Religion and science Books

Book SynopsisWhat makes Time, Ignorance, and Death inevitable? Do they have something in common? A pioneer of reducing that deadly something leads a short tour of where it''s found and displaced. Sayre''s tour visits some unusual places. An immigrant neighborhood builds a microgrid. A remote radio telescope solves how to detect intelligence in the universe. A quantum mystery is resolved by our own incomplete view. All are related.The tour''s destination is a moral compass and hope in tragedy.

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Book SynopsisThe doctrine of intelligent design is often the subject of acrimonious debate. Seeking God in Science cuts through the rhetoric that distorts the debates between religious and secular camps. Bradley Monton, a philosopher of science and an atheist, carefully considers the arguments for intelligent design and argues that intelligent design deserves serious consideration as a scientific theory.Monton also gives a lucid account of the debate surrounding the inclusion of intelligent design in public schools and presents reason why students’ science education could benefit from a careful consideration of the arguments for and against it.Trade Review“Seeking God in Science is a refreshing and fair-minded exploration of intelligent design arguments. Unlike the many ideologically-driven detractors of intelligent design, Monton refuses to set up a straw man, poison the well, or dismiss it as unscientific. Bradley Monton writes as “a friendly atheist”—one who seriously and honestly considers claims that challenge atheism. As such, this book is a welcome breakthrough.” — Douglas Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy, Denver Seminary“This is a brave and important book. Monton does not defend ‘intelligent design’ as true—he thinks it is most likely false. Instead, he defends it as a hypothesis worth taking seriously. He argues convincingly that it can be formulated as a scientifically testable hypothesis, and that there is some important empirical evidence for it—not as much evidence as its supporters claim there is, but some evidence. Virtually all voices in this debate insist either that ID is not even worth taking seriously or else that it is manifestly the truth. It is refreshing to see a talented philosopher give the thesis its due and make a serious attempt to weigh the evidence for and against it, without the weight of the ‘culture wars’ hanging over every sentence.” — John T. Roberts, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill“It’s about time that a competent analytic philosopher took a look at design-theoretic arguments in the sciences—and this because analytic philosophers have until now responded to serious challenges to prevailing orthodoxy by squirting out ink and indignation in equal measure. Bradley Monton’s book should be read by philosophers, biologists and physicists willing to keep their minds open long enough to let out the stale air and let in a few arguments.” — David Berlinski, Senior Fellow, Discovery Institute, Center for Science and Culture“Bradley Monton has done the intellectual community an enormous service in writing this defense of intelligent design. As an atheist, he defends ID not because he thinks it is true. Rather, he shows how it raises important questions and how many critics, in their enthusiasm to kill the baby in the cradle, are short-circuiting a discussion that needs to happen. Monton understands that important questions are never resolved by ignoring or marginalizing them. By employing his considerable skills as an analytic philosopher, he brings clarity to this much controverted question of intelligent design.” — William A. Dembski, author of The End of ChristianityTable of ContentsPrefaceCHAPTER 1What Is Intelligent Design, and Why Might an Atheist Believe in It?CHAPTER 2Why It Is Legitimate to Treat Intelligent Design as ScienceCHAPTER 3Some Somewhat Plausible Intelligent Design ArgumentsCHAPTER 4Should Intelligent Design Be Taught in School?NotesIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“All the essays in this book are at the highest level of sophistication; they ask a lot of the reader, and assume engagement in and knowledge of Christian theology. Anyone who wants a conspectus of what’s in the Christian archive on this topic will turn to this collection.” —Paul J. Griffiths, author of Regret"This volume is demanding and requires considerable background in the history of Western religious thought, but it will reward those readers who persevere." —Choice“This is a comprehensive volume regarding creation ex nihilo passing with impressive aplomb from the Book of Genesis to string theory. . . . Here is a book that will be referred to fruitfully for years to come.” —The Journal of Theological Studies

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Book SynopsisJohn Hedley Brooke offers an introduction and critical guide to one of the most fascinating and enduring issues in the development of the modern world: the relationship between scientific thought and religious belief. Brooke stands back from general theses affirming 'conflict' or harmony'.Trade Review'[John Hedley Brooke] has given us a brilliant, perceptive, subtle, nuanced analysis, which will permanently alter the way scholars and the informed lay public view the relations of science and religion.' David C. Lindberg, Metascience'… arguably the most important historical analysis of science and religion since Andrew Dickson White's History of the Warfare of Science and Theology in Christendom (1898).' Ronald L. Numbers, MetascienceTable of ContentsAcknowledgments; Introduction; 1. Interaction between science and religion: some preliminary considerations; 2. Science and religion in the scientific revolution; 3. The parallel between scientific and religious reform; 4. Divine activity in a mechanical universe; 5. Science and religion in the enlightenment; 6. The fortunes and functions of natural theology; 7. Visions of the past: religious belief and the historical sciences; 8. Evolutionary theory and religious belief; Postscript: science and religion in the twentieth century; Bibliographic essay; Sources of quotations; Index.

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Book SynopsisExplores the connections between materialist research on the atom and Rudolf Steiner's spiritual science.Table of ContentsAuthor's NoteIntroductionI. The Atom - A Historical Background (i) Prelude in Greece (ii) Elements and Principles (iii) The Way of Truth (iv) Atoms (v) Roadblock (vi) Atoms back in Vogue (vii) Making Waves (viii) Rudolf Steiner meets the Atom (ix) Rejection (x) The Age of Electricity (xi) The Electrical Atom and Human ThoughtII. A Background for Quanta (i) Origins (ii) Thermal Radiation (iii) Enter Max PlanckIII. Steiner in the Quantum Age (i) Physical Science and Spiritual Science (ii) The Goethean Alternative (iii) The Primal PhenomenonIV. Bohr's Atom -- Antecedents (i) Periodic Tables (ii) From Siberia with Love (iii) Predictions and Confusions (iv) The Hydrogen Spectrum (v) Cathode Rays (vi) The Unstable AtomV. The Rutherford-Bohr Atom (i) Bohr Gets Involved (ii) The Hydrogen Atom (iii) Beyond HydrogenVI. Late Words from Rudolf Steiner (i) A Science of Dead Matter (ii) The Demonic Atom (iii) Don't be an Ostrich (iv) The Struggle for Human Consciousness (v) So what about the Electron?VII. The Atom After Steiner (i) Waves and Particles (ii) Knabenphysik (iii) "Thou Shalt Make No Mental Image." (iv) Discontinuities and Probabilities (v) HBJ or the Three-Man-Paper (vi) Schrodinger's Wave Mechanics (vii) Indeterminacy (viii) Quantum Physics and the Periodic Table (ix) More about Probability (x) Niels Bohr -- A Goethean Physicist? (xi) Are Particles Real?VIII. EpilogueAppendixEndnotesBibliographyAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisPentecostalism confronts the divide between science and religionTrade ReviewThis is a very interesting collection of articles that explore questions of spirituality in the light of contemporary science and technology. . . . Each of these papers is helpful in addressing crucial questions at the interface of science and Pentecostal spirituality. * Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith *These books represent a body of important work and an ecumenical challenge for theologians and religious leaders . . . We can be grateful to the scholars and editors for making these resources available in a readable but richly researched set of volumes. Vol. 46, No. 1 (Winter, 2011) * JOURNAL of ECUMENICAL STUDIES *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Science and the Spirit—Questions and Possibilities in the Pentecostal Engagement with Science / James K. A. Smith and Amos YongPart 1. What Hath Azusa Street to Do with MIT? The Big Questions 1. What Have the Galapagos to Do with Jerusalem? Scientific Knowledge in Theological Context / Telford Work 2. Is There Room for Surprise in the Natural World? Naturalism, the Supernatural, and Pentecostal Spirituality / James K. A. Smith 3. How Does God Do What God Does? Pentecostal-Charismatic Perspectives on Divine Action in Dialogue with Modern Science / Amos YongPart 2. The Spirit of Matter: Questions and Possibilities in the Natural Sciences 4. Does God Have a Place in the Physical Universe? Physics and the Quest for the Holy Spirit / Wolfgang Vondey 5. Does the Spirit Create through Evolutionary Processes? Pentecostals and Biological Evolution / Steve Badger and Mike Tenneson 6. Can Religious Experience Be Reduced to Brain Activity? The Place and Significance of Pentecostal Narrative / Frederick L. Ware 7. Serotonin and Spirit: Can There Be a Holistic Pentecostal Approach to Mental Illness? / Donald F. CalbreathPart 3. The Human Spirit: Questions and Possibilities in the Social and Technological Sciences 8. Can Social Scientists Dance? Participating in Science, Spirit, and Social Reconstruction as an Anthropologist and Afropentecostal / Craig Scandrett-Leatherman 9. Is Integrating Spirit and Sociology Possible? A Postmodern Research Odyssey / Margaret M. Poloma 10. Is There Room for the Spirit in a World Dominated by Technology? Pentecostals and the Technological World / Dennis W. CheekList of ContributorsIndex

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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 SynopsisIs He Out There? is an interdisciplinary examination of the Christian reaction to Dawkinss The God Delusion. That reaction has offered a wide range of counter-arguments, among them: that Dawkinss demonstration of how God almost certainly doesnt exist addresses an out-dated conception of God; that science and religion are not conflictual as Dawkins contends and indeed may well be converging upon an understanding of how God acts in the universe; that Dawkinss denigration of the Bible depends on an overly literal reading; and that Dawkins assumes a narrative of progress in which human beings take the place of God in controlling the course of history. Is He Out There? responds to these arguments in the context of current scientific understanding, biblical criticism and philosophy. Paul Laffan demonstrates how the desire to meet the challenge posed by Dawkinss viewpoint has led to the perversion of scientific theories and accepted positions in other important fields of inquiry. It suggests that Christianity is wedded to a God who is the cause of the universe a classical conception of cause that is anachronistic; that denying the Bible was read for most of the Christian era as offering a literal account of divine creation is a significant misrepresentation of doctrinal history; and that a complete dismissal of progress requires the dismissal of scientific achievement. The author considers the extent to which attractive, secular values like tolerance and freedom of opinion are Christian in source and whether moral systems require God to underwrite them. The wide-ranging nature of Is He Out There? not only provides a review of the state of contemporary Christian apology but is a measured address of the arguments put forward in The God Delusion and indeed of the substantive commentary on Dawkinss thesis.

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Book SynopsisTwenty papers from the Faraday Institute, by some of the world's leading scientists, philosophers and theologians, on current and future issues surrounding science and faith. Professor Alister McGrath contributes an introductory essay.Trade ReviewThis excellent collection of Faraday Papers reflects the way that thinking has progressed over the past decade and fulfilled some of the aspirations of the Faraday Institute for which it was set up. * Sir Brian Heap, FRS, University of Cambridge *This volume is invaluable for anyone wishing to understand current science and faith debates. Its outstanding feature is its comprehensiveness. It gives historical and philosophical perspective as well as spelling out the wider implications of advances in evolutionary biology, quantum physics, neuroscience, genetics, and geology for Christian faith. I strongly recommend it. * Emeritus Professor Malcolm Jeeves, CBE, F. Med.Sci., FRSE, PPRSE, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, St. Andrews University *I envy the British for their rich resources in profound scholarship at the interface of science and the Christian faith. This book is a testimony to that. Look no further if you are searching for an accessible introduction to a broad spectrum of interesting subjects in this area, from philosophical ponderings about the nature of science, to Bible interpretation, to creation care, to the intriguing questions posed by neuroscience and genetics. Highly recommended! * Professor Cees Dekker, KNAW Royal Academy Professor and Distinguished University Professor at Delft University of Technology *

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Book SynopsisDoes science discredit the Bible, God, religious faith?Absolutely not, says Dr. Michael Guillen, former Harvard physics instructor and Emmy-winning ABC News Science Editor. In Amazing Truths, he uses his entertaining, down-to-earth storytelling skills to reveal ten astonishing truths affirmed by both ancient Scripture and modern science that answer some of our biggest questions: Can faith really move mountains? Does absolute truth exist? Are humans truly unique? Is it possible to communicate with God? How much about the universe do we actually know? How could Jesus have been fully man and fully God? In Amazing Truths, Dr. Guillen explains that faith is not some outdated way of thinking. Faith is a necessary part of science, Christianity, and any intelligent, comprehensive, coherent worldview--vastly more powerful than even logic.Amazing Truths will expand your minTrade Review“An entire generation is being swept up in a false narrative that the Bible and science are incompatible. Too many today, both young and old, believe that faith in the Bible has been discredited by the new religion of science. In Amazing Truths, Dr. Michael Guillen dismantles those myths, presenting hard evidence and sound reason to cause skeptics to reevaluate their own belief system and believers to have renewed confidence in the Bible.” * —Curtis V. Hail, President & CEO, e3 Partners / I Am Second *“As a gifted communicator, Michael Guillen makes science easy to understand. He has done it again with his latest explanations of how the Bible and science complement each other. In a profound and beautiful way he helps us realize that science does not contradict the Bible but in fact supports it. A summer ‘must read’ for all high school grads going to college.” * —Dr. Robert A. Schuller *“For many people today, even self-described Christians, science has replaced the Bible as the ultimate authority in their lives. In Amazing Truths, Michael Guillen explains brilliantly why that secular view is unfounded and offers one that is better informed intellectually and spiritually.” * —Rev. Dr. Greg Hughes, Senior Pastor, Malibu Presbyterian Church *“Here is a truly unusual autobiography: an amazing blend of up-to-date science and the world in which we exist as conscious spiritual beings.” * —Owen Gingerich, Harvard University professor emeritus and author of God’s Planet *“Michael Guillen bridges the seeming gap between science and faith better than anyone I know.” * —Cal Thomas, Syndicated and USA Today columnist/Fox News contributor *“Michael Guillen has always had a unique ability to make fascinating science topics understandable and relevant to people’s lives. Amazing Truths is proof of that.” * —Joan Lunden *“Michael is one of the most original thinkers I’ve ever known. He lives where the creative meets the intellect. I can think of no one more qualified to write this book!” * —Dave Alan Johnson, Writer/producer/ director (Doc, Sue Thomas FBEye, October Baby, Mom’s Night Out, Coffee Shop, Woodlawn) *“Must science and faith be at war? No, says physicist Michael Guillen in this delightfully readable yet thoroughly researched book. Whether you are a believer or a doubter, you’ll be astonished by Amazing Truths.” * —Hattie Kauffman, Former correspondent of ABC and CBS News and author of Falling Into Place *“The lie that faith and science are enemies is never more in danger than when the affable, wonderfully understandable, and winsomely brilliant Dr. Michael Guillen is on the case. If we’d had him as our physics teacher, most of us would be physicists today! Q.E.D.” * —Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Miracles and host of the nationally syndicated The Eric Metaxas Show *“The title of this book says it all: Michael Guillen illustrates how science and the Bible are partners in revealing amazing truths about life---and life eternal.” * —Spencer Christian, Weather forecaster/interviewer/host for KGO-TV—formerly at Good Morning America *

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Book SynopsisThis book draws on both scientific insights and spiritual wisdom to help the reader focus on what is of value in helping them decide what makes for a good life. In using evidence from psychology, sociology, philosophy, theology, and other disciplines, it helps readers think through choices about what the good life consists of.Trade ReviewThis book offers a very broad panorama about many areas and fields, and an updating for those persons less informed about developments in a vast range of subjects and areas that know a growing production and new insights in the last few years. * Luis Oviedo, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology *This is an important and necessary book, and one that not only inspires but informs about that central topic * Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology, March 2022 *This is a book for a general reader who already suspects that the 'scientism' (the belief that science alone can establish truth) of the so -- called new atheists is flawed. … The authors identify three crucial, interrelated dimensions of flourishing: the material, the relational and the transcendent. … Their inclusive approach to a wide variety of academic disciplines, tempered in the end by a strong appeal to transcendence, has much to be recommended. * Robin Gill, Theology *This is a book for a general reader who already suspects that the 'scientism' (the belief that science alone can establish truth) of the so-called new atheists is flawed... [The authors] inclusive approach to a wide variety of academic disciplines, tempered in the end by a strong appeal to transcendence, has much to be recommended. * SAGE Perspectives Theology, January 2022 *The struggle for human beings to integrate a thoughtful understanding of the world as described by science and an ambitious hope of human flourishing as described by philosophy or faith is one at which humans have largely failed over the last three hundred years. This book is a major step in the right direction. It is very serious about science and very serious about human beings and their hopes and fears. I warmly commend it for a careful and thoughtful provocation towards a deeper commitment to the flourishing of human beings and of the creation. * Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury *The theme of this highly readable and enlightening book is broad and ambitious. It's the product of the authors' deep engagement with science, ethics and religion, and analyses the requisites for a fulfilled life, highlighting those that too often elude politicians and economists. The text is enlivened with historical allusions and quotations. It offers a wise perspective that's much needed as individuals and societies contend with the anxieties of the present era. * Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, former President of the Royal Society *In this magisterial book, Andrew Briggs and Michael Reiss address one of the most fundamental issues confronting humanity—human flourishing. Drawing on science and religion, they examine it from the perspective of the material, relational and spiritual. What emerges are profound insights into meaning, purpose, truth, and the reason for being. This book should be read by anyone interested in what it is to be human. * Colin Mayer, Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies, University of Oxford *What enables the good life? Material goods? Supportive relationships? Transcendent purpose? In this state-of-the-art synopsis, scientist Andrew Briggs and bioethicist Michael Reiss weave these and other threads into the fabric of human thriving. With a breath-taking sweep of scholarship that draws insights from multiple disciplines, they illuminate a path toward meaningful well-being and sustainable joy. * David Myers, Professor of Psychology, Hope College, author of The Pursuit of Happiness *A sophisticated and much-needed and insightful integration of science and humanity. As an economist I am embarrassed by my profession's stunted characterisation of humanity as 'Homo economicus', which shrivels us to hedonistic consumers. In reality, as Professors Briggs and Reiss demonstrate, we thrive from morally-guided agency that transcends ourselves and our time on Earth. In this time of uncertainty and pessimism, it is a hopeful guide to meaningful lives. * Sir Paul Collier, Blavatnik School of Government, author of The Future of Capitalism *In a world where human flourishing seems somewhat more elusive and abstract than ever, Professors Briggs and Reiss capture the many dimensions of human flourishing in the 21st century. In doing so, they give us reason to hope and to work toward a world where all people flourish. This is a delightful and uplifting treatise on what it means to be human. * Heather Templeton Dill, President, John Templeton Foundation *In Human Flourishing: Scientific insight and spiritual wisdom in uncertain times, acclaimed scholars Andrew Briggs and Michael Reiss provide insight for navigating a world of uncertainty and complexity to find more meaning, purpose, and happiness all around us. Using a combination of science and ancient wisdom, they demonstrate why love is essential for human flourishing. * Arthur C. Brooks, Professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and The New York Times bestselling author *For those of my generation, who grew up with post-war austerity, the twenty-first century promised an era of unparalleled human flourishing. But it was a mirage. Material wealth has led to problems of disparity, over-consumption and climate catastrophe. Social media has produced alienation and a retreat from shared values. Democracy and common decency look increasingly fragile. We have entered a strange new era in which extraordinary promise is coupled with a burgeoning sense of insecurity and uncertainty. Science, the powerful facilitator of progress, also threatens our undoing. In this lucid and comprehensive analysis, Andrew Briggs and Michael Reiss carefully examine the rich tapestry of religious, cultural and scientific factors that define our current predicament, and offer a message of hope, a way ahead founded on that familiar, yet too-often elusive, human quality - love. * Paul Davies, Director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University *This book by Briggs and Reiss covers questions that are of critical importance to everyone everywhere: How do we understand human life? What is human flourishing? How do we flourish? The book's rich insights and comprehensive scope will be of benefit to all readers. It provides a roadmap to flourishing in this life, and beyond. * Tyler J. VanderWeele, Loeb Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University *In the midst of a great pandemic, unprecedented poverty, and natural disasters alongside never-before-seen development of new technologies and great wealth, nothing could be more important than wrestling with what it really means for humans to flourish. Here, Briggs and Reiss provide a comprehensive, synthetic and highly readable book that addresses this topic head on. It is the kind of book that should be read and re-read. * Elaine Howard Ecklund, Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, Rice University *As I read this book, Modest Mussorgsky's wonderful Pictures at an Exhibition started playing in my mind. The same sense of multiple perspective, overt spaciousness with periodic attention to intense detail, yet a persistent crescendo in continuity of purpose emerges in this elegant and comprehensive tour of a rich and pan-disciplinary subject. Briggs and Reiss have given a compelling introduction to human flourishing, and show us why, though discussed since the ancient world, it has become ever more pressing in our own times. * Tom McLeish, Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of York *... especially comprehensive in its coverage. Individually, we can all contribute to the good common life, and this book provides a deeply reflective consideration of what this means in increasingly uncertain times. * David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer, 2022/2 *Individually, we can all contribute to the good common life, and this book provides a deeply reflective consideration of what this means in increasingly uncertain times. * David Lorimer, The Summer *Table of Contents1. Dimensions and Pillars of Human Flourishing Part I. Dimensions of Human Flourishing 2. The Material Dimension 3. The Relational Dimension 4. The Transcendent Dimension Part II. Pillars of Human Flourishing 5. Truth 6. Purpose 7. Meaning Part III. Changing Contexts of Human Flourishing 8. Limits to Predictability 9. Religion and Human Flourishing 10. Human Flourishing in an Age of Technology ConclusionDLActionable love 11. Human Flourishing Fuelled by Love Picture Credits and Sources Index

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Book SynopsisAn illuminating overview of the development, benefits, and importance of ritual in everyday life, written by a leading cognitive anthropologist.The Hidden Powers of Ritual is an engaging introduction to ritual studies that presents ritual as an evolved form of human behavior of almost unimaginable significance to our species. Every day across the globe, people gather to share meals, brew caffeinated beverages, or honor their ancestors. In this book, Bradd Shore, a respected anthropologist, reaches beyond familiar “big-R” rituals to present life’s humbler, overshadowed moments, exploring everything from the Balinese Pelebon to baseball to family Zoom sessions in the age of Covid to the sobering reenactment rituals surrounding the Moore’s Ford lynchings. In each ritual, Shore shows how our capacity to ritualize behavior is a remarkable part of the human story.Encompassing both the commonly unlabeled “interaction rituals” studied by sociologists and the symbolically elaborated sacred rituals of religious studies, Shore organizes his conception around detailed case studies drawn from international research and personal experience, weaving scholarship with a memoir of a life encompassed by ritual. A probing exploration that matches breadth with accessibility, The Hidden Powers of Ritual is a provocative contribution to ritual theory that will appeal to a wide range of readers curious about why these unique repetitive acts matter in our lives.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of how Ruth's science, and that of scientists in different disciplines, has enhanced their faith.Trade Review“Ruth Bancewicz shows how creativity, beauty, wonder and awe are essential experiences in scientific investigation. She demonstrates that there is no great discontinuity between science and other human quests for truth, including religion.” -- Revd Dr John Polkinghorne, KBE, former President of Queens’ College, Cambridge“Highly readable … Peppered with interesting facts and anecdotes, this is for everyone interested in the conversation between science and faith.” -- Dr Denis Alexander, Emeritus Director, The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion “On a topic so often dominated by the culture wars, Dr Bancewicz brings a fresh and much-needed emphasis on wonder to conversations about science and Christian faith. She reminds us that the beauty, awe, and creativity of the natural world points to its Creator. This readable book would make a great gift for a pastor or student.” -- Dr Deborah B. Haarsma, Astronomer and President of BioLogos“Written with rigour, creativity and the day-to-day insight of a true scientist. [God in the Lab] has widened the horizons of the science and faith debate by bringing new and needed perspectives. I heartily recommend it.” -- Dr Sharon Dirckx, Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, author and former brain imaging scientist“[God in the Lab] is both well researched and contains a fresh and inspiring personal narrative. It should reignite in others a passion for the friendship between science and religious belief.” -- Revd David B Rowe, Warden of the Lee Abbey Community“Ruth Bancewicz's beautifully written book demonstrates how science enhances faith, with many examples from real scientists who are Christians, and many memorable quotations. This is a great book to give to those who believe there is a conflict between science and faith.” -- Professor Sir Colin Humphreys, Director of Research at Cambridge University and President of Christians in ScienceTable of ContentsContentsForeword 71 The Theologian and the Telescope 82 Life in the Lab 153 Christianity and Science 424 Creativity 595 Imagination 906 Beauty 1237 Wonder 1578 Awe 1919 Conversation 223Acknowledgments 228Bibliography 230Notes 235Index 253

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Book SynopsisIn public debates over biotechnology, theologians, philosophers, and political theorists have proposed that biotechnology could have significant implications for human nature. They argue that ethical evaluations of biotechnologies that might affect human nature must take these implications into account. In this book, Gerald McKenny examines these important yet controversial arguments, which have in turn been criticized by many moral philosophers and professional bioethicists. He argues that Christian ethics is, in principle, committed to some version of the claim that human nature has normative status in relation to biotechnology. Showing how both criticisms and defences of this claim have often been facile, he identifies, develops, and critically evaluates three versions of the claim, and contributes a fourth, distinctively Christian version to the debate. Focusing on Christian ethics in conversation with secular ethics, McKenny''s book is the first thorough analysis of a controversial contemporary issue.Trade Review'Well written and with sound scholarly apparatus, this text will serve ethics and philosophy professionals as well as upper-level students.' M. LaBar, Choice'Eschewing both cheap moralizing and cynical resignation, McKenny offers his readers a variety of descriptive frameworks which are fully attuned to the ambiguities of … a bioethical quandary. The vitality of Christian moral discourses is shown precisely in how the language of witness and attestation are able to uphold such ambiguity, and to do so in our rapidly changing world.' Marginalia Review of BooksTable of Contents1. Biotechnology and the normative status of human nature; 2. Human nature as given; 3. Human nature as ground of human goods and rights; 4. Human nature as indeterminate, open-ended, and malleable; 5. Human nature as condition for imaging God; Conclusion; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThere is a growing crisis in scientific research characterized by failures to reproduce experimental results, fraud, lack of innovation, and burn-out. In Science and Christian Ethics, Paul Scherz traces these problems to the drive by governments and business to make scientists into competitive entrepreneurs who use their research results to stimulate economic growth. The result is a competitive environment aimed at commodifying the world. In order to confront this problem of character, Scherz examines the alternative Aristotelian and Stoic models of reforming character, found in the works of Alasdair MacIntyre and Michel Foucault. Against many prominent virtue ethicists, he argues that what individual scientists need is a regime of spiritual exercises, such as those found in Stoicism as it was adopted by Christianity, in order to refocus on the good of truth in the face of institutional pressure. His book illuminates pressing issues in research ethics, moral education, and anthropology.Trade Review'An incisive critique of the contemporary practice of science, a brilliant reconstruction of a Stoic-Christian ethic of moral and spiritual practices, and a compelling argument for reorienting virtue ethics around the question of how to cultivate virtue in the midst of corrupt institutions and practices. This lucid, thoughtful, and engaging book is a landmark contribution to the ethics of science and to Christian virtue ethics.' Gerald McKenny, University of Notre Dame, Indiana'Paul Scherz's fascinating and important book … offers a Christian ethical analysis of the practice of science … I have already begun recommending it to colleagues, doctoral students and scientists with an interest in ethics. It is a valuable contribution to a neglected aspect of the literature on science, theology and ethics. For anyone concerned about the malaise of contemporary science diagnosed by Scherz, it will be troubling and challenging, but essential, reading.' Neil Messer, Studies in Christian Ethics'… an open-minded reader will find a great deal of constructive advice on changing scientific culture that can be appreciated by people of any religion or none.' Paul Scherz, The Heythrop Journal'This book will be of interest to Christian scientists who wish to combine their academic work and Christian discipleship, as well as those interested in professional ethics.' Aaron Klink, Religious Studies ReviewTable of Contents1. The crisis in science; 2. The scientist entrepreneur; 3. Teleology and the craft of science; 4. The practices that shape the entrepreneurial subject; 5. Reshaping the entrepreneurial subject; 6. Acquiring the virtue of truth-speaking in science; 7. Subjectivity, truth, and theological anthropology.

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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 SynopsisHere is a story that begins with L. Ron Hubbard''s immersion in a deeply spiritual, deeply traditional Asia, where he met and befriended -- among other savants -- the last of the great magicians whose predecessors served in the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. Yet notwithstanding the feats that testified to remarkable powers, here was a land where wisdom was deemed sacred -- so sacred, in fact, these Oriental holy men declined to use their considerable abilities to solve the real and urgent problems of living. Thereafter returning to the United States, Ron encountered Western academia, representing a wholly dissimilar but, in a distinctly contrasting way, equally impractical world. Dominated by physical scientists and concentrated exclusively on the interaction of matter, energy and space, it was a world where the spirit formed no part of the equation. Realizing the answers lay in neither of these irreconcilable schools, he embarked on the perilous quest for a way to free the indiv

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Book SynopsisWhy would an atheist engineer become a religious believer -- a priest in fact -- and after his conversion, how would he understand the physical universe? This book is an attempt to answer that question in detail so as not to avoid the difficult questions involved. The priest''s thoughts are expressed not in a straight forward monograph, but in a series of separate but tightly connected meditations and thoughts. The language is clear and deals directly with scientific issues but explains them in a religious sense. There are five areas by which the thoughts are organized including the hot button issue of evolution, which accepts the time-line of evolutionary development of 4" billion years, but distinguishes between the evolutionary theory and the materialistic philosophy which is often but incorrectly attached to it. General issues regarding the supposed conflict between science and religion are dealt with next, including how a scientist might read the Bible. Five models of the relationship between science and religion are presented. Creationism is a highly contentious issue with some fundamentalists going so far as to claim the Bible states that the universe is less than 10,000 years old. This assertion is refuted in light of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary. A compromise solution is presented which accepts the Biblical account that God created the universe but also accepts the scientific time-line of cosmic and biological evolution. But how is a Christian to live in a time and social setting so dedicated to scientific understanding? Meditations on the question are offered in the fourth section, which includes thoughts on working in large corporations where job loss is a constant danger, but not an unusual event in one''s working life. In the fifth and final section, answers to objections, scientific and fundamentalist, are answered in dialog format to try to make the case for "creationism rightly understood".

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Book SynopsisWhy would an atheist engineer become a religious believer -- a priest in fact -- and after his conversion, how would he understand the physical universe? This book is an attempt to answer that question in detail so as not to avoid the difficult questions involved. The priest''s thoughts are expressed not in a straight forward monograph, but in a series of separate but tightly connected meditations and thoughts. The language is clear and deals directly with scientific issues but explains them in a religious sense. There are five areas by which the thoughts are organized including the hot button issue of evolution, which accepts the time-line of evolutionary development of 4" billion years, but distinguishes between the evolutionary theory and the materialistic philosophy which is often but incorrectly attached to it. General issues regarding the supposed conflict between science and religion are dealt with next, including how a scientist might read the Bible. Five models of the relationship between science and religion are presented. Creationism is a highly contentious issue with some fundamentalists going so far as to claim the Bible states that the universe is less than 10,000 years old. This assertion is refuted in light of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary. A compromise solution is presented which accepts the Biblical account that God created the universe but also accepts the scientific time-line of cosmic and biological evolution. But how is a Christian to live in a time and social setting so dedicated to scientific understanding? Meditations on the question are offered in the fourth section, which includes thoughts on working in large corporations where job loss is a constant danger, but not an unusual event in one''s working life. In the fifth and final section, answers to objections, scientific and fundamentalist, are answered in dialog format to try to make the case for "creationism rightly understood".

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Book SynopsisThere is compelling evidence that religious involvement and spiritual attitudes are beneficial to health. Religious involvement has been associated with increased lifespan, improved mood, improved coping with illness, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And yet, there is a "religiosity gap" between patients and their healthcare providers. Patients often have strong religious and spiritual attitudes that influence their perspective on health. Healthcare providers are often ill-equipped to address these issues. This book seeks to close that gap. Scholarly in scope, but approachable to all healthcare providers, Dr Doolittle addresses the salient studies that explore the intersection of religion and health. He gives guidance about common challenges faced by healthcare providers: end of life issues, chronic illness, mental health, mindfulness and religious diversity. He also tackles controversies with the changing, complex role religion plays in modern society. Dr Doolittle is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician on the faculty of Yale Medical School. In addition, he is an ordained minister with active involvement in the urban church.

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Book SynopsisThoughtful observers agree that the planetary crisis we now face-climate change; species extinction; the destruction of entire ecosystems; the urgent need for a more just economic-political order-is pushing human civilization to a radical turning point: change or perish. But precisely how to change remains an open question.In Earth-honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen answers that question with a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritual and ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resources as well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age Trade ReviewIn many ways Earth-Honoring Faith resembles an intricate, colorful song played by a vast collection of deft instrumentalists. Rasmussen is a master at tying together a large number of resources and perspectives, each carefully tuned to play the right notes. Persuasively, even lyrically, he has assembled a grand orchestra to inspire deep reflection and animate meaningful practice. * The Christian Century *This book is important, timely, sorely needed and deeply prophetic- delivering a hard, truthful indictment of the world as it is, but also suggesting visionary, hopeful Earth-honoring ways forward... yes, you should, you need , to read this. * Journal of Lutheran Ethics *Larry Rasmussen has once again penned a masterwork uniting ecological ethics and religious practices broadly envisioned. If the Earth is to survive, ethical theory and spiritual praxis are equally vital. Science informs. Religions motivat. A transformation combining these concepts is urgently needed at this moment in time on our planet. * Catholic Books Review *He [Rasmussen] writes extremely well, with elegance and eloquence, and weaves poetry, narrative, and personal stories into a tapestry informed by keen ethical insight and analysis. His treatment of power relations in the economy and of consumerism is masterful. This book is a must for anyone interested in the environment who is not willing to settle for lazy aphorisms and superficial panaceas. * CHOICE *This book is a tour-de-force, bringing together theological reflection and ethical persuasion to argue for the transformation of religions into their ecological phase. Larry Rasmussen is eloquent, comprehensive, and compelling in his articulation of a vision that is sorely needed for our emerging Earth Community. * Mary Evelyn Tucker, Co-Director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University *Larry Rasmussen's new work on religious ethics moves from a lyrical homage to the sacred web of life to a searing indictment of the utilitarian use of nature by both capitalist and socialist industrialization. Drawing on mystical, prophetic, and wisdom traditions, Rasmussen shows that a paradigm shift to an ecologically conscious civilization is possible. Inspired by local communities, an earth-honoring faith becomes a song of songs. * Aruna Gnanadason, author of Listen to the Women, Listen to the Earth *Rasmussen argues persuasively that religion needs to stop perceiving nature as the stage for the human salvation drama and view it instead as the locus for experience of the divine. His scholarship is impeccable and his ability to weave together insights from various fields and scholars is exemplary. Earth-honoring Faith is a grand intellectual endeavor that reflects interdisciplinary thinking at its best. * Jim Martin-Schramm, Professor of Religion, Luther College *By writing so lyrically and in open conversation with so many others struggling to create language for this civilizational transition, Larry Rasmussen shows the awkwardness of inherited language and ideas for discussing the new moral world that humanity needs to learn to inhabit. He demonstrates how to make sense of ancient moral traditions in a new context, and how to bend them into a new imagination of the world. This book is a serious contribution to religious ethics. It will be appreciated not only by scholars in the field but by many thinking readers worried about sustainability crises and looking for cultural resources to reshape our shared moral imagination. * Willis Jenkins, author of Ecologies of Grace *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Prelude ; PART I ; 1 The Creature We Are ; 2 The World We Have ; 3 The Faith We Seek ; 4 The Ethic We Need: Change and Imagination ; 5 The Ethic We Need: Good Theory ; 6 The Ethic We Need: Community Matrix ; 7 The Ethic We Need: Tilling and Keeping ; Interlude ; PART II ; 8 Asceticism and Consumerism ; 9 The Sacred and the Commodified ; 10 Mysticism and Alienation ; 11 Prophetic/Liberative Practices and Oppression ; 12 Wisdom and Folly ; 13 Closing ; Postlude ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisDrawing on scientific research and logical argument James Jones directly confronts the claims that cognitive science can eliminate, or debunk, religion. He provides an accessibly written, persuasive account of why these claims are not convincing.Trade Review[T]his volume will be useful to students and scholars alike interested in deepening their engagement with the field of cognitive approaches to religion and will be a useful addition to course or module materials for students studying in this area. * Paul-François Tremlett, Religion *certainly deserves the attention of the general public, and offers a welcome antidote to the misrepresentations of cognitive science of religion * Tom Uytterhoeven, ESSSAT *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Introduction: A Voice from the Border of Religion and Science ; Chapter One: Explanations -How Science Seeks to Explain Religion ; Chapter Two: Explaining-What does it Mean to Explain Religion? ; Chapter Three: Physicalism-Is a Purely Physicalist Account Compelling? ; Chapter Four: Beyond Physicalism-Mind and Nature ; Chapter Five: Our Pluralistic Universe - Living on the Border of Science and Religion ; Appendix: Sources, References, and Further Discussions ; Bibliography of Sources Used In Preparing the Text

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Book SynopsisThis book takes a bold new look at ways of exploring the nature, origins, and potentials of consciousness within the context of science and religion. Alan Wallace draws careful distinctions between four elements of the scientific tradition: science itself, scientific realism, scientific materialism, and scientism. Arguing that the metaphysical doctrine of scientific materialism has taken on the role of ersatz-religion for its adherents, he traces its development from its Greek and Judeo-Christian origins, focusing on the interrelation between the Protestant Reformation and the Scientific Revolution. He looks at scientists'' long term resistance to the firsthand study of consciousness and details the ways in which subjectivity has been deemed taboo within the scientific community. In conclusion, Wallace draws on William James''s idea for a science of religion that would study the nature of religious and, in particular, contemplative experience. In exploring the nature of consciousness, Trade ReviewWallace has looked carefully at the religious study of consciousness in both East and West, and no one can walk away from this book without a deeper impression of the profound understanding of religious consciousness that religious thinkers and traditions have achieved. The book will thus be welcomed by those who are interested in the phenomenology of religious consciousness as a tool for the cross-cultural study of religious phenomena. For these purposes it is heartily recommended.--The Journal of the American Academy of ReligionThe Taboo of Subjectivity provides a commendable introduction to issues in the relation of science and religion that humanists with an interest in science will find accessible and reasonably persuasive, and its cross-cultural framework offers students of religion a rewarding illustration of comparative work.--The Journal of ReligionThis is a landmark book in consciousness studies in the grand tradition of William James. Indeed it is the kind of book that James would have written had he been updating his writings 100 years on. * Network *

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Book SynopsisTeaching evolution in the public schools has been a perennial problem in America. From the courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925, to modern fights over intelligent design and creation science, evolution and its critics have battled over the role of science and religion in American public life.But the antievolution controversies are not merely political problems. In American Genesis, Jeffrey P. Moran explores the ways in which the evolution struggles also have reverberated beyond the confines of legislatures and courthouses. In addition to offering a careful analysis of antievolutionism''s ideological and strategic development, this wide-ranging social history argues that evolution''s reception has been shaped by four peculiarly American forces: a diverse population, regional divisions, a sometimes shaky Protestant dominance, and a tradition of democratic populism. In each area, the battles over evolution exposed and polarized existing divisions.Using extensive research in newspapers, periodicals, and archives, Moran investigates the critical influence that gender ideals have had in antievolutionism, as well as the complex role women play in modern controversies. Similarly, he analyzes the unexamined relationship between African Americans and antievolution. Moran''s reading of regional differences explains how fundamentalism, a movement born in the North, came to flourish primarily in the South.Throughout the nation, Moran argues, antievolutionist ideology has retained strong continuities from its roots in the early twentieth century, despite its modern packaging as creation science or Intelligent Design. Finally, Moran balances scholars'' understandable focus on the unfamiliar territory of antievolutionism by considering the self-conceptions and preconceptions of modern scientists as activists, teachers, and bystanders in the struggle.Trade ReviewMoran...explores aspects of creationism that receive scant attention elsewhere...A well-written, thoroughly researched, valuable contribution. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Moran's book has much to offer historians of science who are interested in antievolutionism. Historians of American culture, race, gender, and religion will also profit from reading it. * John M. Lynch, Isis Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Preface ; Introduction: Darwin Comes to America ; Chapter One: Monkeys and Mothers ; Chapter Two: Regionalism and the Antievolution Impulse ; Chapter Three: Fighting for the Future of the Race ; Chapter Four: Descent with Modification ; Chapter Five: Creationism and the Campus ; Notes ; Index

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Trade ReviewI have used this book for years * it never fails to engage the students.Nan E. Woodruff, Pennsylvania State University *Excellent for collateral reading in my history and philosophy of education class. * D. Gough, Washington Bible College *An intriguing book well suited to stimulating discussion in an upper-level course. It addresses issues rented to the social and intellectual history of 20th century American. * Daniel B. Murphy, Hanover College *Very valuable in helping students understand the Scopes Trial and modern Creationists. * Lois N. Magner, Purdue University *Very good for supplemental reading in a survey course on religion in America. Lively and stimulating. The book provokes students to get involved. * W. Calvin Smith, University of South Carolina at Aiken *In his brilliant account of the Tennessee 'monkey trial' of 1925, Mr. Ginger gives us a book where history not only records the events of a time but illuminates their significance for all time. * The New Republic *This volume provides a clear, informative and interesting chronicle of the 1925 Scopes trial. It relates the trial to the Zeitgeist of the era. * William Simons, SUNY-Oneonta *

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Book SynopsisFrom creationism to The God Delusion, the public dialogue of science and religion either uses the early chapters of Genesis in a naïve and simplistic way or rejects their relevance to contemporary questions. This is reinforced by the myth that Darwin caused a rejection of a literalistic reading of Genesis 1 and from that point most Christian theology lost any confidence in these texts. The truth is far more complex. Jewish and Christian interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis had a long a fruitful history from the earliest times. In the 19th century, many more important issues were at stake than biblical literalism, and there were many different interpretations of how the discoveries of Darwin helped or hindered the reading of the biblical text. Today, theologians are returning to the importance of Genesis as a partner in dialogue with science, gender, and environmental care. As the distinguished authors of the papers in this volume show, far from Darwin burying these ancient tTrade ReviewIt's a strange world when science can be used to dismiss the Bible, or when the Bible can be used to reject science - strange because God's people have long affirmed that the world and the Bible comprise God's Two Books. The challenge, then, is how to read the pages of both faithfully and to discern in their coordinated witness the character and aims of God. For its willingness to take up this challenge, and to do so accessibly and sensibly, Reading Genesis after Darwin is a genuinely important book. In their sketches of how Genesis was read before, during, and after the days of Darwin, these authors demonstrate how people might take the natural sciences seriously and continue to turn to Genesis 1-3 as sacred scripture. * Joel B. Green, author of Body, Soul, and Human Life: The Nature of Humanity in the Bible (2008). *Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; CONTRIBUTORS; INTRODUCTION; STEPHEN C. BARTON AND DAVID WILKINSON; PART 1: ENGAGING AGAIN WITH THE SCRIPTURES; WALTER MOBERLY; FRANCIS WATSON; ANDREW LOUTH; RICHARD S. BRIGGS; PART 2: UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY; JOHN ROGERSON; JOHN HEDLEY BROOKE; DAVID BROWN; EXPLORING THE CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE; DAVID WILKINSON; DAVID CLOUGH; JEFF ASTLEY; STEPHEN C. BARTON; ELLEN F. DAVIS; MATHEW GUEST; INDEX OF MODERN AUTHORS

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Book SynopsisIn 2006, scientist Richard Dawkins published a blockbuster bestseller, The God Delusion. This atheist manifesto sparked a furious reaction from believers, who have responded with numerous books of their own. By pitting science against religion, however, this debate overlooks what science can tell us about religion. According to evolutionary psychologist Matt J. Rossano, what science reveals is that religion made us human.In Supernatural Selection, Rossano presents an evolutionary history of religion. Neither an apologist for religion nor a religion-basher, he draws together evidence from a wide range of disciplines to show the valuable--even essential--adaptive purpose served by systematic belief in the supernatural. The roots of religion stretch as far back as half a million years, when our ancestors developed the motor control to engage in social rituals--that is, to sing and dance together. Then, about 70,000 years ago, a global ecological crisis drove humanity to the edge of extincTrade Reviewa valuable book * Bruce Buttler, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION

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Book SynopsisOne of the pioneers of the cognitive science of religion, adds insight to the interdisciplinary discussion in this provocatively titled work .... McCauley''s work is erudite, precise, well argued.-Library JournalThe battle between religion and science, competing methods of knowing ourselves and our world, has been raging for many centuries. Now scientists themselves are looking at cognitive foundations of religion--and arriving at some surprising conclusions. Over the course of the past two decades, scholars have employed insights gleaned from cognitive science, evolutionary biology, and related disciplines to illuminate the study of religion. In Why Religion is Natural and Science Is Not, Robert N. McCauley, one of the founding fathers of the cognitive science of religion, argues that our minds are better suited to religious belief than to scientific inquiry. Drawing on the latest research and illustrating his argument with commonsense examples, McCauley argues that religion has existTrade ReviewWhy Religion Is Natural and Science Is Not provides a powerful new paradigm to explore the relationship between science and religion. * Journal of Religion *Table of ContentsChapter One ; Natural Cognition ; Chapter Two ; Maturational Naturalness ; Chapter Three ; Unnatural Science ; Chapter Four ; Natural Religion ; Chapter Five ; Surprising Consequences ; References

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Book SynopsisBig dreams are rare but highly memorable dream experiences that make a strong and lasting impact on the dreamer''s waking awareness. Such dreams can include vivid imagery, intense emotions, fantastic characters, bizarre elements of form and content, and an uncanny sense of being connected to forces beyond one''s ordinary dreaming mind. These types of dreams have played significant roles in religious and cultural history, and even today people still experience them and find them intriguing and thought-provoking. Because of their infrequent occurrence and fantastical tendencies, however, big dreams have rarely been studied in light of modern science. While we know a great deal about the religious manifestations of big dreams through history and around the world, we have not yet integrated that cross-cultural knowledge with new scientific research on their psychological roots in the brain-mind system.In this volume, Kelly Bulkeley provides the first full-scale cognitive scientific analysiTrade Reviewthis book offers so many other insights into psychology, neurology and dream content analysis, it is well worth your money. * Drs. Susanne van Doorn, Mindfunda *Table of ContentsIntroduction Section I. Sleep 1. The evolution of sleep 2. The brain's paradoxical activities in sleep 3. The role of sleep in human health and development 4. Cultural practices of sleep through history Section II. Ordinary Dreaming 5. Dream recall 6. Patterns in form and content 7. Continuities between dreaming and waking life 8. Discontinuities and metaphors Section III. Big Dreams 9. Aggressive 10. Sexual 11. Gravitational 12. Mystical Section IV. Religious Experiences 13. Demonic attack 14. Prophetic vision 15. Ritual healing 16. Contemplative practice Conclusion Appendix: Word search methods in the study of dreams Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the sixteenth century, no part of the Christian West saw the development of a more powerful and pervasive astrological culture than the very home of the Reformation movement--the Protestant towns of the Holy Roman Empire. While most modern approaches to the religious and social reforms of that age give scant attention to cosmological preoccupations, this study argues that astrological concepts and imagery played a key role in preparing the ground for the evangelical movement sparked by Martin Luther in the 1520s, as well as in shaping the distinctive characteristics of German evangelical culture over the following century. Spreading above all through cheap printed almanacs and prognostications, popular astrology functioned in paradoxical ways. It contributed to an enlarged and abstracted sense of the divine that led away from clericalism, sacramentalism, and the cult of the saints; at the same time, it sought to ground people more squarely in practical matters of daily life. The art gained unprecedented sanction from Luther''s closest associate, Philipp Melanchthon, whose teachings influenced generations of preachers, physicians, schoolmasters, and literate layfolk. But the apocalyptic astrology that came to prevail among evangelicals involved a perpetuation, even a strengthening, of ties between faith and cosmology, which played out in beliefs about nature and natural signs that would later appear as rank superstitions. Not until the early seventeenth century did Luther''s heirs experience a crisis of piety that forced preachers and stargazers to part ways. Astrology and Reformation illuminates an early modern outlook that was both practical and prophetic; a world that was neither traditionally enchanted nor rationally disenchanted, but quite different from the medieval world of perception it had displaced.Trade ReviewFor most sixteenth-century Lutherans, the stars were a God-given text that complemented the Bible, a text that mirrored both the divine order of the world and its imminent disintegration. Robin Barnes has argued convincingly that we cannot properly understand the historical realities of the Reformation unless we open our eyes to this aspect of their faith. * William R. Shea, Fides et Historia *Astrology and Reformation will be an enjoyable and instructive resource for every scholar of the long 16th century. * Eugene D. Hill, Religion *Table of ContentsContents ; Acknowledgments ; A Note on Sources ; Introduction ; 1. From Athens to Augsburg ; 2. Mathematics and the Sacred ; 3. The Flood ; 4. The Campaign against Superstition ; 5. Confessional Constellations ; 6. Fate and Faith ; 7. Centrifugal Forces ; Postscript ; Literature ; Index

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Book SynopsisViolence has always played a part in the religious imagination, from symbols and myths to legendary battles, from colossal wars to the theater of terrorism. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence surveys intersections between religion and violence throughout history and around the world. The forty original essays in this volume include overviews of major religious traditions, showing how violence is justified within the literary and theological foundations of the tradition, how it is used symbolically and in ritual practice, and how social acts of violence and warfare have been justified by religious ideas. The essays also examine patterns and themes relating to religious violence, such as sacrifice and martyrdom, which are explored in cross-disciplinary or regional analyses; and offer major analytic approaches, from literary to social scientific studies. The contributors to this volume---innovative thinkers who are forging new directions in theory and analysis related to religioTrade ReviewThe authors of the volume's forty essays, who represent many disciplines including religion, anthropology, sociology, and political science, among others, offer a variety of ways of construing and explaining that relationship in both tradition-specific and cross-cultural contexts. The volume is thus a good resource for teaching as well as for brief introductions to the history of religion and violence in multiple traditions and to theories of religion and violence from multiple disciplines. * Rosemary Kellison, Religious Studies Review *With The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence, editors Mark Juergensmeyer, Margo Kitts, and Michael Jerryson have released a timely collection that provides a welcome guide to the emerging field of studies in violence and religion. * Phil Rose, Journal of Contemporary Religion *Table of ContentsContributors ; Introduction: "The Enduring Relationship of Religion and Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer, Margo Kitts, and Michael Jerryson ; Part I: Overview of Religious Traditions ; 1. Hindu: "Violence and Nonviolence at the Heart of Hindu Ethics" - Veena Das ; 2. Buddhist: "Buddhist Traditions and Violence" - Michael Jerryson ; 3. Sikh: "Sikh Traditions and Violence" - Cynthia Keppley Mahmood ; 4. Jewish: "Religion and Violence in the Jewish Traditions" - Ron Hassner and Gideon Aran ; 5. Christian:"Religion and Violence in Christian Traditions" - Lloyd Steffen ; 6. Islamic: "Muslim Engagement with Injustice and Violence"- Bruce Lawrence ; 7. African: "African Traditional Religion and Violence" - Nathalie Wlodarczyk ; 8. Pacific Island: "Religion and Violence in Pacific Island Societies" - Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart ; 9. Chinese: "Violence in Chinese Religious Traditions" - Meir Shahar ; Part II: Patterns and Themes ; 10. Evil: "The Religious Problem of Evil" - James Aho ; 11. Sacrifice: "Sacrifice/Human Sacrifice in Religious Traditions" - David Carrasco ; 12. Martyrdom: "Martyrdom in Islam" - David Cook ; 13. Self Mutilation: "Starvation and Self Mutilation in Religious Traditions" - Liz Wilson ; 14. Apocalypse: "Apocalyptic Religion and Violence" - Jamel Velji ; 15. Sacred War: "Cosmic War in Religious Traditions" - Reza Aslan ; 16. Genocide: "Genocide and the Religious Imaginary in Rwanda" - Christopher Taylor ; 17. Terrorism: "Terrorism as Performance Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer ; 18. Torture: "Christianity and Torture" - Karen King ; 19. Just War: "Just War and Legal Restraints" - John Kelsay ; 20. Abortion: "Religiously Motivated Violence in the Abortion Debate" - Julie Ingersoll ; 21. Contested Sites: "Conflicts over Sacred Ground" - Ron E. Hassner ; 22. Political Violence: "Religion and Political Violence" - Monica Toft ; 23. Death Rituals: "Rituals of Death and Remembrance" - Susumu Shimazono and Margo Kitts ; 24. Violent Death: "Violent Death in Religious Imagination" - Margo Kitts ; Part III: Analytic Approaches ; 25. Sociology: "Religion and Violence from a Sociological Perspective" - John R. Hall ; 26. Anthropology: "Religion and Violence from an Anthropological Perspective" - Pamela J. Stewart and Andrew Strathern ; 27. Psychology: "Religion and Violence from a Psychological Perspective" - James W. Jones ; 28. Political Science: "Religion and Violence from a Political Science Perspective"- Daniel Philpott ; 29. Literary Theory: "Religion and Violence from Literary Perspectives" - Margo Kitts ; 30. Theology: "Religion and Violence from Christian Perspectives" - Charles Kimball ; Part IV: New Directions ; 31 Sacrifice: "Sacrificial Violence: A Problem in Ancient Religions" - Walter Burkert ; 32. Cities: "Cities as One Site for Religion and Violence" - Saskia Sassen ; 33. Armageddon: "Armageddonin Christian, Sunni and Shi'a Traditions" - Michael Sells ; 34. Phenomenal Violence: "Phenomenal Violence and the Philosophy of Religion" - Hent de Vries ; 35. Constructions of Evil : "The Construction of Evil and the Violence of Purification" - David Frankfurter ; 36. Mimetic Theory: "Mimetic Theories of Religion and Violence" - Wolfgang Palaver ; 37. Scarcity: "Religion and Scarcity: A New Theory for the Role of Religion in Violence" - Hector Avalos ; 38. Evolutionary Theory: "Ritual, Religion, and Violence: An Evolutionary Perspective" - Candance S. Alcorta and Richard Sosis ; 39. Rites of Terror: "Divergent Modes of Religiosity and Armed Struggle" - Harvey Whitehouse, with Brian McQuinn ; 40. Sociotheology: "A Sociotheological Approach to Understanding Religious Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer and Mona Sheik ; Index

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