Abstract

This chapter discusses chemistry's connection to natural theology, tracing the history of chemistry from its origins in alchemy to developments in the twentieth century. Alchemists sought to ape and speed up God's creation, but were concerned about whether artificial gold would be the same as natural gold. Modern chemists too, as they sought to improve the world through their syntheses of dyes, vitamins, and textiles, have been taxed with producing poor substitutes for the natural and the organic. God's creations are still seen as superior to humans'. The nature of chemistry has made it a less-obvious science for natural theology, but by no means a barren field.