RT Article
T1 Mathematics declaring the glory of God
JF Verbum et ecclesia
VO 43
IS 1
SP 1
OP 7
A1 Kessler, Volker 1962-
LA English
PB Univ.
YR 2022
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1800625162
AB This article discussed the question ‘Does God speak through the language of mathematics?’ For centuries, mathematicians with different religious backgrounds would have answered this question in the affirmative. Due to changes in mathematics from the 19th century onwards, this question cannot be answered as easily as it used to be. If one regards mathematical concepts as creations of the human mind, it is difficult to argue that mathematical formulae exist in a divine mind. The article argued that there were traces of the divine in mathematics. Six kinds of traces were explained: (1) the existence of indisputable truth, (2) the existence of beauty, (3) the importance of community, (4) rational speaking about infinity, (5) the discovery that speaking about unseen and abstract objects is reasonable and (6) the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics. In practice, traces (1), (2) and (6) are probably the most convincing.   Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications:  This article is very much interdisciplinary as it combines mathematics and theology, especially the philosophy of mathematics and systematic theology.
K1 Beauty
K1 General Revelation
K1 Infinity
K1 philosophy of mathematics
K1 Truth
K1 unreasonable effectiveness
DO 10.4102/ve.v43i1.2432