Science and religion in christian orthodox tradition

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleΕπιστήμη και θρησκεία στην ορθόδοξη χριστιανική παράδοση
3. Language term Greek, Modern (1453-)
4. lemma author Katsiampoura, Gianna
5. lemma category Orthodox gnosiology - History and philosophy of science
6. Publication date 08-11-2017
7. lemma work Mexa, Theodora [Author]. Science and religion in christian orthodox tradition
8. lemma manifestations Science and religion in christian orthodox tradition
9. Keywords Orthodox apologetics - Orthodox worldview - Byzantine Fathers
10. Url Click Here
11. Citations
    1. <p>Mexa, Theodora, <em>Επιστήμη και θρησκεία στην ορθόδοξη χριστιανική παράδοση</em> (<em>Science and religion in christian orthodox tradition</em>), Hellenic Open University, Patras 2017</p>
12. Lemma body

    1. The relationship between religion and science has been an issue for discussion and study since the early christian centuries, when Christianity, as a religion supporting the “truth by revelation” had to coexist with ancient pagan philosophy -which represented the scientific intellect of the era-, thus giving a new dynamics to this relation. After the Schism, Western theology attempted to dominate scientific thought, leading to a controversy between Church and Science. In the East, ancient christian tradition was maintained as Orthodoxy and kept up with Byzantium and the modern Greek state. Whereas relations between western Church and science have become an object of extensive research and discussion, the corresponding relations between Orthodox tradition and science have not been discussed to the same extent. In this study, we investigated the historical and ideological frame of the relations between Orthodox Christian tradition and Science from the first christian era to the present day. For this purpose, an overview of the Christian dogma was attempted, as presented in the biblical and patristic texts. In the works of some of the most significant Fathers, more specifically, we sought the Christian perspective about the knowledge of nature and the effects it had in education and culture. It was found that the Christian Fathers are strictly committed to the metaphysical dimension of the Christian dogma, which is the communion of man with God. Well educated and erudite themselves, and the greatest of them being open minded, the Fathers considered the study of nature as an important step that leads to the awareness of God, the Creator. Science, like ancient philosophy, is used to educate and to facilitate the needs of human life, whereas the use of science that can degrade christian morals is strongly criticised. In Byzantium, the coexistence of the Orthodox Church with the secular power of the emperor set the limits of their relation. The Church exerted its pastoral role along with the state, utilizing and supporting -in general terms- the scientific knowledge of the time. During their long common history, there have been periods of inertia alternating with periods of scientific development, and no cases of intense conflict between science and the Orthodox Church have been recorded, except for limited incidents of controversy, especially among individuals.