Many Christian scientists throughout history have spoken about the relationship between their faith and their work in science. Here are some quotes from notable Christian scientists that reflect their thoughts on the interplay between science and faith:
Isaac Newton (1642–1727), Mathematician and Physicist:
- “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), Astronomer, Physicist, and Engineer:
- “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”
Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), Mathematician and Astronomer:
- “The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics.”
Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), Mathematician, Physicist, and Philosopher:
- “The greatness of man is great in that he knows himself to be miserable. A tree does not know itself to be miserable. It is then being miserable to know oneself to be miserable; but it is also being great to know that one is miserable.”
James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879), Physicist:
- “The true logic of this world is in the calculus of probabilities.”
George Washington Carver (1860s–1943), Agricultural Scientist and Inventor:
- “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”
Arthur Eddington (1882–1944), Astrophysicist:
- “The idea of a universal mind or Logos would be, I think, a fairly plausible inference from the present state of scientific theory.”
Francis Collins (b. 1950), Geneticist and Director of the National Institutes of Health:
- “I find that studying the natural world is an opportunity to observe the majesty, the elegance, the intricacy of God’s creation.”
John Polkinghorne (1930–2021), Physicist and Theologian:
- “The question of the existence of God is the single most important question we face about the nature of reality.”
William Phillips (b. 1948), Nobel Laureate in Physics:
- “For me, the existence of God is a conclusion of science and the experience of God is the joy of life.”
It’s important to note that the relationship between science and religion can be complex and is often a deeply personal matter for scientists. These quotes reflect the views of individual scientists and may not represent the views of all Christians in the scientific community.
