Is there a contradiction between, on the one hand, how science and philosophy seek to understand the universe, and, on the other, a religious or theological perspective? Or can the two approaches peacefully coexist or even complement one another? And how far could such a parallel approach progress? There are strong arguments that modem scientific cosmology cannot ultimately explain the big bang
... [Show full abstract] or its cause - but neither can any belief in creation. God is neither necessary nor sufficient for understanding the universe, and religious statements are not a useful means of filling explanatory gaps in naturalistic or scientific approaches. Ultimately, the cosmos seems contingent. - This paper reviews recent cosmological explanations, and distinguishes four meanings of "big bang". It discusses the limits of its scientific understanding, the asymmetric relationship between science and theology, different notions of "creation", and how the latter conflicts with naturalism. The religious "warfare" ("Kriegführung"), as Karl Heim called it, must fail.
