Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science [Paperback]

Matthew Fox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1997

The chasm between science and religion has been a source of intellectual and spiritual tension for centuries, but in these ground breaking dialogues there is a remarkable consonance between these once opposing camps. In Natural Grace, Rupert Sheldrake and Matthew Fox show that not only is the synthesis of science and spirituality possible, but it is unavoidable when one considers the extraordinary insights they have both come upon in their work. Sheldrake, who has changed the face of modern science with his revolutionary theory of morphic resonance, and Fox, whose work in creation spirituality has had a significant impact on people's sense of spirit, balance each other with their unique yet highly complementary points of view. In these inspired dialogues a variety of ancient topics--including ritual, prayer, and the soul--are freed from the past and given new power for the future in the liberated universe Fox and Sheldrake show us.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The conflict between science and faith has been a profound and even violent one, but these two realms of thought never were, nor can be, mutually exclusive. Many scientists are people of deep faith who clearly perceive the spiritual in the natural, and many religious thinkers recognize that science's revelations actually enhance our sense of the sacred. Sheldrake, a visionary biochemist, and Fox, an Episcopal priest determined to expand the parameters of "mechanistic" religion, are engaged in breaking down the barriers between their two disciplines, believing that ecological and social changes demand more flexible modes of perception. In these cogent and passionate exploratory dialogues, they discuss the evolution of our view of nature, grace, the soul, prayer, ritual, and education, drawing upon a diverse group of sources, including Greek myths, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Bible, the writings of Descartes, and Sheldrake's radical hypothesis of morphic resonance. As all productive dialogues should, these will inspire fresh perspectives and continued discussion. Donna Seaman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

A graceful and illuminating spiritual conversation between a well-known theologian and a cutting-edge scientist. Fox, an Episcopal priest and author of several books on spirituality (On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear, 1972, etc.), here engages in a unique conversation with Sheldrake (Seven Experiments That Could Change the World, 1995), a British scientist and former research fellow at Cambridge University. Their dialogue encompasses prayer, darkness, ecology, mysticism, and the soul; what emerges from their provocative insights is the sense that the gap between science and religion is perhaps not so wide as Western rationalism might have us believe. Both contend that Westerners have lost touch with their souls--that part of their being which links them to nature and the divine. Fox's contribution is somewhat more accessible than that of Sheldrake, who in criticizing the prevailing scientific worldview occasionally forgets that his readers may need that rationalist perspective explained before it can be thrown out of the window. Readers may also question ``morphic resonance,'' the controversial New Agetype theory that has made Sheldrake famous. He argues that through morphic resonance, ``if rats in Sheffield learn a new trick, rats all around the world should be able to learn it quicker just because it has been learned there.'' But the rest of the conversations are real gems. Both participants are lucid and creative in their approaches to hackneyed theological debates on worship, prayer, and meditation. Both share humbly and honestly from their personal experiences, often speaking anecdotally of the many remarkable people they have encountered in their careers. Fox also draws freely from the wisdom of past mystics such as Meister Eckhart and Theresa of Avila, and the effect is like magic. This is a book to be read under a shady tree when one has time to reflect and to enjoy the beauty of nature. (3 illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Image (August 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385483597
• ISBN-13: 978-0385483599
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,268,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE SECOND DIALOGUE BETWEEN THESE TWO FIGURES, July 22, 2010

By 

Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science (Paperback)

Matthew Fox (born 1940) is a theologian and bestselling advocate of "Creation Spirituality." He became a Catholic priest of the Dominican order, but was removed in 1992, and has subsequently become an Episcopalian priest. He has published an autobiography, Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest. Rupert Sheldrake (born 1942) is an English biochemist and plant physiologist, perhaps best-known for his theory of "morphic resonance" that was proposed in his book A New Science of Life. They have also jointly written the book The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm Where Science and Spirit Meet.

They state in the Preface, "We both share an interest in going beyond the current limitations of institutional science and mechanistic religion, as we both believe that as a new millennium dawns, a new vision is needed which brings together science, spirituality, and a sense of the sacred... The dialogues in this book are preliminary explorations into this new territory... These dialogues emerged as we spoke together in public and private settings..."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

MF: "Back in the late sixties we said that God is dead, meaning of course that we had killed God. Now we're saying that the planet is dead, meaning of course that we're busy killing it. And I propose that worship is dead."
MF: "But I told hiim that the Universe is 15 billion years old and soon the human community has to make a decision: 150 years of human tradition or 15 billion years of Creation's tradition."
MF: "theologically what I'm talking about is that it's time to start praying with the Godhead instead of just with God."
MF: "That's what myth is---it's a language for that which is too great to fit into mere factual compartments."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not easy but worth the effort, April 6, 2007

By 

W. D. E. "wde" (Lexington, KY, United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science (Paperback)

This book is a dialogue between a mystic and a scientist. From time to time one or the other get a bit esoteric, but the back and forth makes for surprising insights and provocations to further thinking by the reader. I would especially recommend this as a book to discuss in a group. The dialogue between readers of different backgrounds complements the dialogue within the book.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding grace, August 31, 2001

By 

barnabus fuller (McDonough GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science (Paperback)

I've read this book twice and have underlined a lot of it. I've recently shared it with friends and have discussed some of the concepts the authors describe so well. The idea of the body is in the soul, the soul as field, the connectivity through grace...these are powerful, transforming thoughts. Thank you Matthew for another fine book.