Science and Faith
From Dr. Shannon Whiteside, Alveary Program Director
What would you say if someone asked you, “Out of the 20 principles of Charlotte Mason, what is your favorite?” I would say Principle 20 which states:
“We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and 'spiritual' life of children but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life.”
Although I appreciate all the principles of Mason, the 20th principle had finally settled the discord I had lived with since I was a teenager trying to reconcile how the stuff of life—the material things, the mundane things—related to the spiritual aspects of our lives. I felt like I lived two separate lives. During the week, I would learn about the things of this world at school (science, art, literature, math, history). On Sundays, I would go to church and focus on eternal issues. I would ask myself, “Why should I waste my time on these school subjects when they don't have to do with God or eternal matters?” I never saw a connection between God and what I was studying at school—even though it was a Christian high school. I thought those subjects were taking me away from knowing God more and growing in my relationship with Him.
When I went to a Christian college and studied education, I thought I would find a solution to my dilemma of how to reconcile the sacred and the secular. How are we to live as Christians—citizens of heaven—while being citizens of this earth? How was I supposed to be a teacher in a Christian school when I didn’t understand how all these subjects relate to God? Many good-intentioned professors encouraged us to integrate our subjects with the Bible. They wanted us to bring in Bible passages as they applied to our lessons. There might be times for that, but it felt somewhat contrived to do that. That sense of discord continued until I encountered the writings of Charlotte Mason.
Mason acknowledged that many Christians of her day were living with this discord and many young people questioned their faith because of this dilemma. She stated,
“Is it not a fact that the spiritual life is exigeant (demanding), demands our sole interest and concentrated energies? Yet the claims of intellect––mind, of the aesthetic sense––taste, press upon us urgently. We must think, we must know, we must rejoice in and create the beautiful. And if all the burning thoughts that stir in the minds of men, all the beautiful conceptions they give birth to, are things apart from God, then we too must have a separate life, a life apart from God, a division of ourselves into secular and religious––discord and unrest. We believe that this is the fertile source of the unfaith of the day, especially in young and ardent minds…But once the intimate relation, the relation of Teacher and taught in all things of the mind and spirit, be fully recognised, our feet are set in a large room; there is space for free development in all directions, and this free and joyous development, whether of intellect or heart, is recognised as a Godward movement” (Parents and Children, p. 275).
Her words still strike my heart— “This free and joyous development…is a Godward movement.” She provided the path to peace, freedom, and contentment. What was her answer? There is no dilemma. All noble ideas are from the Holy Spirit. We should have a fresh desire to learn all things that are part of God’s wonderful creation. This idea that “God the Holy Spirit is Himself, personally, the Imparter of knowledge, the Instructor of youth, the Inspirer of genius” is the “great recognition that resolves that discord in our lives of which most of us are, more or less, aware” (Parents and Children, p.274).
It not only resolves the discord in our lives, but it can also resolve the discord that Christian parents encounter as they raise their children in a world that does not acknowledge God. In their monograph titled Charlotte Mason’s Great Recognition: A Scheme of Magnificent Unity, Deani Van Pelt and Camille Malucci assert that Mason wrote about the dualism of her time but challenged parents to rise higher—toward unity. They state,
“Whether it is the question of religious versus secular, faith versus reason, science versus faith, or various other questions, in Mason’s time as well as our own, a consistent message is told by society that these ideas are at odds with each other in ways that simply cannot be resolved. Mason thoroughly disagreed, as have many of the great theological, philosophical, and scientific minds across the centuries. Mason’s rejection of these dualisms is what we commonly call The Great Recognition that she asks of parents” ( p. 14).
One of those great scientific minds who rejected the dualism of science versus faith was Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), known for his laws of planetary motion. In The Story of Science: Newton at the Center (part of Alveary 8th grade science program), Joy Hakim writes, “Kepler says it is the hand of God that has guided him to astronomy. He writes to his old teacher, ‘I wanted to become a theologian, and for a long time I was restless. Now, however, observe how through the efforts God is being celebrated in astronomy’…Kepler believes that God has made the heavens into a book in which an orderly plan is written and that the human mind is designed to understand it…Kepler is so amazed by his discovery that he falls on his knees and exclaims, ‘O God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee’’’(p. 124-125). This recognition that the Holy Spirit is the author and teacher of all noble ideas sets our students free to pursue all areas of knowledge and to be amazed at God’s goodness and wisdom.
Notes
1. Internet Archive Alternatives: With Internet Archive recovering from cyberattacks, here are a few alternate links you might need in the meantime!
- Child’s Introduction to the Orchestra (Grade 1)
- Stories from Chaucer (Grades 7-8)
2. Student Curriculum Survey: We’re excited to partner with you for the Alveary Curriculum Research Project to explore the benefits of a relational education. Please set up a time for your Alveary students aged 10 and up to complete the Student Survey. As a thank you, we’ll be giving away three curated collections of books to randomly selected students!
3. YouTube: Are Charlotte Mason kids really just bookworms? 📚 Check out our newest YouTube video, What Kind of Kids are Charlotte Mason Kids? Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.
4. MomChat: If you find yourself needing a bit of guidance navigating Alveary resources or just want some encouragement from fellow moms, join us tomorrow at 11 am EST. Zoom link.
5. Book Sale: Yesterday's Classics is having a 30% off sale on all print books throughout the month of October.
6. Writing Contest: Your middle & high school students might be interested in this writing contest.
