A Philosopher Lecturing (1766)

A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery is a 1766 painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, depicting a science lesson. The teacher is demonstrating the role of the sun in the solar system, and Wright’s use of candlelight illuminates the various persons present, and casts darkness on those parts furthest from the tutorial.

Science has gained a reputation for atheism, materialism and godless world views, but it was not always so. Science is our study of God’s created world. Although it cannot yield knowledge of God Himself which can only be revealed to us, it certainly betters our understanding of His power, imagination and intelligence. Science is no enemy to the Christian: it simply confirms and illustrates what the Bible has always taught.