Religious interpretations of the Big Bang theory
| Part of a series on |
| Physical cosmology |
|---|
 |
|
Key topics
|
|
Early universe
|
|
Expanding universe
|
|
Future of universe
|
|
Components
|
|
History of cosmological theories
|
|
Social impact
Religious interpretations
|
| Astronomy Portal Category |
Since the acceptance of the Big Bang theory as the dominant physical cosmological paradigm, there have been a variety of reactions by religious groups as to its implications for their respective religious cosmologies. Some accept the scientific evidence at face value, while others seek to reconcile the Big Bang with their religious tenets, and others completely reject or ignore the evidence for the Big Bang theory.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Background
The Big Bang itself is a scientific theory, and as such stands or falls by its agreement with observations.[2] But as a theory which addresses the origins of reality it carries theological implications regarding the concept of creation ex nihilo (a Latin phrase meaning "out of nothing").[3][4][5] In the 1920s and 1930s almost every major cosmologist preferred an eternal steady state Universe, and several complained that the beginning of time implied by the Big Bang imported religious concepts into physics; this objection was later repeated by supporters of the steady state theory.[6]
[edit] Christianity
[edit] Catholic
Pope Pius XII declared, at the November 22, 1951 opening meeting of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, that the Big Bang theory does not conflict with the Catholic concept of creation.[7][8]
[edit] Protestant
Conservative Protestant Christian denominations have also welcomed the Big Bang theory as supporting a historical interpretation of the doctrine of creation.[9]
[edit] Hindusim
Among the Hindu Puranas, an eternal universe cosmology in which time has no absolute beginning, but rather is infinite and cyclic, is described, rather than a universe which originated from a Big Bang.[10][11] However, the Encyclopædia of Hinduism, referencing Katha Upanishad 2:20, states that the Big Bang theory reminds humanity that everything came from the Brahman which is "subtler than the atom, greater than the greatest."[12]
[edit] Islam
Many Muslim commentators have stated that there are references in the Qur'an to the Big Bang.[13][14] One example of such as finding is a verse from the Qur'an, Surah 21:30, which states: "Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before we clove them asunder?"[15]
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ Wright, E.L (24 May 2009). "Cosmology and Religion". Ned Wright's Cosmology Tutorial. http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmo-religion.html. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ Kragh, Helge (1996). Cosmology and Controversy. Princeton University Press. p. [page needed]. ISBN 069100546X.
- ^ George F R Ellis (2007-08-08). "Issues in the philosophy of cosmology". Philosophy of Physics: 1183–1285. doi:10.1016/B978-044451560-5/50014-2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444515605500142.
- ^ Alexander, Vilenkin (1982-11-04). "Creation of universes from nothing". Physics Letters B 117 (1–2): 25-28. doi:10.1016/0370-2693(82)90866-8. ISSN 0370-2693. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0370269382908668. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
- ^ Manson, N.A. (1993). God and Design: The Teleological Argument and Modern Science. Routledge. ISBN 9780415263443. http://books.google.com/?id=zCx4rICgN_EC&pg=PA277&dq=theological+implications+big+bang#v=onepage&q=theological%20implications%20big%20bang&f=false. "The Big Bang theory strikes many people as having theological implications, as shown by those who do not welcome those implications."
- ^ Kragh, H. (1996). Cosmology and Controversy. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02623-8.
- ^ Ferris, T. (1988). Coming of age in the Milky Way. Morrow. pp. 274, 438. ISBN 978-0-688-05889-0. http://books.google.com/?id=a8nuAAAAMAAJ., citing Berger, A. (1984). The Big bang and Georges Lemaître: proceedings of a symposium in honour of G. Lemaître fifty years after his initiation of big-bang cosmology, Louvainla-Neuve, Belgium, 10–13 October 1983. D. Reidel. p. 387. ISBN 978-90-277-1848-8. http://books.google.com/?id=eYHvAAAAMAAJ.
- ^ Pope Pius XII (1951-11-02). "Ai soci della Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze, 22 novembre 1951 - Pio XII, Discorsi" (in Italian). Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/speeches/1951/documents/hf_p-xii_spe_19511122_di-serena_it.html.
- ^ Russell, R.J. (2008). Cosmology: From Alpha to Omega. Fortress Press. ISBN 9780800662738. http://books.google.com/?id=IvlKa6frm2EC&pg=PA40&dq=rejected+God+Fred+Hoyle+big+bang#v=onepage&q=rejected%20God%20Fred%20Hoyle%20big%20bang&f=false. "Conservative Protestant circles have also welcomed Big Bang cosmology as supporting a historical interpretation of the doctrine of creation."
- ^ Sushil Mittal, G. R. Thursby (2004). The Hindu World. Psychology Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=fz6KBkgEacAC&pg=PA284&dq=hindu+big+bang&hl=en&sa=X&ei=g8NRT_PnN4qmgwfH08HwBQ&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=hindu%20big%20bang&f=false. "In the Vedic cosmogonies, the question of what caused the primordial desire does not arise; like the Big Bang of modern cosmology, the primal impulse is beyond all time and causation, so it makes no sense to ask what preceded it or what caused it. However, in the Hindu cosmology which we find in the Puranas and other non-Vedic Sanskrit texts, time has no absolute beginning; it is infinite and cyclic and so is kama."
- ^ John R. Hinnells (2010). The Routledge companion to the study of religion. Taylor & Francis. http://books.google.com/books?id=RyuJ_BfJki8C&pg=PA118&dq=hindu+big+bang+eternal+universe&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ucVRT5KFO4GFgweaqfDADQ&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=hindu%20big%20bang%20eternal%20universe&f=false. "There are also other cosmological models of the universe besides the Big bang model, including eternal universe theories - views more in keeping with Hindu cosmologies than with traditional theistic concepts of the cosmos."
- ^ Sunil Sehgal (1999). Encyclopædia of Hinduism: T-Z, Volume 5. Sarup & Sons. http://books.google.com/books?id=-3OhTtBUBdgC&pg=PA297&dq=hindu+big+bang&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hMVRT9HNMcXrggexud3ZDQ&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=hindu%20big%20bang&f=false. "The theory is known as the 'Big Bang theory' and it reminds us of the Hindu idea that everything came from the Brahman which is "subtler than the atom, greater than the greatest" (Kathopanishad-2-20)."
- ^ Diane Morgan (2010). Essential Islam: a comprehensive guide to belief and practice. ABC-CLIO. http://books.google.com/books?id=U94S6N2zECAC&pg=PA18&dq=Islam+big+bang+quran&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1b1RT460O4G90AGCpun-DQ&ved=0CFcQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Big%20bang&f=false. "Although the Quran is not intended to be a textbook on physics, many Muslim commentators search through it for passages that seem to parallel findings made by modern science, in an effort to show the timeless wisdom of the book. Some of these parallels are said to include references to the Big Bang, antimatter, rotating stars, radioactive fusion, tectonic plates, and the ozone layer."
- ^ Helaine Selin (1997). Encyclopædia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non-western cultures. Springer Press. http://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA456&dq=islam+quran+big+bang&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Tb9RT8ORFo-dgQf55MniDQ&ved=0CHQQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=islam%20quran%20big%20bang&f=false. "Subjects ranging from relativity, quantum mechanics, and the big bang theory to the entire field of embryology and much of modern geology have been discovered in the Qur'an."
- ^ Islam in Malawi week 1998. University of Malawi. 2000. http://books.google.com/books?id=ah4QAQAAIAAJ&q=islam+quran+big+bang&dq=islam+quran+big+bang&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zcBRT9STB8HmggfN6pW9DQ&ved=0CGoQ6AEwBzgK. ""Do you know what the Quran says about the BIG BANG THEORY? The Quran says: Do not the unbelievers see that the Heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before we clove them asunder? Holy Quran 21:30."
- Leeming, David Adams, and Margaret Adams Leeming, A Dictionary of Creation Myths. Oxford University Press (1995), ISBN 0-19-510275-4.
- Pius XII (1952), "Modern Science and the Existence of God," The Catholic Mind 49:182–192.
- Ahmad, Mirza Tahir, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth Islam International Publications Ltd (1987), ISBN 1-85372-640-0. The Quran and Cosmology
- Long, Barry, The Origins of Man And the Universe Barry Long Books (1998), ISBN 1-899324-12-7. The Origins of Man And the Universe
