But their conception of the world as a living organism, the divine source of all life including their gods, was totally incapable of producing the scientific development we have inherited. Firstly there is the doctrine of the almighty personal creator of the Old Testament. His powerful word has brought all things into existence from nothingness and he still rules and sustains all creation. Unlike the gods of the nations, the Lord is not arbitrary, capricious or immoral, but faithful, righteous and merciful. It is no longer feared or worshipped but simply regarded as the handiwork of God to be admired, studied and managed.
Man is no longer merely an insignificant element of the cosmic totality.
He is the unique image of God who is set in the world to investigate and rule it. In the Bible, God and nature are no longer both opposed to man. On the contrary, God and man together confront nature. There is no longer an eternal cycle of nature or cycle of history. Time and history are, like the universe, created by God and therefore completely determined and governed by His Will.