How to Teach Astronomy from a Christian Worldview Perspective
Probably the most important subject to cover with your teenager in relation to developing a Scriptural understanding of modern science is how modern science got its start - and this has to do with the topic of astronomy. This subject will necessarily bring up discussions concerning how man has historically viewed the planets and stars in relation to earth and to God as well as man’s position and importance on earth and in the universe (e.g., see I Barbour’s discussion of the medieval worldview).
How did we move from a geocentric view of the universe to a heliocentric view of the universe? What methods of science were in use in the middle ages, and what changed in the Reformation timeframe? What role did the Reformation play in the development of modern science? Is there such a thing as (deterministic) ‘laws of nature’ in science? Who were the key figures in the development of modern astronomy? What were their beliefs about God and nature? Were those beliefs Scriptural?
Most ‘Christian’ textbooks on astronomy will focus on the current state of astronomy and do not really discuss how we got to this point. There are lots of pictures of planets, rockets, satellites, etc. with very limited discussion of the early ‘modern’ scientists.
I think a key to developing a Scriptural worldview of modern science lies with an extended discussion of the key figures (e.g., Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton). I think all teenagers should be exposed to this material (not just those going into STEM fields).
Are there any Christian homeschooling curricula that do this? Not that I have found. If you know of one, please let me know.
I have found several textbooks that cover astronomy from an historical perspective. Some of these texts were written for high school students, but most of them were written for college students. None of the textbooks discuss astronomy from a Scriptural perspective, but that is something that we can add to the materials. Fortunately, most of these materials can be accessed via the Internet Archive. So, if you would like to view or use these materials, you can access them for free.
What I would like to do as a first step is to develop a curriculum for teaching the beginnings of modern astronomy from a Christian worldview perspective. If you would like to join me in this effort by working with me to develop this curriculum for your child, please contact me.
Below is a list of the key resources I would use in some combination in developing such an astronomy curriculum. Most of them are available for viewing for free on the Internet Archive.
High School Resources:
Project Physics Text, by Harvard Project Physics (Rutherford, Holton, Watson, 1981) - See especially Unit 2, Motion in the Heavens (Chp 5 - Where is the Earth? The Greek’s Answer, Chp 6 - Does the Earth Move? The Work of Copernicus and Tycho, Chp 7 -A New Universe Appears: The Work of Kepler and Galileo, Chp 8 - The Unity of Earth and Sky: The Work of Newton)
Project Physics Handbook, Rutherford, Holton, Watson, 1981 - Includes associated experiments.
Project Physics Course Reader 2, Motion in the Heavens, contains the secondary readings for Unit 2
Project Physics Resource Book, Rutherford, Holton, Watson, 1981 - Teacher resource guide (see esp. pgs 107-165). Includes discussion of experiments and excellent concept flow charts (pgs. 124, 189, 290, 360)
Project Physics Teacher Guide 2, Motion in the Heavens, ED 071 891, Harvard Project Physics
College Level Textbooks:
Introduction to Concepts and Theories in Physical Science, 2nd ed., Holton, 1973, Part A - The Origins of Scientific Cosmology
Revolutions in Physics, by Casper/Noer, 1972 - Free downloadable copy available from vdoc.pub. See especially the first 4 chapters (1 - The “Scientific” Method, 2 - The Heavens around Man, 3 - Stars that Wander, 4 - The Earth Becomes a Planet).
Physical Science, Its Structure and Development, by Kemble, 1966 - See especially Chapters 1-4 (1 - The Observed Motions of the Stars and the Sun, 2 - Astronomical Measurements of Position and Time, 3 - The Greek Age in the History of Science, 4 - The Copernican Revolution: the First Stage)
Biblical worldview related books (especially concerning astronomy):
God and Cosmos - A Christian View of Time, Space, and the Universe, Byl, 2001 - The is an excellent book which covers astronomy from a Christian worldview perspective. See especially chapters 1 and 2 (1 - The Basic Questions, 2 - A Brief Historical Sketch).
A Geocentricity Primer - Introduction to Biblical Cosmology, Bouw, 2004 - There are very educated and knowledgeable Christians who are also scientists who advocate for a geocentric view of the universe. Contrary to popular belief, this view has not been proven wrong. Please expose your child to these materials so that they can develop an informed view on this topic. See also Bouw’s archive site where more geocentric materials are available.
Galileo Was Wrong, The Church Was Right - The Scientific Case for Geocentrism - Sungenis/Bennett, 12th edition, 2017 - This book is written by a Catholic theologian and focuses on proving geocentrism from a scientific perspective as well as a Biblical perspective. He goes into a lot of historical detail concerning the key scientists. The scientific arguments are very detailed and also critique Einstein’s theory of relativity. Sungenis also has a youtube site available which has many interesting videos. By covering the scientific arguments for geocentrism, you will teach your child that science is not as settled as is claimed in standard textbooks and culture.
If you are interested in working with me to develop and try out a prototype historical astronomy curriculum per the approach I’ve described, please let me know.
