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When Solomon succeeded his father David as king of Israel, God offered him a gift. Solomon asked not for wealth or military strength, but for wisdom to govern well. God granted his request, and the biblical text offers glimpses of what divine wisdom looks like. Strikingly, this wisdom extended beyond solving legal dilemmas—it included a deep knowledge of the natural world.
In 1 Kings 4:32–34 we read:
“He [Solomon] spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.”
Here, wisdom embraces not just moral discernment but also attentiveness to the created order. God’s purposes for human flourishing and wise governance are intertwined with understanding the natural world.
Wisdom as Knowledge of Creation
Biblically, wisdom is more than cleverness or good decision-making. It involves recognizing how God has structured, sustains, and acts in the world. Creation itself is infused with divine wisdom. As Proverbs 3:19–20 says:
“By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.”
God’s wisdom shapes and orders the cosmos. For Solomon, and for us, studying the natural world is a way of encountering God’s wisdom in action. From this perspective, the sciences are not about collecting sterile facts but about seeking knowledge that serves God’s purposes.
Science as Service to God’s Call
Scientific inquiry, then, is not idle curiosity. Christians seek understanding of the world in order to love God and neighbor more faithfully.
- If we imitate Christ the Great Healer, the sciences can deepen our understanding of disease and health.
- If we pursue reconciliation and peace, the sciences of psychology and conflict resolution can help us embody forgiveness.
- If we desire to worship the Creator, the sciences give us fresh lenses for beholding His handiwork.
In all these ways, theology gives direction and purpose to science. Our motivation is not simply to know more, but to love more.
Why Do We Need the Sciences?
Of course, people have long studied the natural world without what we now call “science.” Trial-and-error learning, shared wisdom, and careful observation enabled humans to domesticate crops, tame animals, and develop technologies that sustained life for millennia. In some situations, these non-scientific ways of knowing remain more efficient than formal scientific study.
So why pursue the sciences at all?
The answer lies in their unique ability to extend and refine our wisdom. While trial-and-error can teach us much, the sciences allow us to see deeper, test more rigorously, and build knowledge collectively across generations. They are tools for stewarding creation with greater depth and precision.
An Analogy from Swimming
Think of a naturally gifted swimmer. With talent and effort, they can achieve impressive results. Yet access to coaching, refined technique, specialized equipment, and elite training facilities allows them to swim faster and more efficiently. To reject these gifts would be unwise.
So it is with human knowledge. By God’s design, we are capable of learning much about the world. But God has also given us the sciences as advanced tools for sharpening our wisdom. Like swimming training, the sciences extend what is naturally possible, enabling us to steward creation with greater skill.
The Sciences as Gifts of Grace
The sciences are not just useful tools—they can be seen as gifts of God’s grace. Because of human finitude and fallenness, our reasoning is prone to error. Left to ourselves, we are limited in perceiving the deep patterns of creation. Science offers corrective mechanisms: systematic observation, collaborative testing, peer review, and shared knowledge. These practices help counter our individual biases and strengthen our ability to discern truth.
For Christians, our theology already acknowledges both the dignity of human reason and its brokenness. The sciences align with this understanding, providing institutionalized ways of checking error and expanding insight.
Shared Assumptions Between Science and Faith
At their foundation, the sciences rest on assumptions that Christians also affirm:
- There is a real world beyond us. Creation exists independently of our minds. We do not construct reality but discover it.
- God is distinct from creation. We study the created order as creatures, not as gods. Creation can be studied directly through the sciences, God cannot.
- Creation is orderly and stable. Patterns in nature reflect the faithfulness of its Maker. God is the Creator and Sustainer.
- Creation is knowable. Though limited, humans are capable of genuine understanding.
- Human reason is fallible. We need methods to check error and grow in knowledge together.
These shared commitments mean that Christians can pursue science with intellectual integrity. Far from being opposed, science and theology reinforce one another at the level of basic worldview.
Practicing Science as a Christian Calling
Still, the sciences are not a “magic bullet.” They must be pursued prudently, with awareness of their limitations and potential distortions. Scientific knowledge can be misused for pride, exploitation, or harm. That is why Christians must engage science as disciples, allowing theology to shape our motivations and guide our applications.
An integrated life as both Christian and scientist begins here: recognizing the sciences as legitimate, God-given tools for learning about Creation, and pursuing it with humility, gratitude, and stewardship.
- Theology provides motivation: we study Creation because it reflects the wisdom of God.
- The sciences provide methods: they help us discover patterns and truths we could not see alone.
- Together, they equip us to love God, serve others, and care for creation more fully.
Conclusion: Wisdom and Wonder
At their best, the sciences are ways of participating in God’s wisdom. They train us to look closely, to test carefully, to collaborate humbly, and to stand in awe at the order and beauty of creation. For Christians, theological belief doesn’t hinder science—it compels it.
Like Solomon, we seek wisdom not for curiosity’s sake, but for the flourishing of God’s people and the glory of God’s name. In that pursuit, the sciences are powerful gifts. They are not rivals to faith but companions, leading us deeper into the wisdom by which God founded the earth and stretched out the heavens.
About This Series
This blog is part of a five-part series distilled from Justin Barrett’s How Can Your Faith Fuel Scientific Discovery? Questions and Reflections for Becoming an Integrated Scientist (Blueprint 1543 Media, 2025). Each post explores one of five central questions designed to help present and future science professionals think integratively about their work. The goal is to encourage Christians in the sciences to see their research not as separate from faith, but as a vocation inspired, shaped, and sustained by it.
