Re-ordering Faith and Science: Tyson's Project to Reverse the Great Reversal

Abstract

Theologian Paul Tyson has published a new theology of science. His concern is to address "the great reversal," whereby the early figures in natural philosophy held Christian faith as "first truth" and their scientific findings as "second truth," but over the course of two-and-a-half centuries these became reversed—the findings of science became society's "first truth" and Christian faith became privatized "second truth." Some Christians, particularly those in science-and-religion discussions today, have succumbed to this reversal, making reductionist-materialist science their operational first truth. Tyson critiques the latter, keying on proposals to reinterpret the Fall as nonhistorical. This review summarizes Tyson's argument, identifies valuable aspects to his proposal, and then offers a number of constructive critiques.