Restoring the Natural Theology Tradition That Fueled Modern Science
What is the state of the debate over evolution and intelligent design in the UK? And how will Discovery Institute’s new Cambridge initiative impact the debate going forward? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes fellow Scotsman Dr. Alistair McKitterick, a Consulting Fellow at the Center for Science & Culture’s Whewell Center in Cambridge and a Program Director at London School of Theology. The pair will discuss how Alistair got interested in intelligent design, his work at the Whewell Center, and the state of the debate over evolution and intelligent design in the United Kingdom.
Dr. McKitterick explains how intelligent design and natural theology provide a robust framework that challenges modern scientific materialism. It’s a fruitful worldview that was crucial to the development of modern science in the West. Says McKitterick: “It’s not surprising that the great scientific establishment centers of science come out of that Western Judeo-Christian worldview that says it’s worth studying nature because the God who created it is reasonable, rational, knowable.” Through its nurturing of young scientists and its promotion of the arguments for intelligent design, the Whewell Center hopes to reinvigorate the purposeful study of nature that the natural theology tradition can bring to the sciences.
McKitrick highlights how the Whewell Center will serve as a vital European hub for theistic perspectives on science. He also analyzes the shifting cultural landscape in the United Kingdom, noting that prominent atheists are losing confidence, while figures like Richard Dawkins grapple with the foundational Christian roots of Western civilization.
Dig Deeper
- Visit the Whewell Center website for the latest news and events!
- WATCH: Philosopher of science Dr. Steve Fuller explains the legacy of 19th century English scientist William Whewell.