Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy writing as long as I can write about something that I have passion for. Despite being a mathematics education major, the history of mathematics isn't actually something that I care too much about (sorry), so coming up with a topic for this post has posed to be a little difficult. However, anyone who knows me also knows that I am crazy passionate about Jesus and diving deep into the Word of God. So, to tag along with my previous blogpost about being able to find and use mathematics in all situations, we're going to attempt to tie mathematics and the Bible together in what may be a feeble attempt to create a solid blog post.
In class we have been following the progression of mathematics and discussing many great mathematicians and philosophers who created varying theories regarding mathematics. These are things that while I've never really experienced learning about them in other classes, I've also never really wondered about them. Mathematics in my mind is one of those things that just seems to have always existed. But today (literally today) I started thinking about the other side of that assumption. Where did mathematics begin really? Is there one person who first explored and discovered mathematics? How was mathematics actually created?
The way I see it is like this:
The Bible begins with the story of creation. In fact, the very first two verses (Genesis 1:1-2) say, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." This means that before God spoke the earth into creation, there was literally nothing. Just God. Then, at the voice of the Lord, over a period of six days, everything in and of the earth was formed. In the book of Colossians, it is stated, "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities: all things have been created through him and for him" (Colossians 1:16). Although these passages in the Bible don't come out and directly state, "and then God created mathematics", the concept of mathematics clearly had to come from somewhere. The Bible tells us that God created all things, so does that mean that God created math as well?
Again, here's how I see it:
Mathematics isn't an object; it isn't a tangible thing like a person or an animal. But, God still created everything. God is and always has been, ever-present. He knows the details of everything of this earth; everything in it, everything on it, and everything that happens within it. He knows the specifics of all things before they happen, and He knows each and every new earthly discovery before it's made. God designed this earth according to how He saw fit so that He may be glorified. We, as humans, have not actually created anything, but have rather been given the gift of discovering the vastness of the creation that God has already so carefully constructed.
I think in this way, mathematics is something that has actually been present seemingly for forever. God created the shapes of the land, the movement of the waters, and the properties of everything in between, and while it may be interesting to learn about the great mathematical discoveries of our time, I personally think, God is the ultimate creator and arguably therefore, the ultimate mathematician.
Kelsey, your blog is worded beautifully. I think it is great that you can write about something you are passionate about while relating it to our class. Like you, I find it hard to find topics to write about for this class because I also have not cared to much about the history of mathematics. It is not that the history of math is not important, but I have not been much of a history person. I loved your blog Kelsey. Great job.
ReplyDeleteThese posts are evaluated by:
ReplyDeleteClear- if this shows up as an issue, it’s usually about spelling, grammar or structure.
Coherent- has a point and an objective
Complete- looks like 2 hours of work, attends to necessary bits for the point. Sharing your thinking, always a good idea. Cite images or websites you used or referenced.
Content- math and teaching ideas are accurate. (Does not mean no math mistakes. Mistakes are how we get better!)
Consolidated- writing has an end. Synthesize the ideas, pose remaining questions, etc. Sometimes I recommend one or more of: 1) What did I say/do?, 2) Why is it important?, 3) What comes next?
On first writing these are just for feedback. At the end of the semester you pick 3 posts for exemplars. Those can be revised from feedback or just ones you write taking into account the feedback now.
So you've got me thinking about math and religion. Several cultures had a strong link - people started recording math because of religious observance, which is connected to calendar and astronomy... but there's not that much of this in the bible. Certainly a lot of noticing and connections, with 40 for example, or 12. We debate sometimes was math discovered or invented, but I like thinking about whether it was created.
Hi, Kelsey!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. It was very eloquently written and, like Oliva, I love how you were able to write about something that relates to you while digging a little deeper into where the creation of math came from. I also like how you said that God is the ultimate mathematician - not just a plain ol' mathematician, not a master mathematician, but the ultimate. Nicely done!
-Angel