Considering admissibility of the Holy Scripture “scientific” reading and the church reception of the scientific world pictures

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleО допустимости «естественно-научного» прочтения Священного Писания и церковной рецепции научных картин мира
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Saprykin, Dmitry
5. lemma category Co-existence
6. Publication date 2011
7. lemma work Мумриков, Олег A. [Author]. Considering admissibility of the Holy Scripture “scientific” reading and the church reception of the scientific world pictures
8. lemma manifestations Вся премудростию сотворил еси. Труды семинара ПСТГУ "Наука и вера" : "In wisdom hast thou made them all"
9. Keywords Bible - interpretations
10. Citations
    1. http://pstgu.ru/scientific/seminars/science_faith/news/
11. Lemma body

    1. The author regards the possibility of reading and interpreting biblical texts when constructing scientific theological paradigms in two foreshortenings: correspondence to the context and spirit of the Holy Scripture, connection with the patristic tradition, and the adequacy of the life truth comprehended through the natural sciences.

       F.Oleg Mumrikov explores in detail the goals and methods of the patristic interpretations of the Book of Genesis and concludes that the further synthesis of patristic opinions related to Hexameron and natural sciences could be promising in the framework of general hermeneutic model interpreting the narrative of the world and man creation as a "verbal icon ". This model allows for literally historical and christological-typological interpretations traditional for the Orthodox exegetics, and it does not contradict to the modern science data. "This seems quite realistic if we assume that the prophet-goddess Moses and the holy fathers saw not only some individual, though key stages in the universe creation history, but they contemplated sending to the world in divine energies intelligible logos of 'essence','providence' and 'judgment'". Among the adherents of this model, the author mentions Father Paul Florensky, Bishop Kassian Bezobrazov, Fr. Leonid Tsypin, Father A.Geronimus, A.Nesteruk and others.

       All the concepts of harmonizing the biblical text and cosmological scientific theories, the author believes, remain only "models" or "working hypotheses", considered within the framework of sensible moderate skepticism, as science is constantly evolving, and the sacred text remains the same. Models of correlating the biblical text as a verbal icon with natural science could, according to the author, be compared to the settings or icon cases, which can vary depending on a particular historical era providing a harmonious combination with the icon itself. Two extremes would be unacceptable here: first, the assertion of the absolute identity of the image value and the framing decoration (for example, in the case of neo-creationists), and secondly, attempts to break the integrity of the icon for the sake of placing it in a certain icon case (dogmatic liberalism, biblical criticism).

       Thus, the author concludes, the church "reception" of natural science pictures and concepts can only be "official", "temporary", "utilitarian," "instrumental," but not legislative-canonical.