From Publishers Weekly
Originally delivered as the 1998 John Albert Hall Lectures at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, van Huyssteen's reflections ponder the possibilities of dialogue between theology and science. Van Huyssteen, professor of theology and science at Princeton Theological Seminary, contends that the epistemological pluralism of postmodernism opens new paths for a conversation between theology and science. He proceeds to argue for the existence of what he calls an "evolutionary epistemology," according to which human rationality arises from and is shaped by the mechanisms of evolution. Using the diverse theories of physicists Stephen Hawking and Paul Davies, van Huyssteen writes that "contemporary cosmology argues for treating the universe as a single object, which therefore implies that the universe must somehow have intelligibility as a single object of study." Human rationality, he contends, offers the key to "understanding the universe." From this pluralism of knowledge and these cosmological theories, he asserts, theology and science can fashion a lively interdisciplinary dialogue that respects the methods and conclusions of each discipline. Van Huyssteen takes care to provide definitions of difficult concepts and moves readers in a step-by-step fashion through his arguments so that his book provides an excellent introduction to the dialogue of theology and science.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
... creates an open arena for interdisciplinary conversation between science and religion. -- Nancy R. Howell, Ph.D, Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy of Religion, Saint Paul School of Theology
... exciting and occasionally unnerving... The sense of live presentation this gives the book an edge and an exciting quality. -- Princeton Theological Review, Eric O. Sprinsted, Guest Professor of Philosophy, Princeton Theological Seminary
... should be mandatory reading... the field....in my view it is perhaps the most important book on science and religion... -- The Sciences, Margaret Wertheim, Author of Pythagoras' Trousers
... this book provides an excellent introduction to the dialogue of theology and science. -- Publishers Weekly
Van Huyssteen creatively weaves together these two complex modes of human inquiry [natural sciences and Christian theology]. -- Interpretation, F. LeRon Shults, Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, MN
... exciting and occasionally unnerving... The sense of live presentation this gives the book an edge and an exciting quality. -- Princeton Theological Review, Eric O. Sprinsted, Guest Professor of Philosophy, Princeton Theological Seminary
... should be mandatory reading... the field....in my view it is perhaps the most important book on science and religion... -- The Sciences, Margaret Wertheim, Author of Pythagoras' Trousers
... this book provides an excellent introduction to the dialogue of theology and science. -- Publishers Weekly
Van Huyssteen creatively weaves together these two complex modes of human inquiry [natural sciences and Christian theology]. -- Interpretation, F. LeRon Shults, Bethel Theological Seminary, St. Paul, MN
