Once, cosmology, linguistics, and astronomy were in the domain of Christianity. Genesis explained the creation of the universe. Different languages originated at the Tower of Babel. Martin Luther condemned Copernicus for claiming the Earth revolves around the Sun because the Bible clearly states God caused the sun to stand still for Joshua. Today, cosmology, linguistics, and astronomy are in the domain of science.
The fundamental difference between science and religion is not their domains. Rather, it is their epistemological methods. Religion derives authority from sacred personages and holy scriptures, which define sacred truths that cannot be contradicted. Science derives its authority from evidence and explanatory theories, which are tentative, subject to correction, revision and improvement.
Might science address questions of ethics, morals, and ultimate values? It may be difficult to see how it could. But if it did, we might hope for progress similar to the progress science has made in cosmology, linguistics, and astronomy. How this might be done is our theme.
