Monday, January 31, 2011

I Corinthians 2:1-16

Just Do the Math?

Brian Greene, famous for his work in theoretical astrophysical research, was interviewed January 24 on NPR's "Fresh Air" to talk about the theory of multiple parallel universes – the idea that there might be an infinite number of universes, some of which might be parallel to our own. When Terry Gross asked how it was possible to trust the math on universes, or anything else, that may or may not exist, Greene responded: “underlying everything that we're talking about . . . is a firm belief that mathematics is a sure-footed guide to how reality works.” He said if that's not true all bets are off. That's a big claim to make for a field that is basically the abstract study of quantities and their relationships. Do I believe in n? n of what? It doesn't matter. It's all about the quantity. It applies to everything. Apples. Persons. God. Little stuff like quarks. You name it.

Well, God is a bit of a problem here since we do not commonly – at least in the province of lectionary discussion blogs - think of God as a measurable entity. I'm sure somebody somewhere does. 

Mathematics, as a discipline and field of inquiry, is a gift of God. Not the other way around. And there are greater gifts of God. Justice and compassion to name a couple. One in particular, regarding the epistle text,is Christ crucified. Through him is exposed, on the one hand, the extreme degree to which we have been deceived about ourselves and the cosmos, and, on the other hand, the extreme degree to which God is revealing the cosmos to us. Paul is clear that knowledge (wisdom) is a gift of God. For all the talk of dispassionate objectivity, when knowledge is severed from the Giver of knowledge,the work in the field becomes, at some level, an act of hubris. The high, abstracted researches of the astrophysicist eventually fall, like all other scientific endeavors, under the control of the usual brokers of powerwho construct the kinds of “knowledge” that serve their self interest. Paul's “rulers of this age”. We all know who they are. How they market themselves. It is all such foolishness

Mathematics is like a set of blinders on a mule. The device serves well to keep things on track. The drill is rigorous and narrowly defined - without distractions. Focus and intellect reveal much. But at the end of the dayyou take the blinders off. The critter is, after all, more than just the puller of a plow. It is not defined by what it sees and thinks about within those constricted parameters. There is so much more to life.

© 2011 Andy Gay