This is one of a collection of essays that attempts to articulate the common “center pole” around which Nazarene higher educators stand and the theological and pedagogical commitments that draw them together. It is one of a series of values documents for Nazarene educational institutions and was produced and reviewed by 51 faculty at 16 institutions from six countries. The title of the collection, Telos, comes from the Greek term used in the New Testament to address the perfect end, or destination, for which Christians are designed. This essay sets out how understanding and engaging with contemporary theories regarding the formation and origin of the universe need not be a challenge or an affront to faith

Case, Stephen

English

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Olivet Nazarene University
Digital Commons @ Olivet
Faculty Scholarship – Geology Geology
2011
Children in God's House: Teaching Cosmology at
a Nazarene University
Stephen Case
Olivet Nazarene University, scase@olivet.edu
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Recommended Citation
Case, Stephen, "Children in God's House: Teaching Cosmology at a Nazarene University" (2011). Faculty Scholarship – Geology. 8.
https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/geol_facp/8
58
C H I l D R e N  I N 
G o D ’ s  H o U s e
Teaching Cosmology at a Nazarene University
Stephen Case
W
hen I was in elementary school, my 
family moved into a new house that my 
father, a carpenter, had built largely 
on his own  as a third-grader I didn’t 
appreciate much of this beyond the fact 
that I suddenly had a larger bedroom  Now that I own a home 
of my own, however, I realize what an immense undertaking 
the framing, constructing, and finishing of a house truly is and 
what an act of love on my father’s part it entailed  as my un-
derstanding of what makes a house has grown—as I’ve begun 
to have some dim appreciation of the complicated network 
of struts, electrical circuits, drywall, plumbing, and so on—I 
can now appreciate at a deeper level what my father did and 
thus who he is  a deeper understanding has brought a deeper 
gratitude and a deeper love  
Cosmology is the study of the large-scale structure and 
long-term history of the universe  It is often considered a 
field of astronomy, and it treats some of the largest and most 
over-arching questions science can address: What is the 
universe like on large scales? How did it begin? How did it 
develop? How will it end? The answers to such questions are 
of theological and philosophical significance  In addition, the 
contemporary understanding of cosmology has shown great 
success in explaining the early universe and the formation 
of all we see today  for these reasons cosmology is an essen-
tial topic in higher education  It addresses the universe we 
inhabit; the methods used to investigate that universe; and, for 
abOUT THe aUTHOR:
stephen Case
Ma, Physics, University of Mississippi
Planetarium Director, Olivet Naza-
rene University
Graduate fellow, Program in the 
History and Philosophy of science, 
University of Notre Dame
Professor Case is working part-time at 
Olivet while he is a full-time graduate 
student at Notre Dame 
59
Christians, how we engage with God through these investiga-
tions  as Christian educators we have a responsibility to equip 
our students for scientific literacy and to give them the ability 
to engage and analyze modern assumptions and conclusions 
about the universe 
as Nazarenes, we affirm God 
as Creator of the cosmos  In some 
sense, then, we are children in our 
father’s house  Understanding the 
structure, intricacy, and immensity 
of the universe in which we find 
ourselves is an act of worship that 
engenders deeper love for the Cre-
ator  The tools of this investigation 
are all around us, and cosmology is 
the practice of using these tools to 
address the big questions relating to 
the structure, origin, and eventual 
fate of this enormous universe 
The paradigms of contemporary 
cosmology can often be challeng-
ing, and it is the role of a Christian 
educator not to simply present the 
data and observations but to come 
alongside the students and help 
them form their own conclusions  
by relying on our Wesleyan heri-
tage, which places confidence in the 
evidence of the senses, instructors 
can lay out the various observations that point to certain cos-
mological conclusions  a primary example of this would be 
the evidence for the big bang Theory, in which observations, 
such as the expansion of the universe, cosmic microwave 
background radiation, and relative abundances of elements 
in the universe, support this central assumption about the 
formation of the universe  While Christian professors should 
proceed with humility, understanding, and communication 
that the conclusions of science are never final, they should 
also have the freedom to follow the evidence of observation 
with the tools of reason 
60
Cosmology need not challenge (and need certainly not 
deny) Christianity’s affirmation of God as Creator  Discussion 
of the questions raised by cosmology offers immense scope for 
exploring the boundaries of science, theology, and philoso-
phy  It is the place of higher education to bring these ques-
tions to the fore  sometimes they may be challenging, and in 
many cases they may bring about a certain level of discomfort 
or even misunderstanding  However, discomfort is often only 
a sign that students are reaching the boundary of their own 
personal knowledge  a Christian professor will not simply 
leave students to struggle with these questions alone but will 
help them understand that an awareness of the limits of one’s 
own knowledge is one of the aims of education and Christian 
maturity  always these questions should be pursued honestly 
and in a spirit of grace and humility  
for students at a Nazarene university, two significant aspects of the scientific endeavor common to all the physical sciences are especially well-illustrated by an 
understanding of cosmology  One is the way in which the 
methods of science itself reflect upon the goodness of God  
The fact that we are made in God’s image as rational beings 
is what makes any theory about the properties of the universe 
possible and is in harmony with the Wesleyan view that the 
spirit of God is active throughout creation  Cosmology in par-
ticular shows powerfully the ways in which observation and 
experiment lead us to staggering perspectives on the natural 
world  Through cosmology we realize how insignificant we 
are in the wide field of space and time, but we also under-
stand that we are uniquely gifted with the ability to engage the 
universe as thinking beings  Through cosmology the Chris-
tian finds opportunity to worship God using the tools of the 
scientific method itself 
a second aspect of the practice of science illustrated by 
cosmology is the vital communal aspect of all scientific endeav-
ors  far from being vague ideas or guesses of individuals work-
ing in isolation, the paradigms of cosmology are built upon 
the work and inspiration of a huge community of scientists  
Just as Christian theologians have confidence in theological 
tenets arrived at through centuries of dialogue in the context of 
scripture, experience, and the faith community, so in a similar 
Understanding 
and engaging with 
contemporary 
theories regarding 
the formation 
and origin of the 
universe need not 
be a challenge or 
an affront to faith. 
61
way scientists, instructors, and students can have a level of con-
fidence regarding conclusions based on the cumulative work of 
hundreds of scientists stretching back over the past centuries  
Though there is always a place for skepticism, it should engage 
the work of the community (even through contradiction) 
instead of simply disregarding all that has gone before  This is, 
of course, not to say that science 
and theology develop in identical 
ways or aim to answer the same 
questions  It simply shows the im-
portance of community to both  
This shared valuation provides a 
potential means of scientists and 
theologians to both cultivate a 
deeper appreciation of the other  
Cosmology, like theology, is a 
communal endeavor 
Instruction in a field as 
far-ranging as modern cosmol-
ogy, where questions of univer-
sal origin and eschatology are 
openly engaged, should provide learners with a broader scope 
for understanding the nature of God’s universe  Understand-
ing and engaging with contemporary theories regarding the 
formation and origin of the universe need not be a challenge 
or an affront to faith  Instead, instruction in cosmology should 
illustrate the immensity and intricacy of God’s creation and 
show that the very act of scientific exploration attests to the 
goodness of God  Ultimately, cosmology at a Nazarene insti-
tution should cultivate the development of minds such that 
deeper understanding leads to deeper worship  We’re all living 
in a house that God lovingly crafted for us; as His children, 
we can better know and love our father by using the tools He 
gave us to understand His world   ■ 
ReCOMMeNDeD ReaDING
Campbell, Heidi, and Heather looy, eds  A Science and Religion Primer  Grand Rapids: baker 
academic, 2009 
Duncan, Ted, and Craig Tyler  Your Cosmic Context: An Introduction to Modern Cosmology. san 
francisco: Cummings, 2008 
Raymo, Chet  The Soul of the Night: An Astronomical Pilgrimage  lanham, MD: Cowley Publications, 
2005 


Children in God\u27s House:  Teaching Cosmology at a Nazarene University

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Children in God\u27s House: Teaching Cosmology at a Nazarene University

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