. Here is what I came up with.

The Doctrine of Creation and its implications for the dialogue between science and theology.

The Doctrine of Creation is not primarily about first causes or the content of scientific theories about human origins or the beginning of the universe. Rather it speaks definitively about the reality and value of the creation (the world distinct from God), about human creatureliness, the meaning and purpose of the world, God’s faithfulness, and grace.

I will review some highlights of the Doctrine of Creation expounded by Karl Barth [Creator creates creature] and discuss some possible implications for the dialogue between science and theology. Points that may be considered include that the Doctrine of Creation:

• puts constraints on what can be known about God from science
• affirms the objective reality of the material world
• affirms the possibility of scientific knowledge, both through the created order and the common rationality of the creation and creature
• provides a mandate for the scientific investigation of the world
• provides a mandate for the practical naturalism of science