--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a very real sense my science does…" description: "\"In a very real sense my science does inform my knowledge of God. If you would allow me to say that we never know God, because if I claim that I know Go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/george-coyne-21311_approach_in-a-very-real-sense-my-science-does-inf_1869985.jpg" --- # In a very real sense my science does inform my knowledge… ![“In a very real sense my science does inform my knowledge of God. If you would allow me to say that we never know God, because if I claim that I know God, I know something other than God, because God is not knowable, he is unknowable. So we have to approach it in that sense first, that my knowledge…” quote by George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/george-coyne-21311_approach_in-a-very-real-sense-my-science-does-inf_1869985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/george-coyne-21311_approach_in-a-very-real-sense-my-science-does-inf_1869985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/george-coyne-21311_approach_in-a-very-real-sense-my-science-does-inf_1869985.jpg) > “In a very real sense my science does inform my knowledge of God. If you would allow me to say that we never know God, because if I claim that I know God, I know something other than God, because God is not knowable, he is unknowable. So we have to approach it in that sense first, that my knowledge of God is always limited.” [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Science reveals the limits of human understanding of the divine; God is ultimately unknowable, so humility is required. **In simple terms:** We can’t fully know God; science shows our limits. Key Takeaway Embrace humility about divine knowledge. Themes theology science humility epistemology Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic lectures - interfaith dialogues - personal contemplation Key Concepts metaphysics faith knowledge limits Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging unknowability affect faith? - What role should science play in spiritual inquiry? A Different Perspective Some argue faith can provide knowledge beyond scientific limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Knowing god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-god/) [Knowledge of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-of-god/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [Understanding human nature is the highest knowledge, and only by knowing it can we know God. It is also a fact that the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/understanding-human-nature-is-the-highest-knowledge-and-only-by/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [To know God and to find one's full satisfaction in that knowledge is the ultimate goal of Christian experience. The Lord's greatest delight comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/to-know-god-and-to-find-one-s-full-satisfaction-in-that-knowledge-is/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [A little knowledge OF God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge ABOUT him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/a-little-knowledge-of-god-is-worth-more-than-a-great-deal-of/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a world where everybody said, 'We don't know?' The fact is that you're surrounded -God and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/wouldn-t-it-be-wonderful-if-we-had-a-world-where-everybody-said-we/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Since it is impossible, without God, to come to knowledge of God, he teaches men through his Word to know God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/since-it-is-impossible-without-god-to-come-to-knowledge-of-god-he/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [The knowledge of God, the belief in God, is what I call an a-rational process. It's not rational - it doesn't proceed by scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/the-knowledge-of-god-the-belief-in-god-is-what-i-call-an-a-rational/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [If I have a fundamental belief that the universe is created by God, then I also come to the belief that that universe reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/if-i-have-a-fundamental-belief-that-the-universe-is-created-by-god/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Neither of us can come to either a knowledge of God, or a denial of God by our scientific research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/neither-of-us-can-come-to-either-a-knowledge-of-god-or-a-denial-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I don't use scientific data as a foundation for believing in God - I use it as an enrichment of my knowledge of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-don-t-use-scientific-data-as-a-foundation-for-believing-in-god-i/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [We can seek God and find him! God is knowable, touchable, hearable, seeable, with the mind, the hands, the ears and the eyes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/we-can-seek-god-and-find-him-god-is-knowable-touchable-hearable/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“No matter how hard people work to suppress their knowledge of God, creation itself keeps challenging them. “Human life is a continual wrestling match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/no-matter-how-hard-people-work-to-suppress-their-knowledge-of-god/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [In all thy actions think God sees thee; and in all His actions labor to see Him; that will make thee fear Him; this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/in-all-thy-actions-think-god-sees-thee-and-in-all-his-actions-labor/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [We find the instrument for the Knowledge of God in ourselves But we find God everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-steiner/we-find-the-instrument-for-the-knowledge-of-god-in-ourselves-but-we/) [Rudolf Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-steiner/) > [The sum total of all possible knowledge of God is not possible for a human being, not even through a true revelation. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-sum-total-of-all-possible-knowledge-of-god-is-not-possible-for-a/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“You do not say someone is holy because he puts forth great ideas concerning the knowledge of God and the attributes of God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-molinos/you-do-not-say-someone-is-holy-because-he-puts-forth-great-ideas/) [Michael Molinos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-molinos/) ## More by George Coyne > [Science is and should be seen as "completely neutral" on the issue of the theistic or atheistic implications of scientific results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/science-is-and-should-be-seen-as-completely-neutral-on-the-issue-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I have never come to know God, to see God, to believe in God through doing science. He's not the conclusion of some sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-have-never-come-to-know-god-to-see-god-to-believe-in-god-through/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Being a scientist helps to support both my life as a Jesuit and my belief in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/being-a-scientist-helps-to-support-both-my-life-as-a-jesuit-and-my/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Because God is reflected in the world in which me made, in some sense, my scientific investigation has always supported my belief in God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/because-god-is-reflected-in-the-world-in-which-me-made-in-some-sense/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [People tend not to disassociate the technological issues from pure scientific research, so that science sometimes gets a bad name for things that science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/people-tend-not-to-disassociate-the-technological-issues-from-pure/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [My answer to someone who is in contrast with me - by not seeing God in the scientific data - is that you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/my-answer-to-someone-who-is-in-contrast-with-me-by-not-seeing-god-in/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Neither of us can come to either a knowledge of God, or a denial of God by our scientific research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/neither-of-us-can-come-to-either-a-knowledge-of-god-or-a-denial-of/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [If I have a fundamental belief that the universe is created by God, then I also come to the belief that that universe reflects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/if-i-have-a-fundamental-belief-that-the-universe-is-created-by-god/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [Scientists in general tend to have what I would call a bit of hubris that the public do not necessarily understand. So scientists some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/scientists-in-general-tend-to-have-what-i-would-call-a-bit-of-hubris/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I can't see for the life of me how an attempt to understand the universe, which I believe comes from God, can alienate us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-can-t-see-for-the-life-of-me-how-an-attempt-to-understand-the/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I hope I'm not giving the impression of an ivory tower science, but for me science is an attempt to understand, it's an attempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-hope-i-m-not-giving-the-impression-of-an-ivory-tower-science-but/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [I think today the church faces a very real challenge in not repeating the errors of the past, in sort of a stand off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/i-think-today-the-church-faces-a-very-real-challenge-in-not-repeating/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [The technological overflow from scientific research has brought scientific research this bad name about carrying an irresponsibility and an alienation from God - because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/the-technological-overflow-from-scientific-research-has-brought/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) > [The knowledge of God, the belief in God, is what I call an a-rational process. 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But, it's always done it very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-coyne/christianity-has-always-had-sort-of-an-ability-to-absorb-the/) [George Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) [Explore all 29 George Coyne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-coyne/) ## More Approach quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. 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