Religion and science Books

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Book SynopsisThis investigation of religion by greatest psychoanalyst of the twentieth-century explores the role faith can take in the life of man, what it can mean to us and why as a species we are inclined towards it. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

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Book SynopsisNEW EDITIONThe Science Delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality. The fundamental questions are answered, leaving only the details to be filled in. In this book (published in the US as Science Set Free), Dr Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's most innovative scientists, shows that science is being constricted by assumptions that have hardened into dogmas. The 'scientific worldview' has become a belief system. All reality is material or physical. The world is a machine, made up of dead matter. Nature is purposeless. Consciousness is nothing but the physical activity of the brain. Free will is an illusion. God exists only as an idea in human minds, imprisoned within our skulls.Sheldrake examines these dogmas scientifically, and shows persuasively that science would be better off without them: freer, more interesting, and more fun.In The God Delusion Richard Dawkins used science to bash God, but here Rupert Sheldrake shows that Dawkins' understanding of what science can do is old-fashioned and itself a delusion. 'Rupert Sheldrake does science, humanity and the world at large a considerable favour.'The Independent'Certainly we need to accept the limitations of much current dogma and keep our minds open as we reasonably can. Sheldrake may help us do so through this well-written, challenging and always interesting book.' Financial TimesTrade Review'Sheldrake powerfully reminds us that science must be pursued with an open mind.' * Robert Jackson, former UK Minister for Science *'This is a terrific, engrossing book that throws open the shutters to reveal our world to be so much more intriguing and profound than could ever have been supposed.' * Dr James Le Fanu, author of The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine *'The author, a biologist, takes issue with the idea that science already understands the nature of reality - and in doing so, frees up the spirit of enquiry.' * The Times *'There is something rather odd about the current state of science. For Rupert Sheldrake, [it is] facing a 'credibility crunch' on many fronts. He presents this challenging argument by identifying 'ten core beliefs that most scientists take for granted.' He then interrogates each in turn by reformulating it, in the spirit of radical scepticism, as a question. This Socratic method of inquiry proves surprisingly illuminating. A serious mind-expanding book.' * James le Fanu, The Spectator *'Certainly we need to accept the limitations of much current dogma and keep our minds open as we reasonably can. Sheldrake may help us do so through this well-written, challenging and always interesting book.' * Crispin Tickell, Financial Times *'Rupert Sheldrake does science, humanity and the world at large a considerable favour.' * Colin Tudge, The Independent *Rupert Sheldrake shows very convincingly the way that time and again scientists refuse to look at anything outside a very limited set of possibilities. Sheldrake shows powerfully how some professional skeptics simply have no interest in looking into claims for anything outside of our current scientific understanding. A valuable and powerful message. * www.popularscience.co.uk *'Isn't it nice to have some mystery back? Isn't it nice to have doubts?' * Esquire *'We must somehow find different, more realistic ways of understanding human beings - and indeed other animals - as the active wholes that they are, rather than pretending to see them as meaningless consignments of chemicals. Rupert Sheldrake, who has long called for this development, spells out this need forcibly in his new book. He shows how materialism has gradually hardened into a kind of anti-Christian principle, claiming authority to dictate theories and to veto inquiries on topics that don't suit it, such as unorthodox medicine, let along religion. He shows just how unworkable the assumptions behind today's fashionable habits have become. The 'science delusion' of his title is the current popular confidence in certain fixed assumptions - the exaltation of today's science, not as the busy, constantly changing workshop that it actually is but as a final, infallible oracle preaching a crude kind of materialism... His insistence on the need to attend to possible wider ways of thinking is surely right.' * Mary Midgley, The Guardian *'A fascinating, humane and refreshing book that any layman can enjoy, in which he takes ten supposed scientific 'laws' and turns them, instead, into questions... Dr Sheldrake wants to bring energy and excitement back into science... he has already done more than any other scientist alive to broaden the appeal of the discipline, and readers should get their teeth into the important and astounding book.' * Country Life *'This is a delightful, interesting, informative, highly readable and much needed book and we definitely recommend it.' * Greenspirit.org.uk *'This is a book about science and understanding the world that I have been hoping to read for years. It should be on every science student's course.' * The Oldie *'This book is worth reading because of the depth of focus that the author brings to bear not only on the mind and our fixed opinions but also on our unthinking acceptance of the world, as we like to see it, along with our unquestioned assumptions.' * The Middle Way: Journal of the Buddhist Society *'Sheldrake will be seen as a prophet.' * The Sunday Times *An entertaining read. * The Sunday Times *Whether or not we want to follow Sheldrake's further speculations on topics such as morphic resonance, his insistence on the need to attend to possible wider ways of thinking is surely right. * Guardian *The maverick scientist questions the orthodox of "scientific worldview". * Observer *

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Book Synopsis_________________Includes a foreword by STEPHEN FRY''A classic for our time...And all time.'' - Michael Shermer''The words of Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris and Dennett are needed more than ever. These are the heirs to Voltaire.'' - Matt RidleyKnown as the four horsemen' of New Atheism, these four big thinkers of the twenty-first century met only once. Their electrifying examination of ideas on this remarkable occasion was intense and wide-ranging. Everything that was said as they agreed and disagreed with one another, interrogated ideas and exchanged insights about religion and atheism, science and sense speaks with urgency to our present age. Questions they asked of each other included: Is it ever possible to win a war of ideas? Is spirituality the preserve of the religious? Are there any truths you would rather not know? Would you want to see the end of faith?' The dialogue was recorded, and Trade ReviewThis transcript is of historical significance and belongs in the library of all thinking people. A classic for our time...and all time. -- Michael Shermer, Publisher Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist Scientific American, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, author of Heavens on Earth, The Moral Arc, The Believing Brain, and Why People Believe Weird ThingsI have a short list of intellectual heroes, and Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Daniel Dennett each have a place on it—not because I always agree with their views, but because I'm in awe of the way they form, express, and defend their views. If thinking were a sport, these four would be national superstars—and reading The Four Horsemen feels like having a front row seat at the all-star game. This is more than a book about atheism and religion—it's a lesson in how to use our intellect to cut through the haze of delusion and misconception inherent in any human society. -- Tim Urban, author of the blog 'Wait But Why'We are slowly losing the hard-won right, gained by brave heroes of the enlightenment such as Voltaire and Hume, to be free to criticise religion without persecution and prosecution; the crime of blasphemy is creeping back. The words of Hitchens, Dawkins, Harris and Dennett are needed more than ever. These are the heirs to Voltaire. -- Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of EverythingI was gripped. Throughout this erudite conversation the humility and openness of science shines against religion’s arrogance, hypocrisy and sheer gall in just ‘making stuff up’. How refreshing it is. -- Professor Susan BlackmoreOne to watch: electrifying -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *If you had to pick a place for our pop culture to change, Sun Records on December 4, 1956 at a jam session with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley is a pretty good symbolic spot. This conversation on September 30th, 2007 with Daniel, Sam, Richard, and Elvis . . . I mean Hitch at Hitch’s pad is as good a place as any to mark the start of the Atheist revolution. -- Penn Jillette, author of God, No!What a gift to be able to eavesdrop on this conversation! These four are the kinds of thinkers we don’t get enough of anymore; unapologetic, uncompromising, and deeply generous with one another as well as anyone who happens to be listening in. You needn’t be an atheist or a horseman to relish every word of this delightful book. You just need to be hungry for genuine intellectual inquiry and open debate. And, let’s face it, you’re probably starving. -- Meghan Daum, author of The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects Of DiscussionReading this book is like to getting to spend a profound afternoon with some of our greatest intellectuals. Blasphemous, erudite, devastatingly truthful, slyly hilarious. I gasped, I laughed, I nodded, and sometimes had to stop and just think for a moment about what they'd dared to say. -- Julia Sweeney, author of Letting Go of GodFor people inclined to disbelieve supernatural explanations -- in America, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers and sisters -- The Four Horsemen is a smart, fun, funny, seriously provocative primer. -- Kurt AndersonThrilling...Challenging...This bracing exchange of ideas crackles with energy...an invigorating example of what happens when astute, inquisitive minds engage together on deep questions. -- Andy Norman * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *

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Book SynopsisBelievers from a variety of faith communities were asked to assess how the Covid pandemic has affected their faith. The anthology collects their responses to key questions, such as: How does your faith explain why such events occur? How has it affected your religious practices? What changes has it necessitated? What differences might we expect once the pandemic is over? What have we learned from it? Two exponents of each major religion and a number of minority faiths comment on these issues, combined with a concluding essay by the editors assessing the overall impact of the pandemic on religion worldwide. Faiths explored include Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Sikh Baha'i, Jain, African Traditional Religion, Zoroastrian, Unitarian, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Science.Trade ReviewFor religions of all kinds, the imperative to remember is of great importance. As we tentatively move into a post-Covid society, it is easy to forget the impact the pandemic had on our understanding and practice of faith and spirituality. This remarkable collection of reflections from a very wide range of traditions should serve as a multi-faceted reminder to the deep religious and ethical issues which Covid created, uncovered and amplified. * Michael Ipgrave OBE, Bishop of Lichfield, UK *By sharing experiences of the Covid Pandemic, people of different countries and beliefs will be better prepared to act together in the event of future global threats to peace and prosperity. * Marcus Braybrooke, Former President of the World Congress of Faiths, UK *George D. Chryssides and Dan Cohn-Sherbok have assembled an informed collection of contributors who provide a comparative window into how adherents of a wide variety of religious traditions responded to the global pandemic. Readers will learn not only how differently the religions understood and responded to the traumatic events, but also how united the human species is in drawing upon religion in times of need. * John W. Morehead, Director, Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy/Multifaith Matters, USA *A collection of insightful responses and reflections from a wide variety of religious voices that are valuable in themselves and, as Rowan Williams says in the foreword, “They suggest that the process of distilling what is to be learned from the pandemic will need spiritual insight, not just a superficial optimism about doing better next time." * David Steers, Editor of Faith and Freedom, UK *Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors Foreword, Rowan Williams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury Acknowledgements Table of Acronyms 1. Covid and Religion – Christopher Lewis, (Dean Emeritus, Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, UK) 2. Pandemics and Jewish Responses – Oliver Leaman (University of Kentucky, USA) 3. Some Jewish Perspectives from the United States – David J. Zucker (Rabbi and Author, UK) 4. Covid, Communion and Christianity – Clare Amos (World Council of Churches, Switzerland) 5. We Can’t Forget: Conservative Protestants in the COVID-19 Pandemic – Camille Kaminski Lewis (Furman University, USA) 6. “What people's hands have earned”: Islamic perspectives on Covid – Usama Hasan (Al Quran Society, UK) 7. Glimpses into Islamic Perspectives and Practice – Farhana Mayer (University of Oxford, UK) 8. Turning to Medicine is Not Turning Away from God: Hindu Resilience in a Pandemic – Anantanand Rambachan (St Olaf College, Minnesota, USA) 9. Karma, Chanting, Love, and Zoom; Hindu Responses to a Pandemic – Shaunaka Rishi Das (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, UK) and Utsa Bose 10. The Buddha’s Prescription for the World: How People Used Buddhism to Cope with the Pandemic – Bogodá Seelawimala (Head of the London Buddhist Vihara and the Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain, UK) 11. Covid and Theravada Buddhism – Peter Harvey (University of Sunderland, UK) 12. Fostering Everyday Culture at Shinto Shrines under Covid – Taishi Kato (Shinto Priest, Hattori Tenjingu Shrine, Osaka, Japan) 13. The Significance of Matsuri festivals in Shinto during Epidemics – Koji Suga (Kokugakuin University, Japan) 14. Covid and Sewa: Practising Sikhi during a Global Pandemic – Tejpaul Singh Bainiwal (University of Southern California Riverside, USA) 15. Sikh Scriptemics during Pandemic – Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh (Colby College, USA) 16. Navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience: Reflections of a Bahá’í – Wendi Momen (University of Derby, UK) 17. World-Embracing Vision Against World-Threatening Pandemic – George Merchant Ballentyne (Leicester Council of Faiths, UK) 18. Jains and Covid-19 – Vinod Kapashi (World Congress of Faiths, UK) 19. Jain Perceptions of the Pandemic – Kumarpal Desai 20. African Religion – Vibrant amid Covid-19 in Eswatini – Hebron L Ndlovu (University of Swaziland, Swaziland) 21. Opening our eyes: Covid-19 and Indigenous Funeral Processes in African Traditional Religion – Nokuzola Mndende (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa) 22. Zarathustra’s Wisdom: Accepting Natural Consequences – Jehangir Sarosh (The World Council of Religions for Peace) 23. Transforming Challenges into Progress: A Zoroastrian Perspective – Karishma Koka (University of Cambridge, UK) 24. Unitarians and global catastrophe: a pandemic, a war and a climate emergency – Feargus O’Connor (World Congress of Faiths, UK) 25. Unitarian Universalists Face Covid: Challenges, Surprises, and New Pathways – Jay Atkinson (Starr King School, USA) 26. When ‘No Resident Will Say: “I Am Sick”’ – The Global Religious Response of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Covid-19 Pandemic – Jolene Chu (Archivist, World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, USA) 27. How one Jehovah’s Witness community negotiated the ride of the ‘pale horse’ – Gary Perkins (Independent Scholar, UK) 28. Practising my Christian Science Faith during the Covid-19 Pandemic – Shirley Paulson (Formerly Head of Ecumenical Affairs, Christian Science Church, USA) 29. Personal Experiences of the Christian Science Faith during Covid – Susan Searle, (Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia, Australia) 30. Covid and Theology – Dan Cohn-Sherbok 31. What Have We Learned? – George D. Chryssides Index

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Book SynopsisBeloved teacher and thought leader Gregg Braden explains how word-specific patterns used by ancient civilisations can help us rewire our brains for resilience and healing.Long before the advent of neuroscience, our ancestors understood intuitively that the words we speak and think can cause deep inner transformation: they created specific word patterns to provide healing, strength and inner power in difficult times, and encoded these in prayers and sacred writings.In this book, Gregg Braden shares Wisdom Codes for the full range of life experiences, including:- healing from loss- giving and receiving love- addressing anger, anxiety and addiction- finding forgivenessEach Wisdom Code - distilled from a quote, a scripture passage or a parable - is accompanied by a brief discussion of what the code means, why it's important and how to apply it in your life.

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Book SynopsisAs lifelong meditators and mindfulness teachers, we confess we were almost embarrassed when we stumbled onto a 5-15 second shortcut to transcendence. This idea ran counter to everything we knew about meditation before we began our research. But, yes, it is possible. It only requires accessing the powerful emotion of awe in ordinary, everyday life. The changes in our lives have been profound, and after seeing the results repeated again and again in our thousands of patients, clients, and study participants, we''ve proven that our shortcut, coined the A.W.E. Method, works. -from the Preface Think about the last time you were truly in awe - perhaps on a walk or whilst watching a musician perform live - maybe you felt goosebumps or you lost your sense of time? Unbeknownst to you, some pretty incredible things were happening inside your body. Your fight-flight-freeze response became less active and activity decreased in your brain''s default mode network, whichTrade ReviewEnlightening... This convincing appraisal of awe's many possibilities helps frame mindfulness in a fascinating and eminently actionable way. Wellness gurus and those merely seeking a break from frenetic daily life will want to take a look * Publishers Weekly *A powerful, practical, science-backed book that shows us how finding awe everywhere, every day is essential to our health and well-being. In The Power of Awe, the authors generously share their A.W.E. Method, a novel and refreshing approach to reduce stress, anxiety and pain by finding awe in the ordinary. -- Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding AnxietyI love this book! It's direct, powerful, heartfelt and grounded in science. Frankly, I am in awe of the deep practices offered by the authors. A gem. -- Rick Hanson, PhD, senior fellow at UC Berkeley’'s Great Good Science Center, and New York Times bestselling authorIn this deeply insightful book, Jake Eagle and Michael Amster introduce their A.W.E. contemplative approach, tested during the stress and trauma of the COVID pandemic, to increase your everyday sense of awe and wonder. This original book offers a new path to enjoying a more meaningful and awe-filled life, inspiring us to open our eyes to the wonders around us. -- Dacher Keltner PhD, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley, author, AWE: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How Iit Can Transform Your LifeThe Power of Awe encapsulates the essence of the healing journey out of chronic mental and physical pain. I have witnessed hundreds of patients break from pain with these concepts. I am in awe of Eagle and Amster's work and how well it is presented. -- David Hanscom, MD, author of Back in Control: A Surgeon’'s Roadmap Out of Chronic PainThe Power of Awe is an extraordinary book ... that helps us cultivate the fuller treasures and lifetime benefits of this gem of an emotion. Through practical methods of accessing awe at any moment, along with keen existential insights, this book takes us a major step toward a revitalised consciousness that is needed now. -- Kirk J. Schneider, PhD, author of Awakening to Awe, The Spirituality of Awe, and The Depolarizing of America: A Guidebook for Social HealingEagle and Amster's A.W.E. Method, is an extraordinary technique for synthesizing our panoramic understanding of mindfulness, biochemistry, neuroscience, and psychology, and turning it into a pure and conscious laser focus that resets the way we feel, while it opens up our minds to connectivity with others and clarity of thought within. Supported by a boatload of science, the fundamentals of this approach are easily understood and quickly implemented by anyone wanting to enhance their lives. I recommend it highly. -- Rick Foster, bestselling author of How We Choose to Be HappyThis unprecedented work introduces readers to the ingenious practice of microdosing on mindfulness. Jake Eagle and Michael Amster are wise and trustworthy guides who explain the science and impact of their research with clarity and confidence. Using relatable examples from clients and their own lives, the authors lead readers through this incredibly simple yet remarkably profound technique. The Power of Awe is a brilliant book that will revolutionize the way we think about mindfulness. -- Sebene Selassie, writer, teacher, author of You Belong: A Call for ConnectionA brilliant and original take on the emotional state of awe that eloquently illustrates what science is showing: Awe is indeed powerful, able to dampen fight-flight responses and activate a parasympathetic state to support calm feelings and relaxation-the only state, we're learning, in which healing of both mental and physical challenges and disruptions can efficiently occur. -- Stephen Porges, PhD, creator, Polyvagal TheoryThe Power of Awe is my idea of an antianxiety playbook for parents-and their kids. This simple A.W.E. Method can help turn the tide of our anxiety-ridden society in the most natural of ways-by showing us how to access awe, an emotion that is our birthright and that puts us in a state from which we can better access our resources. The A.W.E. Method is must-have addition to our antianxiety toolbox. -- Alison Escalante, MD, FAAP, pediatrician, inventor of the Sigh, See, Start parenting method, adjunct faculty at Rush Medical College of Rush UniversityThe Power of Awe is a breakthrough that integrates the wisdom of all great religious traditions with the insights of modern psychology to bring healing to anyone who seeks it -- Jack Riemer, rabbi, author of Finding God in Unexpected PlacesSafer and possibly more effective than psychotropic drugs, AWE also is more approachable for most of us than meditation. I would argue that the A.W.E. Method offers a simple, free and effective way to microdose on the biology of love. -- Sue Carter, distinguished university scientist, The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University

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Book SynopsisScience and Civilization in Islam has remained unsurpassed as the authoritative statement on this subject. With his characteristic breadth of learning, clarity of exposition and insight, Seyyed Hossein Nasr presents here for the first time a full picture of Islamic science, not as a chapter in the history of Western science, but as an integral aspect of Islamic civilisation and the Islamic intellectual tradition.By means of an historical presentation, an analysis of its forms, including the use of passages from the writings of many Muslim scientists and philosophers, the author is able to convey not only a sense of the operative context of Islamic science but he also demonstrates its inter-relatedness with the sapiential wisdom on which it is based. An introductory chapter provides the reader with a necessary orientation to the subject according to the principles of Islam, while subsequent chapters survey the whole spectrum of the individual sciences from cosmology, philosophy, and theology to alchemy, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine concluding with a chapter on the gnostic tradition.For this edition, Dr Nasr has written a preface surveying the fields covered in the book since its first appearance in 1968, and has provided a supplement that brings the Bibliography up to date.

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Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author of Darwin’s Doubt, Stephen Meyer, presents groundbreaking scientific evidence of the existence of God, based on breakthroughs in physics, cosmology, and biology.Beginning in the late 19th century, many intellectuals began to insist that scientific knowledge conflicts with traditional theistic belief—that science and belief in God are “at war.” Philosopher of science Stephen Meyer challenges this view by examining three scientific discoveries with decidedly theistic implications. Building on the case for the intelligent design of life that he developed in Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, Meyer demonstrates how discoveries in cosmology and physics coupled with those in biology help to establish the identity of the designing intelligence behind life and the universe. Meyer argues that theism—with its affirmati

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Book SynopsisCharts the rise and fall ofJohn Zahm, examining his ascension to international fame in bridging evolution and Catholicism and shedding new light on his ultimate downfall via censure by the Congregation of the Index of Prohibited Books.Trade Review“No other book has gone into such depth in probing the story of the Catholic Church’s censorship of the attempts by the Notre Dame priest and scholar John Zahm to demonstrate that Catholic teaching, generally speaking, is consonant with Darwin’s evolutionary science. Faith and Science at Notre Dame provides an original and well-written account of Zahm’s life and career. It also provides a detailed study of the often fearful and unjust way in which the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries dealt with some of its most devoted members when they sought to accommodate Church teachings intellectually and religiously to the age of science.”—John Haught, author of Resting on the Future: Catholic Theology for an Unfinished Universe"According to John Slattery, John Zahm's scientific credentials and expertise far outstripped that of his opponents, but his lack of theological and philosophical sophistication severely hampered his ability to steer clear of condemnation. Faith and Science at Notre Dame explains Zahm's position and the background factors that led him to adopt a pro-evolution perspective in conflict with Church authorities both in the United Sates and in Rome." —Paul Allen, Concordia University"Slattery’s account of Zahm’s work provides a much-needed bridge between this reactionary era in the Church’s recent intellectual history and the more open era of Catholic thought that preceded the French Revolution. Faith and Science at Notre Dame is an indispensable addition to this history." —Commonweal"Faith and Science at Notre Dame gives us a fresh look at the work of Fr. John A. Zahm, C.S.C., the prominent Notre Dame advocate of the compatibility of evolutionary biology and Catholic thought. John Slattery examines Zahm's work within the larger context surrounding the rise of Neo-Scholasticism and against the background of the 'Americanist' controversies of the late nineteenth century. Slattery synthesizes the work of earlier scholars and gives us a new picture of Zahm both as a priest-scientist and also as a religious controversialist writing in a complex period of the history of the Roman Catholic Church. The work is supported by new archival research in Vatican archives, and includes translations of important official Church texts." —Phillip R. Sloan, Professor emeritus, University of Notre Dame"Slattery’s book draws on new archival information from letters and reports that deepen our understanding of the scientific, theological and philosophical forces in the Church and put Zahm’s stance and the consequences he faced in a new light." —Notre Dame Magazine"Father Zahm's life story is a cautionary tale of the challenge that men of faith face as scientists." —The Pilot"The great merit of Slattery’s book is its detailed analysis showing that Zahm and the Vatican officials in the Congregation of the Index (and their chosen 'expert') were operating with vastly different understandings of what 'science' is." —Theological StudiesTable of ContentsTables Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Setting the Stage: An Historical Background 2. The Rise and Fall of John Augustine Zahm, CSC 3. The Scientific Mind of John Zahm, CSC 4. The Development of Catholic Teachings on Science, Faith, and Reason in the 19th Century 5. Trials and Tribulations Appendix A: A New Translation of the 1864 Syllabus of Modern Errors Appendix B: An English Translation of Otto Zardetti’s Condemnation Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBy the author of The Science Delusion a detailed account of how science can authenticate spiritualityTrade ReviewI thought I was undergoing a mild mid-life crisis, but after reading Rupert Sheldrake's book I realise that - despite being a lifelong non-believer - I was actually embracing various rituals employed by followers of all major world religions to bring themselves closer to their particular deity...it's fascinating to learn that the pursuits that I, and many of my peers, are embracing aren't simply badges of incipient middle-age, but proven mood-enhancers employed by all cultures throughout history. * Mail on Sunday *I have personally adopted many of the practices Rupert describes in his book and experienced more love, joy, empathy, gratitude and equanimity as a result. We are all indebted to Rupert who has tirelessly brought us deep insights from both science and spirituality. * Deepak Chopra *Urgent, vital, gently devastating, and an exhilarating read. Buy it, read it, and give it to all your friends and all acolytes of scientism. Sheldrake will help us stay alive and be more alive. We all need his help. * Charles Foster, Fellow of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, and author of Being a Beast *I love this book! Few living scientists have the courage and the verve to ask the questions Rupert does, research them, and deliver answers in language all can understand. Be prepared as you read this book for an exciting and free-ranging ride, a sort of scientific pilgrimage journeying into spiritual practices and how they have benefited and can benefit humanity. * Matthew Fox, spiritual theologian and author of Original Blessing, The Reinvention of Work, and Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our TImes *Praise for the Science Delusion * : *Sheldrake will be seen as a prophet. * The Sunday Times *Rupert Sheldrake does science, humanity and the world at large a considerable favour. * The Independent *Certainly we need to accept the limitations of much current dogma and keep our minds open as we reasonably can. Sheldrake may help us do so through this well-written, challenging and always interesting book. * Financial Times *There is something rather odd about the current state of science. For Rupert Sheldrake, [it is] facing a 'credibility crunch' on many fronts. He presents this challenging argument by identifying 'ten core beliefs that most scientists take for granted.' He then interrogates each in turn by reformulating it, in the spirit of radical scepticism, as a question. This Socratic method of inquiry proves surprisingly illuminating. A serious mind-expanding book. * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. From Musa Al-Khwarizmi who developed algebra in 9th-century Baghdad to Al-Jazari, a 13th-century Turkish engineer whose achievements include the crank, the camshaft and the reciprocating piston, Science and Islam tells the story of one of historys most misunderstood yet rich and fertile periods in science: the extraordinary Islamic scientific revolution between 700 and 1400 CE. Science writer Ehsan Masood weaves the stories of these and other scientists into a compelling narrative, taking the reader on a journey through the Islamic empires of the Middle Ages, and their contributions to science in Western Europe.

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Book Synopsis'An extraordinary book . . . It will shake up your most fundamental beliefs about everyday experience, and it just might change your life.' Paul Bloom___For the millions of people who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris's new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experience of contemplatives such as Jesus, Buddha and other saints and sages of history-and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow.Waking Up is part seeker's memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris-a scientist, philosopher, and famous sceptic-could write it. ___'A demanding, illusion-shattering book.' Kirkus Reviews'A pleasure to read.' Huffington PostTrade ReviewSam Harris reminds us that awakening does not depend on religious belief. With his usual probing clarity, Sam points out the rational methodology for exploring the nature of consciousness. -- Joseph Goldstein, author of 'Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening' and 'One Dharma'So entirely of this moment, so keenly in touch with the growing number ... who are willing to say that they do not find the succor they crave, or a truth that makes sense to them, in organized religion. -- Frank Bruni * New York Times *Sam Harris ranks as my favourite sceptic, bar none. In Waking Up he gives us a clear-headed, no-holds-barred look at the spiritual supermarket, calling out what amounts to junk food and showing us where real nutrition can be found. Anyone who realizes the value of a spiritual life will find much to savour here – and those who see no value in it will find much to reflect on. * Daniel Goleman, Author of 'Emotional Intelligence' and 'Focus' *Harris shows how our egos are illusions [and] how abandoning this illusion can wake us up to a richer life, more connected to everything around us. * Jerry Coyne, Professor of Biology at the University of Chicago *Waking Up is an extraordinary book ... It will shake up your most fundamental beliefs about everyday experience, and it just might change your life. * Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University *

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Book SynopsisA leading theologian presents a hopeful account of the universe after Einstein, exploring it as a meaningful drama of awakeningTrade Review“This book is a deep and provocative piece of theology that proposes we engage with the universe as a kind of narrative of awakening and unfolding, as well as an important and useful approach for thinking about theology with respect to modern cosmology.”—Matthew Stanley, New York University “What is really going on in the universe? As Haught argues in his profound and eminently readable book, Christian theology needs to take into account the structure and evolution of the universe as based upon Einstein’s general theory of relativity.”—Helge Stjernholm Kragh, Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark

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Book SynopsisThe Poetry and Music of Science examines aspects of science and art that bear close comparison - for example the art of the novel and the art of scientific experimentation. The book eavesdrops on conversations between scientists on how new theories arise, and listens to artists' and composers' witness of their own creative processes.Trade Review... convergence of many things often throws up a new picture, a process McLeish calls ''seeing the unseen.'' Leaps of imaginations are crucial for this kind of creativity, for it is only by such leaps that one can join disparate domains and bring about the emergence of a new ontological picture. Scientific creativity, when properly understood, has the same structure as creativity in the arts. * Deepanwita Dasgupta, Physics in Perspective *a detailed (at times lavishly executed) examination of scientific and artistic creativity . . . McLeish's erudition is admirable. He has made a timely and topical contribution to the field of science and religion. * Yiftach Fehige, University of Toronto, Metascience *McLeish moves the discussion of science and religion on rather profoundly * Andrew Davison, Church Times *[McLeish] proves himself [an] extreme interdisciplinarian ... Thanks to its poetic nature and compelling signposts for discussion, I suspect McLeish's book would have aphrodisiac qualities for the right audience... No matter what your field, you will come away from the book sold, as I am, on the need to prioritise time for creative gestation. * Rivka Isaacson, Times Higher Edcuation Supplement *McLeish takes his reader on a journey through classical, medieval, romantic and modern art and science, exploring similarities in the creative processes that drove the greatest painters, writers and scientists towards their accomplishments... There are a number of vivid descriptions of seminal pieces of physics that showcase McLeish's talent for communicating science... interwoven with equally lavish introductions of many works of art and personal experiences of artists. * David Abergel, Nature Physics *McLeish chases the echoes between scientific and artistic creativity in this intriguing scholarly treatise. * Nature *McLeish moves the discussion of science and religion on rather profoundly. Enough has been written about how theology might relate to science in general, abstractly conceived. Far better to think theologically about particular scientific examples, set out with a historical and human back story. That is exactly what we have here. * Andrew Davison, Church Times *Poetry and science are both rooted in the imagination ... At first sight I could not see the connection. But then I made the mistake of allowing myself to think about it. McLeish's ... theme is laid out very thoroughly. Give yourself a couple of quiet days to master it. * Quentin de la Bedoyere, Catholic Herald *In this brilliant, lyrical and encyclopaedic study of the roots of creativity ... [McLeish] challenges the two cultures thesis [...] by showing how imaginative processes are just as essential and indeed seminal in the sciences as in the arts. * David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer *This kind of book is rarer than it should be, and all the more valuable. It dares to take seriously and probe deeply the interplay of the arts and the sciences. In place of the tired notion of Two Cultures, Tom McLeish reveals - passionately, and with great scholarship - the many meaningful points of contact between the sciences and music, literature and visual art. May this start a new and rich conversation! * Philip Ball, Science Writer *Where do creative ideas come from? There is an answer, and it is the same in art as in science. There is a hidden wellspring inside the human mind from which they arise continuously. Tom McLeish provides meticulous evidence by interrogating the greatest minds. The result is a brilliant kaleidoscopic view of the history of imagination. * Uta Frith FBA FRS, UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience *Anyone who believes that imagination, inspiration and creativity are the preserve of the arts should read this beautifully crafted ode to the enterprise of scientific discovery. * Jim Al-Khalili OBE FRS, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Surrey *Within the short compass of this subtle and elegant exposition, McLeish tackles one of the most disabling narratives of our time. Creativity is neither a luxury nor a disqualification in a world whose survival requires all our imaginative resources, and it infuses the arts and sciences in uncannily similar ways. The author has also created a rare and beautiful thing: few could embrace such a range of artistic and scientific endeavour with such an uplift. * Marilyn Strathern DBE, Professor of Social Anthropology, Cambridge University *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Creativity and Constraint 1: Creative Inspiration in Science 2: Seeing the Unseen: Visual Imagination, and the Unconscious 3: Experimental Science and the Art of the Novel 4: Music and Mathematics: Creating the Sublime 5: Emotion and Reason in Scientific Creation 6: The End of Creation Introduction: Creativity and Constraint 1: Creative Inspiration in Science 2: Seeing the Unseen: Visual Imagination, and the Unconscious 3: Experimental Science and the Art of the Novel 4: Music and Mathematics: Creating the Sublime 5: Emotion and Reason in Scientific Creation 6: The End of Creation Introduction: Creativity and Constraint 1: Creative Inspiration in Science 2: Seeing the Unseen: Visual Imagination, and the Unconscious 3: Experimental Science and the Art of the Novel 4: Music and Mathematics: Creating the Sublime 5: Emotion and Reason in Scientific Creation 6: The End of Creation

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Book SynopsisAlister E. McGrath provides a fresh and engaging account of the origins, development, and abiding importance of Christian doctrine. The book explores why Christianity developed doctrines in the first place, and why doctrines continue to be vital to the present and future of Christian communities.Table of ContentsPreface 1: On the Origins of Christian Doctrine 2: Theorizing the Identity of Christ: On Early Christian Doctrinal Development 3: The Functions of Christian Doctrine 4: The Three Worlds of Christian Doctrine: Theoretical, Objective, and Subjective 5: Seeing the Face of God: On the Doctrine of the Incarnation 6: Doctrine: Ontological Disclosure and Coordinating Framework 7: The Doctrine of Salvation: Coherence, Comprehensiveness, and Theological Mapping Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the bestselling The Dawkins Delusion - an accessible account of the biggest questions around science and faith, grounded in the very best scholarship.Trade ReviewMcGrath's style is scholarly yet accessible and engaging, and he presents a convincing case for replacing the old "narrative of conflict"... Anyone with an interest in the science-religion debate, whatever their level of expertise, will welcome this balanced and thoughtful contribution. -- The Independent * Adrian Read *Anyone, Christian, atheist or wavering, could gain from it. * Reform Magazine *It's a tour de force..the lovely thing for me, given his enormous intellect, is his humility. * Engage Magazine *A warm approach that invites us to move beyond the conflict narrative... The main purpose of the book is... to win partners into what McGrath calls a 'narrative of enrichment. * Scottish Christian Broadcast *He uses brilliant logic and arguments from morality, logic and ethics to show that reality only makes sense in a Christian worldview. * Families First Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIn March 1997, thirty-nine people in Rancho Santa Fe, California, ritually terminated their lives. To outsiders, it was a mass suicide. To insiders, it was a graduation. The author explores the question of why the members of Heaven's Gate committed ritual suicides, and examines the origin and evolution of the religion, its appeal, and practices.Trade ReviewZellers prose is clear and attractive, and he has a great story to tell, makingHeavens Gatea sparkling read. This book is highly recommended to all interested in new religious movements, apocalypticism, and American religions. Its relevance extends far beyond the small group that became forever notorious in 1997. * Journal of Religious History *Zeller has written the most thorough work on the cult of Heaven's Gate that is presently available...Zeller provides a thorough presentation, and his 'Why Suicide' chapter is the most comprehensive in this fine publication. * Choice *A dramatic and engaging story. The writing is crisp and clear, and the argument, particularly about the indebtedness of Heavens Gate to the Bible and Christianity, as well as to New Age and UFO milieux, is well-articulated and persuasive. Zeller effectively captures the particularity of the members of Heavens Gate, why they thought and acted as they did, and what led them to the fateful decisions to take their own lives. In the process he rescues them from being dismissed as mindless 'cult members' and makes understanding them both more challenging and more rewarding. This volume should become the standard reference on Heavens Gate. -- Eugene V. Gallagher,author of Why Waco? Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in AmericaDespite the extensive media coverage of the Heavens Gate suicides in 1997, no single-authored academic book has yet been written about this group. This volume thus fills an important gap. This is an extremely valuable book, which should be of interest not merely in academic circles, but more widely. Anyone who has an interest in new religions and wonders how a charismatic leader can persuade 39 people to commit collective suicide will find it a highly readable account of Marshall Herff Applewhite and his followers. -- George Chryssides,University of BirminghamThe glare of media attention has long since passed from Heavens Gate and its group suicide in 1997, but Benjamin Zeller now brings a far more discerning light to the movements history, beliefs, and practices. He carefully situates the group within the broader religious culture of the late twentieth century, including its substantial engagement with both Protestant Christianity and New Age currents. In the process, he turns Heavens Gate, an idiosyncratic UFO religion, into one richly emblematic of Americas questing, apocalyptic cultural landscape. -- Leigh E. Schmidt,Mallinckrodt Distinguished University Professor in the Humanities, Washington University in St. LouiTable of ContentsContents Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Part I Science and the Unification Church Introduction 21 1 Science and the Foundation of Unificationism 25 2 Science and the American Unification Church 46 Part I I Science and the Hare Kri shna Movement Introduction 69 3 Science and the Foundation of the Hare Krishnas 73 4 Science and the Expansion of ISKCON 92 Part I I I Science and Heaven's Gate Introduction 117 5 Science and the Foundation of Heaven's Gate 121 6 Science and the End of Heaven's Gate 142 Conclusion 163 Notes 173 Works Cited 199 Index 221 About the Author 227

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Book SynopsisWhy are we alive? Most things in the universe aren't. And if you trace the evolutionary history of plants and animals back far enough, you will find that, at some point, neither were we. Scientists have wrestled with this problem for centuries, and no one has been able to offer a credible theory. But in 2013, at just 30 years old, biophysicist Jeremy England published a paper that has utterly upended the ongoing study of life's origins. In Every Life Is on Fire, he describes, for the first time, his highly publicized theory known as dissipative adaptation. In any disordered system, matter clumps together and breaks apart, mostly randomly, without consequence. But some of the clumps that form are momentarily better at doing one specific job: dissipating energy. These structures are less likely to fall apart. Over time, they become better at both withstanding the disorder surrounding them and creating copies of themselves. From this deep insight, grounded in thermodynamics, England is able to isolate the emergence of the first life-like behaviors. Scientists have always thought that life began as a stroke of spectacular luck. But in fact, life may be inevitable, a product of the iron physical laws of the universe.England is both a world-class physicist and an ordained rabbi, and so his enquiry doesn't end with the physics of life. We ask questions like "How did life begin?" not just for the fun of scientific inquiry, but because we want a deeper understanding of who we are and why we're here. Even if physics can explain how life-like behaviors emerged, England doubts that reducing life down to the energy flows of a bunch of microscopic particles can ever give us a satisfying answer to what it means to be alive?. He believes that life is fundamentally a philosophical distinction, not a natural one. So before we can seriously look for life's physical origins, we must first make basic choices about what we think life means. This is something researchers often fail to recognize, and it is why, throughout In Every Life Is on Fire, England informs the premises of his theory with a careful exploration of what life is for.For anyone who reads this book, no matter their creed, In Every Life Is On Fire offers a rare work of popular science that explores not just what science does, but how it imbues our lives with meaning.

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Book SynopsisCosmic Roots traces the five-thousand-year conflict between science and religion — and how it has shaped our modern secular worldview.Told with rare clarity and striking insight, this fascinating and thought-provoking book focuses on the history of cosmology and its sister science astronomy. For it was discoveries within these great disciplines which first led to the conflict between science and religion. The story begins with the cosmological beliefs of the ancients — from the flat Earth models of the Sumerians and Hebrews to the Greek notion of the orbits of planets as divine circles. Topics progress from Aristotle and Ptolemy's integrated planetary models to the Sun-centered cosmologies of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and the great Isaac Newton. Their combined scientific achievements stand as testimony to the power and imagination of the human mind.This meticulously researched narrative also traces the roots of Western religion, based on historical events and archeological evidence. It takes us on a captivating journey through Western religious history — from ancient paganism to the ethical monotheism of the Hebrews, Christians, and Moslems. Along the way, we follow the rise and fall of civilizations, of empires, cycles of war and peace, unification and division.The book concludes with how Darwin came up with his theory of evolution and the impact of modern physics on religious beliefs. The cumulative effect of the scientific discoveries presented in Cosmic Roots has, for better or for worse, led to the separation of science and religion we see in Western culture today.

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Book SynopsisWhen Charles Darwin finished The Origin of Species, he thought that he had explained every clue, but one. Though his theory could explain many facts, Darwin knew that there was a significant event in the history of life that his theory did not explain. During this event, the “Cambrian explosion,” many animals suddenly appeared in the fossil record without apparent ancestors in earlier layers of rock.  In Darwin’s Doubt, Stephen C. Meyer tells the story of the mystery surrounding this explosion of animal life—a mystery that has intensified, not only because the expected ancestors of these animals have not been found, but because scientists have learned more about what it takes to construct an animal. During the last half century, biologists have come to appreciate the central importance of biological information—stored in DNA and elsewhere in cells—to building animal forms.Expanding on the compelling case he presented in his last book, Signature in the Cell, Meyer argues that the origin of this information, as well as other mysterious features of the Cambrian event, are best explained by intelligent design, rather than purely undirected evolutionary processes.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review...American Cosmic is well worth the attention of scholars interested in how the religious is both created and functions in the contemporary world. * Jeremy Rapport, International Journal for the Study of New Religions *This book deserves to be given attention by those in the religious studies field whose familiarity with UFO Religions is confined to historical cases or more modern personality-driven organizations. * Aaron John Gulyas, Nova Religio *refreshingly engaging * Benjamin E. Zeller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *The book as a whole is a highly sensitive, and erudite. * Paradigm Explorer *Table of ContentsPreface- A Tour of Silicon Valley with Jacques Vallee Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1- The Invisible Tyler D. Chapter 2- James: Master of the Multiverse Chapter 3- Scott Browne's In the Field: The War is Virtual, The Blood is Real Chapter 4- When Star Wars Became Real: The Mechanisms of Belief Chapter 5- The Material Code: Moving Beyond the Disembodied Soul to the Materiality of Quantum Information Chapter 6- The Human Receiver: Matter, Information, Energy... Contact Chapter Seven- Suspended in Space: Levitating, Bilocating Saints and Tyler D.'s Spiritual Conversion in Rome Conclusion- The Artifact

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Book SynopsisExamining the reception of evolutionary biology, the 1925 Scopes Trial, and the New Atheist movement of the 2000s, Donovan O. Schaefer theorizes the relationship between thinking and feeling by challenging the conventional wisdom that they are separate.Trade Review"Inaugurate[s] a project of secular theorization that adds a distinctive and needed methodological angle to studies of the secular in North America. . . . A must-read for scholars of American religions. . . ." -- Valeria Vergani * American Religion *"Wild Experiment is an indispensable addition to any course syllabus on race, religion, affect theory, and any interdisciplinary topic on the intersections between feeling and thinking." -- Abdulrahman Bindamnan * Material Religion *"Through Schaefer’s endeavor to expand the conversation between secularism studies and STS, the field of STS has an illuminating new vantage from which to look at knowledge, feeling, and belief. And it feels right." * Society for the Social Studies of Science Ludwik Fleck Prize Committee *"This fascinating book is a valuable contribution to the field of affect studies and secularism studies, as it starts a first conversation between these previously somewhat unconnected fields." -- Nur Yasemin Ural * Politics, Religion & Ideology *"Perhaps humanities scholars such as Schaefer can be useful in the climate crisis. They can help scientists pay attention to how knowledge feels—and thus how to be more effective in communicating it." -- Amy Frykholm * Christian Century *Table of ContentsIntroduction. Cogency Theory: An Essay on Our Intellectual Affects 1 Part I. Cogency Theory 1. The Longing to Believe: Philosophers on Conspiracy Theory and the Sense of Science 33 2. Sensualized Epistemology: Affect Theory on How Reason Gets Racialized 57 3. Science as an Intoxication: Secularism Studies on Enchantment and Critique 80 4. Feeling is Believing: The Triune Brain, Mere Exposure, and Cogency 107 Part II. Feeling Science and Secularism 5. Only Better Beasts: Darwin, Huxley, and the Sense of Science 137 6. The Secular Circus: Science and Racialized Reason in the Scopes Trial 169 7. The Four Horsemen: New Atheism as Secular Conspiracy Theory 200 Epilogue. From Creationism to Climate Denialism 230 Acknowledgments 239 Notes 243 Bibliography 281 Index

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Book SynopsisThe conflict between science and religion seems indelible, even eternal. Surely two such divergent views of the universe have always been in fierce opposition? Actually, that's not the case, says Peter Harrison: our very concepts of science and religion are relatively recent, emerging only in the past three hundred years, and it is those very categories, rather than their underlying concepts, that constrain our understanding of how the formal study of nature relates to the religious life. In The Territories of Science and Religion, Harrison dismantles what we think we know about the two categories, then puts it all back together again in a provocative, productive new way. By tracing the history of these concepts for the first time in parallel, he illuminates alternative boundaries and little-known relations between them thereby making it possible for us to learn from their true history, and see other possible ways that scientific study and the religious life might relate to, influence

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Book SynopsisA pithy, entertaining guide to what really mattersTrade ReviewThe Dawkins Delusion? (SPCK, 2007): Addressing the conclusions of The God Delusion point by point with the devastating insight of a molecular biologist turned theologian, Alison McGrath dismantles the argument that science should lead to atheism, and demonstrates instead that Dawkins has abandoned his much-cherished rationality to embrace an embittered manifest of dogmatic atheist fundamentalism. -- Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, USARichard Dawkins' utopian vision of a world without religion is here deftly punctured by McGrath's informed discourse. His fellow Oxonian clearly demonstrates the gaps, inconsistencies and surprising lack of depth in Dawkins' arguments. -- Owen Gingerich, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and History of Science, Harvard UniversityA fine, dense, yet very clear account, from [McGrath's] particular Christian perspective, of the full case against Dawkins. -- Bryan Appleyard * New Scientist *The God Delusion makes me embarrassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why. -- Michael Ruse, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science Program, Florida State UniversityC. S. Lewis: A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Hodder, 2013): McGrath's lucid and unsentimental portrait . . . offers a new and at times shocking look into the complicated life of this complex figure, in a deeply researched biography. He shows with skill, sympathy, dispassion, and engaging prose that Lewis, like the rest of us, did the best he could with the hand he was dealt. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *McGrath's book will gain a permanent position in Lewis scholarship for his brilliant and, to my mind, undeniable re-dating of Lewis's conversion to Theism. How we all missed this for so long is astonishing! -- Michael Ward, author of Planet NarniaThis biography is the one Lewis's admirers - especially those who, like him, believe that books are to be read and enjoyed - should prefer to all others. * (Booklist, starred review) *

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Book SynopsisA timely and succinct critique that exposes the main flaws in Dawkins's latest book - including his weakness for crude caricatures, his philosophical illiteracy and other mistakes and muddles - while also demonstrating the coherence of a mature, self-critical faith and its contribution to human progress.Trade Review‘In this richly documented and highly readable essay Rupert Shortt deftly demonstrates just how often Richard Dawkins’s most recent broadside against religion simply misses the target.’ * John Cottingham, Professor of Philosophy of Religion, University of Roehampton *‘Thank God for Rupert Shortt. His clarity penetrates depths. His concision cuts through cant. His fairness exposes arrogance and narrow-mindedness.’ * Felipe Fernández-Armesto, Professor of History, University of Notre Dame *‘A clearly written and fair-minded demolition of Dawkins’s shallow thinking on religious belief.’ * Keith R. Fox, Associate Director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion *‘A refreshing, cultured, and at times gently humorous companion, but most of all cogent and pertinent to our day.’ * Andrew Steane, Professor of Physics, University of Oxford *‘An elegant and timely reminder that religious belief is rational and sane, and that it is not refuted by science.’ * A. N. Wilson, writer and broadcaster *

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Book SynopsisThe Robot Will See You Now by John Wyatt and Stephen N. Williams explores developments in artificial intelligence and robotics, and considers how Christians can prepare for the challenges they pose.Trade ReviewOffers an array of insights from some of the world’s leaders in healthcare, employment, security, and the arts [in] a beautifully written, concise treatise . . . perfect for the casual reader. * Christianity on THE ROBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW *A real treasure: encouraging, heart-warming, informative and sensible. It answers the concern of many Christian doctors that the will o’ the wisp of medical imperialism has led the Christian community astray into excessive medicalisation of the process of dying, to the detriment of spiritual and family matters. This is a book for everyone, which will change souls for the better. -- Andrew Sims, Past President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus of the University of Leeds on DYING WELL (IVP, 2018)The book's brilliance lies in the effortless way John blends deep biblical insight, long experience of compassionately accompanying the old, middle-aged, young and very young through their death, world-class medical expertise, and clear-eyed cultural critique of the way over-medicalisation has worked to strip dying of its potential to nourish spiritual growth, relational healing and enriching leave-taking. Full of careful, wise practical advice for the dying, and for all those involved, what emerges is a gentle, unsentimental, moving and liberating gift to us all. -- Mark Greene is Executive Director at the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity on DYING WELL (IVP, 2018)We can ask for no wiser nor honest, practical and compassionate guide. -- Timothy Dudley-Smith on DYING WELL (IVP, 2018)

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Book SynopsisFrom a bestselling author, an incendiary and uproarious assault on the pretensions of scientific atheists (National Review)Militant atheism is on the rise. Prominent thinkers including Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens have published best-selling books denigrating religious belief. And these authors are merely the leading edge of a larger movement that includes much of the scientific community. In response, mathematician David Berlinski, himself a secular Jew, delivers a biting defense of religious thought. The Devil''s Delusion is a brilliant, incisive, and funny book that explores the limits of science and the pretensions of those who insist it is the ultimate touchstone for understanding our world.

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Book SynopsisPeople of all ages are fascinated by dinosaurs. When and where did they live? Are they mentioned in the Bible? What do their fossils tell us? Dinosaurs and the Bible explores the historical, scriptural, and fossil evidence about dinosaurs, and shares what we can know after many years of thoughtful, careful research.

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Book SynopsisComprehensive overview of Earth's utterly unique history uses the latest scientific discoveries to show how and why a supernatural Creator purposefully fashioned Earth to support a host of intelligent, physical, spiritual beings.

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Book SynopsisNatural selection, as introduced by Charles Darwin in the Origin of Species (1859), has always been a topic of great conceptual and empirical interest. This book puts Darwin''s theory of evolution in historical context showing that, in important respects, his central mechanism of natural selection gives the clue to understanding the nature of organisms. Natural selection has important implications, not just for the understanding of life''s history single-celled organism to man but also for our understanding of contemporary social norms, as well as the nature of religious belief. The book is written in clear, non-technical language, appealing not just to philosophers, historians, and biologists, but also to general readers who find thinking about important issues both challenging and exciting.Trade Review'Michael Ruse has written many books on evolutionary theory, but this may well be his best: succinct, clear, and comprehensive. Your interpretation of Darwin's accomplishment may differ from Ruse's - mine does - but he offers the classic view of Darwin as having introduced mechanism into biology. His treatment of natural selection runs from an intense examination of Darwin's development of the concept to its role in population genetics and morality. It's a gem of a book.' Robert J. Richards, Morris Fishbein Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Science, University of Chicago, USA'Michael Ruse at his best! This consummate scholar, educator, and communicator on all things evolutionary has gifted us with a masterwork on Darwin's crowning achievement - the theory of natural selection. We now have the definitive 'sourcebook' on this important topic.' Michael L. Peterson, Professor of Philosophy, Asbury Theological Seminary, USA'For decades, Michael Ruse has been a leader in thinking about natural selection. This book is a quick, thorough survey of the subject. Plus, it offers some important recent twists. A masterful writer, Ruse quickly covers the basics before guiding readers outside traditional boxes so they might consider new possibilities. Understanding Natural Selection is certain to encourage debate and investigation. It also will inspire further interdisciplinary synthesis.' Joe Cain, Professor of History and Philosophy of Biology, University College London, UK'In this brief book written for the general reader, Michael Ruse skillfully weaves together the history and philosophy of science to explore natural selection, the concept at the heart of Darwin's celebrated theory of evolution. The writing is brisk, engaging, thoughtful and at times fun, typical of the kind of work we have come to expect from someone who has a devoted a lifetime of study to understanding Darwin and his theory.' Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, Professor of the History of Science, University of Florida, USA'Natural selection is one of the most important and contested ideas in modern science, helping us understand much of the functional design and order we observe in living nature. In his inimitable way, Michael Ruse gives the definitive account of natural selection, from its Darwinian origins and metaphorical foundation to the many historical, philosophical and scientific controversies that have swirled about it in the last century and a half. If you want to understand natural selection, you can do no better than a careful reading of this compact, highly informative and lively book. It is truly a tour de force.' Richard A. Richards, Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, University of Alabama, USATable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The origin of species; 2. Organism and mechanism: rival root metaphors; 3. 'The non-Darwinian revolution?'; 4. The synthesis; 5. Is natural selection a vera causa?; 6.The positive case; 7.Time for a change?; 8. Natural selection and its discontents; Envoi; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of Parapsychology continues to challenge and provoke readers with some of psychology's most puzzling phenomena. Whether believers or sceptics, the book provides readers with the opportunity to further their understanding of the paranormal, bridging the gap between traditional psychology and fringe areas.With contributions from leading paranormal researchers, this edition has been thoroughly updated and includes new chapters on dreams, precognition and prediction of future events and anthropology. The book has been reorganised to help readers frame each phenomenon within the context of cognition, science and religion, and chapters are structured around science and experience, cognition and belief, religious belief and science, and further topics in parapsychology. The book covers a range of topics that can be considered parapsychological; including reincarnation, entity encounters, astrology, mediumship and near-death experiences.Providing a bala

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Book SynopsisHumanist Chaplaincy in Practice: A Student Textbook for Non-Religious Pastoral Care is the first dedicated textbook on secular chaplaincy. Written by Dr Lindsay de Wal, who made history as the first humanist to lead an NHS chaplaincy team in the United Kingdom. This accessible and timely book equips students, professionals, and institutions to deliver inclusive emotional and spiritual support across belief systems.Structured across ten chapters, the book combines theory, policy and real-world case studies to explore core topics such as end-of-life care, staff wellbeing, ethical decision-making, multi-faith teamwork and humanist rituals. It draws on the authorâs doctoral research into the lived experience of non-religious chaplains working in faith-based teams, as well as her leadership in shaping national policy and EU-wide training standards.Designed for formal education and professional development, each chapter includes learning objectives, reflective exercises, discussion prompts and further reading. The book is already under consideration for integration into European training frameworks and responds to growing global demand for non-religious pastoral care in healthcare, prisons, universities, and beyond.This is an essential guide for the next generation of chaplains and care professionals seeking to offer compassionate, ethical and human-centred support in todayâs pluralist societies.

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