Christology and Early Science

Abstract

The Christological controversies of the early church have had a continuing influence on Western culture, and have provided a theological basis for the natural sciences. An understanding of the divinity of Christ emerged early in Christian thought, leading to a stronger foundation for the role of theory in science. Starting from biblical sources, Christian thinkers developed the "Logos" concept and applied it to Christ as the divine reason and "Word" of God in the creation of the world. The humanity of Christ and its relation to His divinity took longer to work out, but was no less important for a Christian understanding of nature and the empirical dimensions of science. The affirmative attitudes and values, which emerged in the first millenium, provide a theological basis for the natural sciences that are still relevant for the third millenium.