The science of biology owes as much of its development to amateurs as astronomy does. From 17th-19th centuries, a ton of work was done by amateurs interested in natural theology – much of it by country parsons – inspired by synthesis of Aristotelian biology and Christian belief.
As Pearcey & Thaxton point out in their book, "The Soul of Science," natural theology was not a god-of-the-gaps argument, and did not arise out of what was not known at the time. Rather, it arose from the EXPANSION of knowledge about the complexity of life.
The marriage of Greek wisdom and Christian faith produced modern science. Most of us don't learn this in school or university, and that's deliberate. The "warfare" idea, of science and religion pitted against each other in an epic struggle, is a lie. Yes, there are times when...
...one appears to be at odds with another, but that happens with science and politics, science and the humanities, natural science and social science, and so on. Human systems of knowledge are inherently limited and will therefore at times contradict other systems of knowledge.
But that doesn't imply warfare. In fact, quite the opposite. P&T quote biologist Ernst Mayr, who observed "it's difficult for the modern person to appreciate the unity of science and Christian religion that existed from the Renaissance and far into the eighteenth century."
The above image is from the book, "Geology and Mineralogy considered with reference to Natural Theology," written by Sir Richard Owen and others. Owen, an outstanding scientist of his time, was a devout Christian, and is credited with coining the word 'dinosaur.'
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