The Knowledge of the Glory

It is hard to underestimate the importance of the Protestant thinker Robert Boyle to modern science. After his conversion to Christianity, Boyle struggled against thoughts of suicide. The problem lay with the science of the day, which was infused with elements of astrology, alchemy, and Aristotalian physics, a concoction utterly at odds with Bible teaching. Both could not be true and their conflict caused him mental anguish.

Boyle did not commit suicide. Instead, he determined to investigate truth in a new way, banishing the obscurity of the alchemist’s laboratory. As a result, he improved the scientific method, writing the first papers in the modern scientific style, listing hypotheses, conditions, equipment and results. His careful experiments soon relegated alchemy to the dust bin. (See my article on alchemy.) In response to a bit of Aristotalian reasoning by Hobbes regarding vacuum, Boyle developed the law of gases which bears his name. He also was a founding member of the Royal Society.

If more scientists would set out to resolve their crises of faith in Boyle’s spirit, starting from the premise that Christ as the agent of creation is responsible for both biblical revelation and natural truth, we’d have better science.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 6:49 am and is filed under Chemistry, Physics, Truth. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.