Description
Book Synopsis Originally published in Great Britain and now updated and available for the first time in a U.S. edition, this book is a critically acclaimed work by a renowned theologian-scientist.
Russell Stannard is known for cutting through highly technical data and presenting it clearly and simply. In Science and the Renewal of Belief he sheds light on ways in which science and religion influence each other and can help each other. Science and logic cannot establish belief, he says, but belief can be confirmed and renewed with the changed perspective of modern science.
The many reviews of the U.K. edition of his book cite his lucid presentation of relativity and quantum theory, and the way he uses relativity to explore time and eternity, and indeterminacy to comment on free will. He is also praised for offering fresh insight into original sin, the trials experienced by Galileo, the problem of pain, the possibility of miracles, the evidence for the resurrection, the credibility of incarnation, and the power of steadfast prayer. By introducing simple analogies, Stannard clears up misunderstandings that have muddied the connections between science and religion, and suggests contributions that the pursuit of physical science can make to theology.
Table of Contents Preface / ix
1. Introduction / 3
2. In the Beginning / 7
3. On How to Interpret the Bible / 13
4. The Message of the Myths / 21
5. Adam and Eve in a New Light / 25
6. The Emergence of the Human Spirit / 34
7. Superhuman Life-Forms? / 38
8. Miracles under Scrutiny / 47
9. The Touchstone of Christian Belief / 68
10. Scientists at Work / 81
11. Taking on Trust / 85
12. An Experiment with Prayer / 88
13. Attempts to Demonstrate God’s Existence / 97
14. The Whole Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts / 108
15. The Galileo Scandal / 117
16. The Significance of the Individual / 129
17. God in and beyond Space and Time / 143
18. The Place of Paradox in Science and Belief / 161
19. Why Does God Permit Evil? / 182
20. Destiny, Chance, and Choice / 189
21. Only Wholeness … / 200
22. In Conclusion / 211
References / 219
Index / 223
