Science and Faith: Are Christianity and Science Compatible? | Casey Luskin & Jonathan McLatchie
Download MP3Are science and Christianity fundamentally at odds—or can they converge in a common pursuit of truth?
Host Luke Betzner opens Season 8 of Paratus with Dr. Casey Luskin and Dr. Jonathan McLatchie of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. Together they examine what science is, what biblical faith is, and whether the two are genuinely incompatible.
The conversation moves beyond the familiar “science versus faith” conflict. Luskin and McLatchie consider the limits of scientific consensus, the difference between evidence and authority, methodological naturalism, scientism, confirmation bias, and the importance of testing every claim. They also explore evidence bearing on a Creator—including the beginning and fine-tuning of the universe, the information-rich character of life, and the cumulative case for intelligent design and Christianity.
In this episode
- Science as an empirical, evidence-governed search for truth
- Faith as rational trust grounded in evidence rather than blind belief
- Conflict, separation, and qualified-agreement models of science and religion
- Why methodological naturalism can prevent investigators from recognizing intelligent causes
- Scientism, cognitive dissonance, institutional pressure, and scientific consensus
- The Big Bang, cosmic fine-tuning, biological information, and the origin of life
- Why multiple independent lines of evidence form a cumulative case for theism and Christianity
Chapters
00:17 — Welcome and the Season 8 question
01:14 — Meet Jonathan McLatchie and Casey Luskin
03:50 — What is science?
07:50 — What is faith?
12:32 — How science and faith relate to truth
18:19 — Why people separate science and faith
25:21 — Methodological naturalism explained
29:23 — Confirmation bias and intelligent causes
33:34 — Scientism: when science becomes an idol
37:24 — Cognitive dissonance, theology, and scientific claims
42:17 — Testing agenda-driven claims with a scout mindset
45:31 — Creation, the Big Bang, and fine-tuning
50:20 — A cumulative case for design and Christianity
53:39 — Recommended books and further study
55:43 — Closing resources and a preview of Episode 2
01:14 — Meet Jonathan McLatchie and Casey Luskin
03:50 — What is science?
07:50 — What is faith?
12:32 — How science and faith relate to truth
18:19 — Why people separate science and faith
25:21 — Methodological naturalism explained
29:23 — Confirmation bias and intelligent causes
33:34 — Scientism: when science becomes an idol
37:24 — Cognitive dissonance, theology, and scientific claims
42:17 — Testing agenda-driven claims with a scout mindset
45:31 — Creation, the Big Bang, and fine-tuning
50:20 — A cumulative case for design and Christianity
53:39 — Recommended books and further study
55:43 — Closing resources and a preview of Episode 2
Guests and resources
- Dr. Casey Luskin — Associate Director, Research Director, and Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture
- Dr. Jonathan McLatchie — Fellow of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture
- JonathanMcLatchie.com
- Talk About Doubts — confidential conversations for those examining doubts about Christianity
- Discovery Institute
- The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith: Exploring the Ultimate Questions About Life and the Cosmos, edited by William A. Dembski, Casey Luskin, and Joseph M. Holden
Recommended reading mentioned in the episode
Undeniable by Douglas Axe; Signature in the Cell, Darwin’s Doubt, and Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. Meyer; works by C. John Collins on science and Genesis; Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique; and The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef.
About Paratus
Paratus is sponsored by Veritas International University and exists to defend and discuss unchanging truth in changing times—helping listeners think deeply, stand firmly, and live purposefully within a biblical worldview.
Learn more about VIU at ves.edu.
Support Paratus and Veritas International University
Help sustain this outreach at ves.edu/give.
Help sustain this outreach at ves.edu/give.
Creators and Guests
Host
Luke Betzner
Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Associate Professor of Theological and Historical Studies at Veritas International University.
Guest
Dr. Casey Luskin
Casey Luskin is a scientist and an attorney with graduate degrees in science and law, giving him expertise in both the scientific and legal dimensions of the debate over evolution. He holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg where he specialized in paleomagnetism and the early plate tectonic history of South Africa. He earned a law degree from the University of San Diego, where he focused on First Amendment law, education law, and environmental law. His B.S. and M.S. degrees in Earth Sciences are from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied evolution extensively at the graduate and undergraduate levels, and conducted geological research at Scripps Institution for Oceanography. Dr. Luskin has been a California-licensed attorney since 2005, practicing primarily in the area of evolution-education in public schools and defending academic freedom for scientists who face discrimination because of their support for intelligent design (ID).
Guest
Dr. Jonathan McLatchie
Dr. Jonathan McLatchie holds a Bachelor's degree in Forensic Biology from the University of Strathclyde, a Masters (M.Res) degree in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Glasgow, a second Master's degree in Medical and Molecular Bioscience from Newcastle University, and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from Newcastle University. Previously, Jonathan was an assistant professor of biology at Sattler College in Boston, Massachusetts. Jonathan has been interviewed on podcasts and radio shows including "Unbelievable?" on Premier Christian Radio, and many others. Jonathan has spoken internationally in Europe, North America, South Africa and Asia promoting the evidence of design in nature.
