The problem of correlating the biblical narrative of the world and man creation with natural science

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleПроблема соотнесения библейского повествования о творении мира и человека с научным естествознанием
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Saprykin, Dmitry
5. lemma category Various approaches to the problem of correlation between science and theology
6. Publication date 2011
7. lemma work Серебряков Николай Станиславович [Author]. The problem of correlating the biblical narrative of the world and man creation with natural science
8. lemma manifestations Вся премудростию сотворил еси. Труды семинара ПСТГУ "Наука и вера" : "In wisdom hast thou made them all"
9. Keywords Time - Bible narrative of Creation
10. Citations
    1. http://www.bogoslov.ru/text/2476686.html
11. Lemma body

    1. The article author is PhD in geological and mineralogical sciences (IGEM RAS), professor of FDO PSTU. NS. Serebryakov proposes another possible approach to solve the problem of correlation between the biblical narrative about the world and man creation and natural science data. It is based on patristic tradition and different from the most famous points of view of the so-called "Christian evolutionists" and "scientific creationists".

       The author is confident that the world in the state it was before the Fall as we learn from the Holy Scriptures, is practically inaccessible to the scientific method. Discussing consequences of the Fall in relation to the world, the closest connection between world and man is of great importance, believes Serebryakov. If the holy fathers describe the pristine state of the human body as imperishable, easy, unaffected by the elements, illnesses and infirmities, then by analogy the entire cosmos must also be imperishable, the matter of the world should be lighter, not subject to corruption, in complete harmony of its constituents elements.

       "Now you can study only perishable objects and learn the laws of only perishable nature, as these laws are established on the basis of studying precisely such a nature. Of course, the Lord not only governs the fallen cosmos by these laws, there are also the original laws operating in nature from the creation of the world to the present, but they can not be separated from the laws of fallen existence by scientific methods. And here again it is useful to remember the image of 'leather rizas', which 'cover' the whole world, because science, without comprehending the essence of things, and describing only their phenomenal exposure, is studying precisely these 'garments'".

       It can be assumed, says Serebryakov, that the history of the cosmos, reconstructed by science (since the "Big Bang" or from any other event that could be considered the very first in the universe history), is only the story of cosmic endowment in "leather garments", where the appearance (from the scientific point of view) of each new species of creature corresponds to the moment of transition of this species from imperishable to perishable state. Thus, it can be argued that correlation of the biblical narrative about the world and man creation with any scientific ideas about the universe history, both modern and those that will appear in the future, is simply impossible.

       The author believes that time itself, as one of the main attributes of the created sensual world, was also distorted during the fall. "Such an unextended time characterized the existence of a primordial man, when he was in direct and intimate communion with God, where the whole new created world was the 'place' of communication. Abandoning this personal relationship with the Creator, the first people (and with them the whole world) acquired the experience of perishable long time. Christ, incarnated, restored this connection between man and God, so that imperishable time became again available to people, and not only in the next century, but also now in the Church, at the Liturgy".

       "However, the world's 'leather garments' are God's creation, through which the Lord intelligently trades about a man, preparing his salvation". Therefore, even the study of the perishable state of the world can lead scientists to the knowledge of Divine wisdom and His good craft operating in the world, the author concludes.