A relationship of irrelevance occurs when a scientific proposition and a religious proposition have nothing to do with each other. Quasi-direct relevance occurs when science and religion have competing alternative explanations of the same data. Direct relevance comes in two forms, affirmative direct relevance (ADR) and negative direct relevance (NDR). Affirmative direct relevance occurs when a theological doctrine can be inferred from scientific statements. Negative direct relevance occurs when a theological doctrine is false and that infers a scientific statement to be true. Indirect relevance comes in three forms, methodological, metaphysical and heuristic. Methodological indirect relevance involves issues usually raised in epistemological considerations. Theologians often adopt a specific methodology to systematize their work or to impose a formal structure on beliefs held about God. A second area of methodological concern is the traditional theological problem of sorting out the relationship between faith and reason. Metaphysical indirect relevance is viewed as a conceptual theme through which the results of particular disciplines can be systematized and interpreted. Heuristic relevance is the belief that science and religion may have valid correspondences for one another.
Science is important to religion for four major reasons. Religious believers should develop a belief in nature because God is responsible for creation and is one of “Two Books” which reveal God. The other book is the Book of Scripture. Science is important to religious believers if they are to be good stewards, because medicines need to be created to heal and prevent diseases and methods for preserving the environment need to be developed. Religion and science interacts and it is important to identify acts of nature and those which are simply out of the ordinary. If a religious believer is to rationally defend their beliefs, he must know the fundamentals of s...