Abstract
I have a question that has been floating around in the back of my mind for a long time. I see the question hinted at frequently on the ASA listserv but no one comes right out and asks it. The question is: "Where does the spiritual world fit into our description of the physical world via relativity, quantum and evolutionary theory?" First let me define what I mean by spiritual world. I mean what the Apostle Paul describes in Eph. 6:12: "...our struggle is not against flesh and blood [the physical world], but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (the spirit world)." The Bible is replete with stories of demons and angels and encounters with God that have a physical effect in this world. The last two thousand years of church history contain hundreds of examples. (Cf. R. Douglas Geivett and Gary R. Habermas, In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God's Action in History (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997) reviewed in PSCF 50:2 (1998): 149; and Don Richardson, Eternity in Their Hearts (Regal Books, 1981).