우주론의 패러다임 전환과 신학적 함축성 연구

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on the theological implications in relation to the paradigm shifts of cosmology according to the history in the context of interdisciplinary debates between science and religion. Cosmology is not only scientific explanation but includes religious implication because its nature being depended on the paradigm, as Thomas Kuhn asserted in his studies on the structure of scientific revolution. Religion and science have interacted each other through the history. There is a myth that religion always suppressed science, and denied scientific discoveries. However, more reliable historical researches on the relationship between science and religion illuminated that the two domains have generally maintained peace rather than war, and its relationship is not inevitably conflict but some other options such as independence, dialogue and integration according to Ian Barbour. The Genesis story in Bible shares in its literary form with the ancient Babylonian myth of creation. Nevertheless its theological assertions are essentially different from the myth of the ancient kingdoms. Also the text in Bible should not be regarded as a scientific explanation, but interpreted by focussing on its theological messages. 김기석, 우주론의 패러다임 전환과 신학적 함축성 연구 87 Ptolemy’s cosmology that had dominated in the Western civilization throughout middle age was greatly constructed with the ancient astrology as well as Greek philosophy, Christianity. It’s geocentric system was not represented as merely an astronomical theory, but combined with Christian dogma such as Heaven, Earth and hell. Copernicus’ heliocentric system had subverted the former system, and completed by Galilei and Newton. It also contained theological implication that the universe can be recognized as a great clock run in accordance with the physical laws which God allowed. Therefore, every motion and change in cosmos can be perfectly comprehended by reason. This way of thinking brought the mechanical world-view which encouraged enlightenment by believing that the human can understand the physical world as well as human society and history. The Big Bang cosmology being credited as a standard theory by scientific community in contemporary era, was formulated on the basis of theory of relativity and quantum physics. It has recalled a theological implication on ‘creatio ex nihilo’(creation from nothing) among Christian theologians by suggesting that the universe has a singular point, the beginning moment of creation. The Big Bang theory also indicates that any point in the universe can be the centre and the edge at same times. It suggests that humanity is merely Throughout the examination, this article presents the indivisible relationship between cosmology and theological implication.