NOMA is the acronym, in English, for non-overlapping teaching professions. Biologist Stephen Jay Gould coined the expression in 1997 to keep science and religion separate.
The proposal: two territories
According to NOMA, science and religion are not enemies, they just have nothing to do with each other. Science would take care of the facts, of how the world works. Religion would take care of values and meaning, of what for. Two territories, two authorities, no common border. At first glance, it seems wise and generous.
The hidden price
But there is a cost. Christianity makes claims about facts: that the universe had a beginning, that there is a God who acts, that a man named Jesus lived and died in history, not in imagination. Pushing faith into the room of values and feelings is, in practice, saying that it does not talk about what is real, only about what gives comfort. A faith that gives up saying what is true is no longer faith.
The alternative
The great Christian tradition proposes another path: faith and reason as two wings, two paths to a truth that is one. Not two separate rooms, but two windows into the same reality.
In-depth study
Church History Course, with Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Bitencourt
In-depth reading of the work of Daniel Rops, where the alliance between faith and reason and Augustine's conversion appear in full.
Discover the courseFrequently asked questions
What does NOMA mean?
It is the acronym in English for non-overlapping magisteria, teaching professions that do not overlap. The idea is that science and religion occupy distinct territories, with no common border.
Who was Stephen Jay Gould?
He was an American biologist and paleontologist (1941-2002), known for promoting science and for coining the expression NOMA in 1997.
What is the problem with NOMA for Christians?
He pushes faith into the field of values and denies it to speak about facts. But Christianity makes claims about what is real, not just about what gives meaning.
Continue: Faith and reason: rivals, separate or allies? · What is fideism · What is scientism
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