From a friend:

Too much of the church’s theological interpretation has been set by scientific methodology, much more than we would like to admit. the rise of science, Darwin, and Newtonian physics have set the terms of debate and discussion for the better part of a couple of centuries. The critical methodologies by which scriptural interpretation is developed over that time are a direct response. This is quite separate from a discussion between the two. Now with the rise of quantum physics (amongst other things) there has been a renewed interest in mystery and a move away from a closed mechanical view of the universe, which thereby affects the way in which we see God, and the apologetic arguments which we employ. (remember “Evidence that demands a Verdict?”?)

You may be interested in a book by Matthew Fox (a theologian) and Rupert Sheldrake (a biologist) called “The Physics of Angels”, which explores the contact between science and theology in dialogue with theologians from three points in history… Such however, is secondary to my comment, which intended to focus on “scientific” approaches to biblical interpretation, which we all employ to a greater or lesser degree, and the way in which the ground for debate has been set by “scientific discoveries”. When we discovered that there were other universes, or that the earth revolved around the sun, the centre for thinking about ourselves as beings in the universe shifted. With the discovery of DNA and its impact upon who we are, we are presented with serious theological questions. Theological dialogue does not take place in a vacuum, nor does it set all the questions being asked. In many ways, we have allowed science to choose the ground for debate for too long, and been isolated on the sidelines.