Patristic references in the dialogue between theology and science

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleRepere patristice în dialogul dintre teologie şi ştiinţă
3. Language term Romanian
4. lemma category Various approaches to the problem of correlation between science and theology - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Patristic studies - Modes of interaction > Integration - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Orthodox gnosiology - Orthodox Anthropology
5. Publication date 2009
6. lemma manifestations Patristic references in the dialogue between theology and science - Bucharest: Basilica, 2009.
7. Keywords Fathers of the Church - On the Holy Spirit - dialogue between science and Orthodoxy - Creationism - evolutionism - ecclesial experience - gnoseology
8. Lemma body

   1. Conf Dr Adrian Lemeni coordinated a substantial endeavour, which unfolds around a topic that has been stirring up a lot of interest among specialists and laymen alike. The book was published with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel. Among the contributors, there are many theologians and priests: Fr Ioan Chirila, Fr Petre Comsa, Fr Cristian Sonea, Stefan Trausan-Matu, Florin Caragiu, Fr Razvan Ionescu, Fr Stefan Iloaie, Deacon Sorin Mihalache, Costea Munteanu, Dan Chitoiu. Interestingly, most of the authors have a scientific background; only later did they undertake theological studies. In this book, they focused on the various connections between theological patristic gnoseology and contemporary epistemology. Science is seen as a creative human call, which is fundamentally positive; man illustrated God’s creative love. The theoretical study that opens the book focuses on the importance of patristic texts as a solid ground for the dialogue between science and orthodox theology. This approach should be firmly based on prayer to the Holy Spirit, as well as on the deepening of the relationship with Christ, who is the Way, the Life and the Truth. Theological knowledge does not increase as a result of reasoning, but it always comes with spiritual life and direct experience. It is open to both self-knowledge and knowledge of God, in a spiritual, ecclesial way, in communion. The authors distinguish between scientific and theological truth. The latter is seen as always superior to the former, which is imperfect, relative and circumstantial. In their eagerness to defend this uncompromising view, they attack theories that are seen as going too far in their attempt to rationally get closer to the ultimate mystery. In particular, they dismiss transdisciplinarity, which is reinterpreted as some sort of scholastic, academic effort to replace theology, rather than an attempt to stretch the rigid structure of our reasoning - a structure that is an obstacle to many in accepting the revealed truth. The authors clearly have in mind the orthodox audience, more than the agnostic/atheistic audience, which sometimes gets entangled in the limits of a simplistic logic and, intrigued by an ingenious theory, may start to enquire further. The main focus of the book is to highlight how modern and vivid the patristic thought appears today, in the light of the dialogue between science and religion.