Orthodox theology and science: Conflict, Indifference, Integration or Dialogue?

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleTeologie ortodoxa si stiinta. Conflict, Indiferență, Integrare sau Dialog?
3. Language term Romanian
4. lemma author Ionescu, Razvan Andrei
5. lemma category Modes of interaction - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Patristic studies - Various approaches to the problem of correlation between science and theology
6. Publication date 2005
7. lemma manifestations Orthodox theology and science: Conflict, Indifference, Integration or Dialogue? - Iasi: Doxologia, 2015.
8. Keywords dialogue between science and Orthodoxy - interdisciplinary dialogue - Fathers of the Church - cultural history
9. Lemma body

   1. This book was published with the blessing of His Eminence Teofan, Metropolitan of Moldova and Bucovina. The author starts with a historical journey in the life of the Church, and goes on to show how the Holy Fathers, from the time of the Apologists, responded to the challenge of a dialogue with representatives of contemporary scientific and philosophical culture. Thanks to their discernment, they were able to affirm and recognize the scope of the theological approach as opposed to the scientific-philosophical approach. Throughout history, the selective methodology of the Holy Fathers, which today seems to be normative, should be updated over and over again: the gospel's enculturation, the purification of culture, the condemnation of ideologies that falsify the relationship between theology and science, the transfiguration of the world (including that of scientists). The development of this culture of dialogue has been passed down from generation to generation, and is still supporting the ecclesial consciousness. Today, it is prompting us to draw our own conclusions on topical issues that concern the Church, in the footsteps of the Holy Fathers. Fr Razvan Ionescu’s work is an invitation to discover a fascinating territory. Its subject, far from facilitating ready-made answers, is opening new avenues and discovers a horizon that we will never be able to reach, given the scale of the current challenge. The relationship between Orthodox science and theology seems to be an inexhaustible subject, which has always been of interest for the Church. The first part of the book is an introduction to the problems of the relationship between theology and science. It includes the reasons why this relationship is of interest today; the identity and competence of the protagonists; the field of debate and the typology of the relationships. In the second part, the author discusses the typology and evolution of the relationship science/theology throughout history, starting from the early Church, going on to the School of Alexandria, the Cappadocian Fathers, then to Maximus the Confessor and John the Damascene. The third part of the book is concerned with the creation of an ecclesial view on the subject, with a special focus on Gregory Palamas. The third part deals with the relationship between theology and science today. It is divided in two main sections: in the first, the author discuesses the relationship between theology and science as far as theological research is concerned, and as far as scientific research is concerned, in the second.