Disciplines
• Mathematics
Understanding the world: In their
own ways, mathematics and religion are both
used to solve real-world problems. While
they may come at problem-solving from different
points of view, they share that they study
abstract concepts and are based on the idea
that objects are unchanging and that truths
are certain and universal. Some religious
beliefs have adopted mathematical ideas
for religious or metaphysical purposes.
Others have considered specific numbers
and shapes to have mystical powers and divine
meaning. Some people would argue that math
itself is a religion, because of mathematicians'
belief that nature is simple, comprehensible
and to be understood.
Founding principles:
Pythagoras (582-507 B.C.), known as "the
father of numbers," also contributed
to philosophy and religious teaching. While
best known for the Pythagorean theorem (a
squared + b squared = c squared), he also
founded the mathematical, mystic, religious
and scientific society called the Pythagoreans.
Pythagoras and his students believed that
through mathematics, everything could be
predicted and measured in rhythmic patterns
or cycles. They found beauty in numbers,
which informed a worldview that included
music, mathematics and an order and meaning
to the world based on numbers and shapes.
Religious interests also
motivated innovators such as Copernicus,
Galileo, Kepler and Newton, who developed
advances in mathematics to understand the
structure of the Cosmos and God's plan.
Devout Christians, they saw their scientific
work in religious terms and also incorporated
math into their religious understanding.
This worldview attributed divine character
to mathematics because it is part of the
structure God has used to create the world.
Mathematics with religious overtones is
also seen in Chinese number mysticism and
the fields of theological geometry and the
philosophy of mathematics.
Another example is the
storied "golden ratio" in mathematics,
praised by Pythagoras and considered by
some to be the "divine proportion."
The golden ratio expresses the relationship
that the sum of two quantities is to the
larger quantity as the larger is to the
smaller. The golden ratio appears in art,
music, philosophy, psychology and architecture.
It is sometimes used to portray an ideal
proportion as dictated by or found pleasing
to the Divine; some believe it is also innately
pleasing and psychologically satisfying
to the human mind and eye. Studies of the
Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and the Parthenon
in Athens, Greece, show these buildings
may be built according to the "golden
ratio."
Religion and invention:
Religious thinkers have contributed to mathematics
for centuries, impacting the math we use
today. It is believed that the Indian mathematician
Baudhayana discovered the Pythagorean theorem
around 800 B.C., about 300 years before
the Pythagoreans. Hindu texts about the
geometry of altar construction, dating to
800 B.C. to 200 B.C. or earlier, contain
large amounts of geometrical knowledge,
developed for religious purposes. The method
of expressing all possible numbers using
a set of 10 symbols emerged in India, around
the middle of the third century B.C. Known
as Brahmi numerals, some based on Sanskrit
letters, they developed into the numerals
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 used today.
Systems such as algebra,
Arabic numerals, the decimal system and
concept of zero were transmitted to Medieval
Europe from the Muslim world. As Islam spread
in the 7th century, blending of old and
new and Eastern and Western ideas led to
advances in physics, astronomy, medicine
and mathematics. Arabic numerals - known
as "Indian numerals" in Arabic
because they originated in India - made
mathematical tasks easier. The works of
Al-Khwarizmi (Alghorismus), from whom the
mathematical term "algorism" was
derived, were translated into Latin and
other European languages. Alghorismus created
astronomical tables, laid the groundwork
for algebra and found methods to address
complex mathematical problems such as square
roots and complex fractions. His experiments
measured the height of the earth's atmosphere
and discovered the principle of the magnifying
lens. Trigonometric work by Alkirmani of
Toledo was translated into Latin (from which
we get sine and cosine functions).
Issues today: Some
scientists are using scientific data and
principles, such as laws of probability,
to attempt to prove or disprove the existence
of God. Each side of the long-standing debate
uses the universal language of mathematical
probabilities to argue its point. In "The
Probability of God: A Simple Calculation
That Proves the Ultimate Truth" (2004),
Stephen Unwin uses the Bayesian analysis
- a math equation developed more than 200
years ago by European philosopher Thomas
Bayes - to calculate the probability that
God exists, concluding there is 67 percent
"probability" that God does exist.
Those who use Bayes' theorem
in this way assign numerical values to the
likelihood of religious experiences and
beliefs, considering various factors. University
of Oxford professor Richard Dawkins makes
a case against this use of the theorem in
his book, "The God Delusion" (2006),
arguing that the equation is sound but the
numbers used are based on "subjectively
judged" experiences "turned into
numbers for the sake of the exercise"
(page 106).
Mathematicians have explored
and debated spiritual aspects of mathematics
for centuries, and continue to do so. Other
recent books that explore the topic include
"Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A
Christian Perspective" (2001) and "The
Divine Challenge, Mathematics and the Divine"
(2004). Mathematicians and others continue
to see a divine hand in the complex and
simple truths of mathematics; as well as
evidence of a world that functions solely
by its own, non-divine, laws.
Researchers could study
whether religious faith impacts interest
in mathematics or theories of mathematics;
or how people believe using math to prove
or disprove God impacts their religious
beliefs or worldview. Researchers could
examine whether belief or disbelief in divine
origins affects the work ethics or other
lifestyle beliefs and behaviors of mathematicians
or others working with math. They could
also look at whether different faiths, or
lack thereof, have an impact on beliefs
about mathematics and how it is utilized
around the world.
Science
and Christian Belief
Zygon:
Journal of Religion & Science
American
Academy of Religion Syllabi Search
Affiliation of Christian Engineers
American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin
Association of Christian Engineers and Scientists: (503) 228-0779
Association of Christians in Mathematical Sciences
Association of Muslim Scientists & Engineers
Christian Academics
International Muslim Association of Scientists & Engineers
Muslim Finance Professionals Association
• See a full list of professional associations and resources here.
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