A bibliography for a Christian
approach to mathematics
Steve Bishop
Updated Dec 2011
Version 1.0 (1997) appeared in P. MacKenzie Entry Points for Christian Reflection within Education (London: CARE, 1997)
Version 1.1 appeared here
Version 2.0 appeared here
Version 2.1 appeared here
Bibliographies
Gene B. Chase and Calvin Jongsma Bibliography of Christianity and mathematics 1910-1983 (Dordt, Iowa: Dort College,
1983)
An extensive
annotated bibliography of papers and books dealing with Christian approaches
and attitudes to maths.
laetus in praesens Bibliography of Relevance to Mathematical Theology
laetus in praesens Bibliography of Relevance to Mathematical Theology
Journals
Books
Robert L. Brabenec A Christian
Perspective on the Foundations of Mathematics (Wheaton College, 1977)
Brabenec has edited a number of 'Mathematics from a Christian
Perspective' Conference Proceedings, of which this is the first. They contain a
wealth of useful information of integrating math and a Christian worldview,
however, they are concerned primarily with higher education. Many of the
articles are now available on-line here.
James Bradley and Russell Howell Mathematics Through the
Eyes of Faith Harper One/ CCCU, 2011.
See the review here by Josh Wilkerson
John Byl The
Divine Challenge: on Matter, Mind, Math and Meaning (Edinburgh: Banner
of Truth Trust, 2004) review by Howell
Byl's bibliography and biography
is here
Charis Mathematics
Project Charis Mathematics (Units 1-9; Units10-19; A1-A6) (John Shortt, director) (editors
John Shortt and John Westwell) (Nottingham: The Stapleford Centre, 1996 and
1997)
Photocopiable
materials for bringing out the 'spiritual and moral' aspects of mathematics at
the secondary school level; written by Christian teachers of mathematics.
Roy A. Clouser The Myth of
Religious Neutrality: A Essay on the Hidden Role of Religious Belief in
Theories (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame, 1991; 2nd edn 2005) my review here
Chapter 7 looks at
some theories in mathematics (number-world theory; J. S. Mill; Bertrand
Russell; and John Dewey) and shows how they all depend on divinising certain
aspects of creation.
Andrew M.
Hartley Christian and Humanist Foundations for Statistical
Inference (Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock, 2008)
Looks at four of the dominant
paradigms in statistics and compares them with a Christian worldview
James Nikel Mathematics: Is God Silent? (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books,
1990; 2nd edn 2000) website resources here
Russell W. Howell and James Bradley
(ed.) Mathematics in aPostmodern Age: A Christian Perspective (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2001) review by Palfreyman
Examines the nature of mathematics, the influence of maths and
faith perspectives in mathematics from a Christian perspective.
Calvin Jongsma and Trudy Baker The Shape and Number of
Things: An Integrated Math Curriculum for the Elementary School (Toronto:
Curriculum Development Center)
T. Koetsier and L. Bergmans (eds) Mathematics and the Divine A Historical Study (Elsevier Science, 2004)
Katherine Loop Beyond Numbers:
A Practical Guide to Teaching Math Biblically (Christian Perspective, 2005; 2nd edn 2011) [see my review here]
Katherine Loop Revealing
Arithmetic: Math Concepts from a Biblical Worldview (no date)
ISBN 978-0977361106
Harro W. Van Brummelen, Mathematics in the Christian School (Toronto: The Association for the Advancement of Christian
Scholarship, 1971)
A preliminary report resulting from a
seminar held in Toronto in July, 1971, under the auspices of the OACS and the
AACS. Contains a useful but out of date bibliography.
Harro Van Brummelen Walking
with God in the Classroom: Christian Approaches to Learning and Teaching (Ontario:
Welch, 1988)
Harro Van Brummelen 'Mathematics'
in Steensma, Geraldine and Harro W. Van Brummelen, editors. Shaping
School Curriculum: A Biblical View. Terre Haute, Indiana: Signal Publishing
Company, 1977.
Gene B. Chase 'Has Christian theology furthered mathematics' In Facets of Faith and
Science vol 2: The Role of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An
Augustinian Perspective. Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) University Press of
America/ Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies: Lanham/ Ancaster, 1996.
Harold Heie and David L. Wolfe (editors) The Reality of
Christian Learning: Strategies for Faith-Discipline Integration (Grand
Rapids: Christian University Press/ Eerdmans, 1987)
Harold Heie and Gene
Chase contribute two chapters on ways of integrating the Christian faith and
mathematics.
Harold Heie 'Developing a Christian
perspective on the nature of mathematics' in Arlin C. Migliazzo
(ed.) Teaching as an act of faith: theory and practice in
church-related higher education. New York : Fordham University Press,
2002, 95-116
P. MacKenzie Entry Points for Christian Reflection within Education (London: CARE, 1997) (Now
available as an e-book)
Jim Nance 'Worldview test case: Christianity in math class', in Repairing the Ruins ed. Douglas J. Wilson, 59-71. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1996. contents
Jim Nance 'Worldview test case: Christianity in math class', in Repairing the Ruins ed. Douglas J. Wilson, 59-71. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 1996. contents
Vern Poythress ‘A biblical view of mathematics’ in Foundations of
Christian Scholarship: Essays in the Van Til Perspective (Vallecito, CA: Ross House, 1976)
Geraldine J.
Steensma and Harro W. Van Brummelen Shaping School Curriculum: A
Biblical View (Terre Haute, Ind: Signal, 1977)
Contains a useful
chapter on math education by Van Brummelen and some examples (Statistics and
Deductive Geometry) of how this translates into classroom practice.
Danie F. M.Strauss 'A historical analysis of the role of beliefs in the three
foundational crises in mathematics'. In Facets of Faith and Science vol
2: The Role of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An Augustinian
Perspective. Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) University Press of America/
Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies: Lanham/ Ancaster, 1996.
Danie F. M. Strauss 'Primitive meaning
in mathematics: the interaction among commitment, theoretical worldview and
axiomatic set theory'. In Facets of Faith and Science vol 2: The Role
of Beliefs in Mathematics and the Natural Sciences: An Augustinian Perspective.
Jitse M. van der Meer (ed.) (Lanham/ Ancaster: University Press of America/
Pascal Centre for Advanced Studies:, 1996).
Danie F. M. Strauss Paradigms in Mathematics, Physics and Biology their Philosophical Roots (Bloemfontein: Tekskor BK, 2001)
Danie F. M. Strauss Philosophy: Discipline of the Disciplines (Grand Rapids: Paiedia Press, 2009)
Chapters 2 and 3 look at the uniqueness of science (including mathematics) and Dooyeweerd's modal aspects - which include the quantitative, spatial and kinematic)
Anthony Tol 'Counting , number concepts and numerosity' in Hearing
and Doing John Kraay and Anthony Tol (ed.) (Toronto: Wedge, 1979)
Chapter 12 deals with maths. He
contrasts rationalist and romanticist views of math education and offers some
pointers for a Christian approach.
Willis Alberda 'What is number' Pro Rege vol. 3 (March 1975), 2-8.
Willis Alberda ' Existence in mathematics' Pro Rege vol. 7 (1979), 11-15.
Patricia L. Ahlborn 'A Christian
philosophy of mathematics' online here
Places the emphasis on
teaching maths with meaning; she has three broad goals: maths should: reveal
God, call the student to a life of service; and lead the student into a deeper
knowledge of God. A helpful overview.
Paul Bialek 'Integrative Questions in
the Mathematics Curriculum: A Strategy for Faith-Learning Integration in
Mathematics' unpublished paper, 2003.
Steve Bishop 'Beliefs shapesmathematics' Spectrum 28 (2) (Spring 1996)
Examines several philosophies of maths to show that maths is not
neutral but shaped by beliefs. The contours of a Christian approach to maths
are sketched.
Steve Bishop 'Mathematics and the myth of neutrality' Christian School Education 5 (4) (2001-2002),
19-21.
This issue of CSE had other articles on mathematics see here.
James Bradley 'Two ways ofknowing' Journal of the ACMS 2004 (Aug)
This issue of CSE had other articles on mathematics see here.
James Bradley 'Two ways ofknowing' Journal of the ACMS 2004 (Aug)
James Bradley 'Teaching mathematics from a Christian perspective' World Report ASCI (2007) also here.
Robert G. De Boer 'Faith and
mathematics' Reformed Journal 27 (4) (1977)
Gary De Young 'Perspective on mathematical modelling' Pro Rege 38 (2010)
Edward Fackerell 'The RelationshipBetween Mathematics and the Christian Faith'. Christian Teachers Journal,
Vol 11, No. 2, May 2003.
(The Christian Teachers
Journal can be contacted at: PO Box 7000, Blacktown NSW 2148
Australia)
Howard Faw ' Does scripture support standardized tests?' PSCF 42
(1990), 86-93.
Geertsema, Jan C. A Christian View of the Foundations of Statistics PSCF 39 (September
1987), 158-164
Jan Gormas 'A search for intellectual,
relational and spiritual integrity: secondary mathematics from a Christian
perspective' Education and Christian Belief 9(2) (2005)
I
Grattan-Guinness, Historical notes on the relations between mathematics and the
Christianities, Meeting of Austrian Society for the History of
Mathematics (Spring, 1999)
Anglea Hare 'Mathematics andChristianity: Integration Project'
Andrew M.
Hartley The Philosophy ofthe Law Idea and the Role of the Prescientific in Statistical Inference Journal of the ACMS 2004 (Dec)
Robert A. Herrmann 'Modern mathematics - Its
relation to physical science and theology' (1999, 2007)
Jim Jadrich 'Constructivism in science
and math: is it Christian?' Christian Educators Journal
38, (October 1998), 17-18.
Calvin Jongsma 'Christianity and
mathematics: an analysis of differing approaches to their interrelationship'
ICS Academic Papers, 1984.
Calvin Jongsma 'Mathematics: Always important, never enough. A Christian perspective on
mathematics and mathematics education' Journal of the Association of Christians in the
Mathematical Sciences 2006. Also in Pro Rege 35 (4), 21-38.
Math and the Bible' Trinity Review Sept/ October 1982.
Willem Kuyk 'Some questions on the
foundation of logic' Philosophia Reformata 34 (1969),
142-146
Chapter 7 is on
mathematics and looks at how it is approached from a UK Christian schools
perspective.
Katherine Loop 'Teaching math from a biblical perspective' blog post
Andrew Palfryman School mathematics and christian faith - are they related? ActNow Summer 2005.
Andrew Philip Christianity and mathematics - a review Many to Many (Feb 1993)
Vern Poythress
Creation and Mathematics; or What Does God Have to Do with Numbers? The
Journal of Christian Reconstruction 1 (1), 128-40.
Vern Poythress Mathematics as Rhyme Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation 35
(4), 196-203. (See my commentshere)
Vern Poythress 'Newton's Laws as Allegory' Journal of the American
Scientific Affiliation 35 (3),156-161.
Devotionals with mathematics content!
A useful 30-page
booklet dealing with the history of math from the Pythagoreans to the present
from a Christian perspective.
M D Stafleu 'The
mathematical and technical opening up of a field of science' Philosophia
Reformata 43 (1978).
Danie F. M. Strauss 'Number concept
and number-idea (continued)' Philosophia Reformata. 36 (1971),
13-42.
Danie F. M. Strauss 'Mathematical paradigms' Journal for
Christian Scholarship, 3rd & 4th Quarter 1994, 113-167.
Danie F. M. Strauss 'The three
foundational crises in mathematics' Journal for Christian Scholarship ,
1st & 2nd Quarter 1995, 12-22.
Danie F. M. Strauss Reductionism in Mathematics: Philosophical Reflections Journal for Christian
Scholarship, 37, 1ste en 2nd Quarter, 2001, 1-12
Danie F. M. Strauss Is a Christian Mathematics possible? Tydskrif vir Christelike Wetenskap/Journal for Christian
Scholarship, 2003(3-4), 31-49.
Harro Van Brummelen 'Mathematics in
the Christian High School Curriculum' Christian Educators Journal vol.
17(September/October 1977), 15-17.
Harro Van Brummelen 'What's happening
in math' Christian Home and School vol. 57 (May/June
1979), 16-18.
Harro Van Brummelen 'Toward a Christian Approach to Teaching and Learning Mathematics' ASCI
Arnold Veldkamp 'Irrational numbers and reality' Pro Rege vol. 4, (December 1975), 2-3.
John Westwell 'Teaching mathematics: it's time to tell new stories' Education and Christian Belief 9(2) (2005)
Web resources
Transforming Teachers resources here
Blogs
Josh Wilkerson's God and math
Katherine Loop's Math from a Christian
Perspective
Blog posts
Patrick Chan 'A few math resources'
7 comments:
Thanks for this Steve!
You can get the Poythress article at theologynetwork.org
Are there additional references here to what's on your site?:
http://www.freewebs.com/steveb_uk/mathematics.htm
Yes! Though most of what's on the websiste are listed here (I think!). This is the old list updated.
I have written two books to help parents and teachers teach math from a biblical worldview. One is actually a supplemental curriculum that walks through the concepts in arithmetic, bringing in history, science, real-life, and, above all, a biblical perspective.
I wrote the resources after my own view of math was completely transformed by "Mathematics: Is God Silent?", one of the books I see you have listed here.
My website is http://www.christianperspective.net/math.html
Thank you for this list of resources, and may God bless you!
Steve,
Thank you for these resources. I have linked them on my website http://www.GodandMath.com.
I am currently looking for contributions. Would you be at all interested in offering an article as a guest post on my site? It would not have to be an original piece unless you so desired.
I look forward to hearing from you. Blessings in all of your future endeavors.
Thanks for the fine work, Steve! May it ever grow and prosper. :-)
(Kind thanks for the nod to my little post too!)
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