Appendix 7: Bible-Believing Scientists of the Past

by Dr. Henry M. Morris:

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

Many scientists today insist that no true scientist can believe in special creation or in the inspiration of the Bible. They are wrong, however, for there are thousands of living scientists who believe in special, recent creation, who believe in Christ and have accepted Him as personal Savior, and who believe in the inerrancy and full authority of the Bible. Over a thousand such men have belonged to one particular organization, the Creation Research Society, and there are numerous similar organizations around the world.

Furthermore, many—probably most—of the greatest scientists of all times, the founding fathers of science in fact, believed in a personal Creator God, the inspiration of the Bible, special creation, and professed faith in Christ and the gospel. Whether all were truly “born-again,” as we would understand that term in a Bible-believing church today, we cannot know. Some were unorthodox in their specific doctrinal beliefs, but all were creationists.

A tabulation of some of these great scientists of the past, with the disciplines they founded or the particular discoveries or inventions they made, is given below. It is surely extremely wrong for anyone to allege (as many do) that one cannot be a true scientist and still believe in special creation.

Scientific Disciplines Established by Bible-believing Scientists

Discipline Scientist
1. Antiseptic Surgery Joseph Lister (1827-1912)
2. Bacteriology Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
3. Calculus Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
4. Celestial Mechanics Johann Kepler (1571-1630)
5. Chemistry Robert Boyle (1626-1691)
6. Comparative Anatomy Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)
7. Computer Science Charles Babbage (1792-1871)
8. Dimensional Analysis Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919)
9. Dynamics Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
10. Electrodynamics James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
11. Electromagnetics Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
12. Electronics Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945)
13. Energetics Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
14. Entomology of Living Insects Henri Fabre (1823-1915)
15. Field Theory Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
16. Fluid Mechanics George Stokes (1819-1903)
17. Galactic Astronomy William Herschel (1738-1822)
18. Gas Dynamics Robert Boyle (1627-1691)
19. Genetics Gregor Mendel (1822-1884)
20. Glacial Geology Louis Agassiz (1807-1873)
21. Gynecology James Simpson (1811-1870)
22. Hydraulics Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
23. Hydrography Matthew Maury (1806-1873)
24. Hydrostatics Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
25. Ichthyology Louis Agassiz (1807-1873)
26. Isotopic Chemistry William Ramsay (1852-1916)
27. Model Analysis Lord Rayleigh (1842-1919)
28. Natural History John Ray (1627-1705)
29. Non-Euclidean Geometry Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866)
30. Oceanography Matthew Maury (1806-1873)
31. Optical Mineralogy David Brewster (1781-1868)
32. Paleontology John Woodward (1665-1728)
33. Pathology Rudolph Virchow (1821-1902)
34. Physical Astronomy Johann Kepler (1571-1630)
35. Reversible Thermodynamics James Joule (1818-1889)
36. Statistical Thermodynamics James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
37. Stratigraphy Nicholas Steno (1631-1686)
38. Systematic Biology Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
39. Thermodynamics Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
40. Thermokinetics Humphrey Davy (1778-1829)
41. Vertebrate Paleontology Georges Cuvier (1769-1832)

Notable Inventions, Discoveries, or Developments by Bible-Believing Scientists

Contribution Scientists
1. Absolute Temperature Scale Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
2. Actuarial Tables Charles Babbage (1792-1871)
3. Barometer Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
4. Biogenesis Law Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
5. Calculating Machine Charles Babbage (1792-1871)
6. Chloroform James Simpson (1811-1870)
7. Classification System Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778)
8. Double Stars William Herschel (1738-1822)
9. Electric Generator Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
10. Electric Motor Joseph Henry (1797-1878)
11. Ephemeris Tables Johann Kepler (1571-1630)
12. Fermentation Control Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
13. Galvanometer Joseph Henry (1797-1878)
14. Global Star Catalog John Herschel (1792-1871)
15. Inert Gases William Ramsay (1852-1916)
16. Kaleidoscope David Brewster (1781-1868)
17. Law of Gravity Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
18. Mine Safety Lamp Humphrey Davy (1778-1829)
19. Pasteurization Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
20. Reflecting Telescope Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
21. Scientific Method Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
22. Self-induction Joseph Henry (1797-1878)
23. Telegraph Samuel F. B. Morse (1791-1872)
24. Thermionic Valve Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945)
25. Trans-Atlantic Cable Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)
26. Vaccination and Immunization Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

This tabulation, showing that many of the founding fathers of modern science were men who believed in God, the Bible and creation, was first published as an ICR “Impact Article” in Acts and Facts, (Jan. 1982), then in Men of Science, Men of God, by Henry M. Morris (San Diego: Master Books, 1982, 1988), 107 pp.