The Friendship Metaphor for the Relations of Science and Faith

Seminary N150

How we experience the interactions between science and Christian faith is shaped by the metaphors we call to mind when thinking of the two together. One common metaphor of science-faith interaction is that of warfare; in this view, science and faith are inherently in conflict with each other. Although the warfare metaphor has been discredited on both historical and philosophical grounds, it remains entrenched in the minds of many. Here, I propose an alternative metaphor–that science and faith can be fruitfully viewed as honest friends. This metaphor captures both the inherently positive, mutually supportive nature of the science-faith relationship (they are friends) as well as the tensions that sometimes arise between the two disciplines (honest friends may sometimes disagree); it also highlights the value of disagreements, as opportunities for mutual growth. In this session, I’ll develop and illustrate the potential value of the “honest friendship” metaphor and invite exploration of this and other metaphors, to enrich how we think of and experience both science and Christian faith.