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Entrance to the former Cavendish Laboratory. The archway in Free School Lane to the New Museums Site on which the Cavendish Laboratory, home of the Department of Physics, stood from 1874 to 1974. Photo © Jim Barton (cc-by-sa/2.0)

By: Pastor Schlicht

In the field of physics, there may be no more prestigious institution than Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory. This laboratory is home to more than two centuries of Nobel Prize-winning research, including the discovery of the structure of DNA. Inscribed over its entrance are these words: “The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all of them that have pleasure therein” (Psalm 111:2 KJV).

First in Latin, this verse was carved in oak over the original entrance when the laboratory was established in 1874 by Cavendish Professor of Physics, James Clerk Maxwell. Maxwell was known for numerous achievements in mathematical physics, especially formulating the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. He was also a committed follower of Jesus. When the Laboratory moved to its present site 100 years later, the inaugural verse again received star billing, now in English.

If we’re shocked at eminent scientists citing Scripture as the inspiration of their work, it’s because we’ve lost sight of how important biblical ideas were to the foundations of Western life, including the impetus for modern science and medicine in Europe. Prominent early scientist Johannes Kepler, for example, described his work as “thinking God’s thoughts after him.” Even if some scientists weren’t specifically Christian, many of humanity’s greatest minds could not help but see the beauty of God’s creativity.

Although Albert Einstein was not conventionally religious, he was angered by assertions that he was an atheist. He said, “In view of such harmony in the cosmos, which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.” And, in a 1940 essay on “Science and Religion” in the journal Nature, Einstein wrote: “Conflicts between science and religion have all sprung from fatal errors. Even though the realms of religion and science in themselves are clearly marked off from each other, there are strong reciprocal relationships and dependencies … science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind … a legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist.”

There are so many false dichotomies in our world today and perhaps one of the most damaging is the idea that faith and science are inherently in conflict. Beginning in the Enlightenment period, an extreme and one-sided rationalism led to the radicalization of positions in the realm of the natural sciences and philosophy. The result was an apparent split between faith and reason, a false-narrative which has caused irreparable damage for many souls.

The propped up conflict between science and faith tempts people to think that they only have two choices: Believe in God (In transcendence, in eternal meaning, in spiritual reality) or use your brain (And accept the crushing consequences of an accidental, finite existence). This is exemplified in the opinion of Nobel laureate Francis C. Crick, one of the discoverers of DNA structure in 1953, who stated: “You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.” (Crick, 1994)

Do you know where Crick studied DNA? At Cambridge University’s Cavendish Laboratory. The place that was once designed to explore the wonders of God’s creative order has now been denied its foundational purpose. So many people forget that God has blessed us with science to better understand our Creator and the world he has given us.

The Devil is no creator. He is only a corrupter. He has subtly labored to corrupt the good gift of reason and science. He has taken the gifts that should give God glory and has deformed them into something which glorifies humanity and denies God. And to a great extent, he has been successful in this sinful world.

The Devil may corrupt the minds of humans, but he cannot control those who trust in the Lord. Reject the idea that science and faith are in conflict. May we take every thought captive to Christ and give thanks to God for the good gifts that he gives us through scientific research and development. Let us give thanks for whatever science is done honestly and does not seek to deny God. Let us encourage young Christian minds to go into scientific research with the purpose of glorifying their Creator. As Psalm 111:10 reminds us: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

I suggest we draw further from the words in Psalm 111 that inspired the founding of the Cavendish Laboratory. Put in more contemporary language, “Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” (NIV) Early scientists like Kepler and Maxwell recognized that the created order is God’s craftsmanship, a work of art that reflects his excellences of character, intelligence, and power. Exploring the natural world carefully is a way to remember who God is and what he’s done. But not just that. The “works of the LORD” are not limited to creation. The Psalmist also has in mind God’s saving acts (Ps 111:3–5, 9), and also God’s words. “The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people” (Ps 111:7–9) Praise God for his creative acts, including this amazing universe, including you and our continued existence. Praise God for the beautiful world he has so beautifully designed. But even more, give thanks for providing redemption for his people, established forever in the blood of Christ, who enacted your salvation in faithfulness and uprightness.

[This article is Part 1 of 4. Part 2 will focus on the conflicting premises of scientific inquiry which excludes the possibility of God. Part 3 will focus on anchor points, referring to how Christians can become aware of influences and remain grounded on Scripture without feeling idiotic. Part 4 will focus on helping Christians reclaim their wonder of God’s creative work in the natural world.]