A New Natural Philosophy: Recovering a Natural Science and Christian Pedagogy

Join Ravi Scott Jain (coauthor of The Liberal Arts Tradition), Chris Hall (author of Common Arts Education), and veteran science educator Robbie Andreasen as they seek to recover the “natural” in natural science, the wisdom in “philosophy,” and the worship that flows from wonder.

Aristotle said that philosophy (the love of wisdom) always begins in wonder—wonder that often is kindled as we gaze upon the astonishing world around us. Yet today our science classes too often neglect the wonder evoked by the natural world and instead occlude and stifle it. How, then, can our science classes reconnect wonder to nature, wonder that will lead to wisdom, work, and worship? This book seeks to answer that question by helping recover the “natural” in natural science, the wisdom in “philosophy,” and the worship that flows from wonder.

Applying C. S. Lewis’s vision of “a new Natural Philosophy” and the deep insights of Christian thought to the understanding and pedagogy of natural science, the authors suggest a new paradigm that reveals God’s hand and purposes in the foundations and methods of science and allows students to see its sources, ideas, and conflicts more clearly. This book addresses a holistic curriculum, an incarnational pedagogy, and an interdisciplinary approach to teaching natural science in K–12 classrooms. It describes how three teachers have effectively implemented these ideas at two different schools. The authors share lessons for teachers on subjects ranging from gardening to biology to physics and for age ranges from pre-K to high school or even early college. Addressing big-picture discussions as well as supplying practical items, such as lesson plans, curriculum outlines, and book lists, this book will both challenge and reward those who have wondered how to think more deeply about Christian faith and natural science.

Additional Resource: Mars Hill Audio Journal interview with Ravi Scott Jain on reconfiguring science and the teaching of science within the framework of natural philosophy, natural history, and natural science ($9). Purchase here