By Dr. James Bradley
Courtesy of the BioLogos Foundation
(Disclaimer: The views expressed by guest authors do not necessarily reflect those of GodandMath.com. Guest articles are sought after for the purpose of bringing more diverse viewpoints to the topics of mathematics and theology. The point is to foster discussion. To this end respectful and constructive comments are highly encouraged.)
The theory of Intelligent Design has gained a great deal of credibility in the evangelical world since it first became widely known in the early 1990s; much of that credibility has been based on the belief that a solid theoretical foundation has been laid for Intelligent Design in William Dembski’s 1998 book, The Design Inference. This article challenges that belief by questioning some of Dembski’s assumptions, pointing out some limitations of his analysis, and arguing that a design inference is necessarily a faith-based rather than a scientific inference.
The article can be read (and downloaded) in its entirety here.
Our thanks again to the BioLogos Foundation.
Dr. Bradley is Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at Calvin College. He is the editor of the Journal of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences and of two foundational works for the study of mathematics from a Biblical perspective: Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A Christian Perspective, and Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith. He has also authored numerous articles on the integration of mathematics and the Christian faith.
We at GodandMath are greatly indebted to Dr. Bradley’s work and are very honored to have him contribute here.
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