Science and Religion: A New Introduction (Wiley Desktop Editions) [Paperback]

Alister E. McGrath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2009 | ISBN-10: 1405187913 | ISBN-13: 978-1405187916 | Edition: 2

Now thoroughly updated to reflect the latest debates, this popular textbook introduces readers to the central questions in the field of science and religion. Ideally suited to those who have little or no prior knowledge in either area, it incorporates numerous student-friendly features, including maps, summaries, and historical references, resulting in the most up-to-date introduction to the study of religion and the natural sciences available.

• Examines the historical, theological, philosophical and scientific aspects of the interaction between religion and science
• Fully updated to reflect current, cutting-edge debates on scientific atheism and the limits of scientific method, and discussions about the relationship between science and religion in major world faiths
• Includes a historical component to enable readers to orientate themselves within the subject
• Takes a topic based approach which fits into the existing structure of most courses, and includes explanatory material not found in other works of this kind, making it highly accessible for those with little scientific or religious background knowledge
• Incorporates illustrations, tables, maps, summaries and questions for a lively and engaging approach to the subject
• Written by world-renowned theologian, Alister McGrath; author of bestselling books such as Dawkins’ God, and an acknowledged expert in the field of science and religion

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the previous edition of Science and Religion:

"A first rate introduction to the field." (Network)

"McGrath discusses clearly and methodically the various issues related to the field … Fair and objective." (Choice)

"A useful starting point for those entering the study of science and religion." (Publishers Weekly)

Review

'A wonderfully clear and readable introduction to key issues in science and religion. McGrath is uniquely qualified to write on this topic, and his mastery of the field is apparent on every page of this excellent volume.
—Peter Harrison, Harris Manchester College, Oxford

“Kudos to scientist-theologian Alister McGrath for this accessible and well-informed overview of science-faith dialogue, from yesterday’s Copernican revolution to today’s psychology of religion, and for his vision of a natural theology that helps make sense of what science observes.”
David G. Myers, Hope College

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (December 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405187913
• ISBN-13: 978-1405187916
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,809 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alister E. McGrath is a historian, biochemist, and Christian theologian born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A longtime professor at Oxford University, he now holds the chair in theology, ministry, and education at the University of London. He is the author of several books on theology and history, including Christianity's Dangerous Idea, In the Beginning, and The Twilight of Atheism. He lives in Oxford, England, and lectures regularly in the United States.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An accessible introduction to Science and Religion, May 3, 2011

By 

rossuk (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Science and Religion: A New Introduction (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Paperback)

One does have to be a bit careful with McGrath's books, as some are written at a popular level (The Dawkins Delusion?) but some are very academic (The Science of God). This is a text book (published by Wiley-Blackwell), but it is also accessible. McGrath says "To appreciate the complex interaction of the natural sciences and religion, it is necessary to have at least a good general working knowledge of at least one religion and one major natural science, preferably physics or biology". Note, he is mainly talking about Christianity rather than theism in general. My degree is in physics and I have a decent understanding of Christianity, so I found it quite accessible. The book is in four parts:

Part 1 History: Three Landmark Debates. Here he covers Copernicus, Galileo, Newton and Darwin

Part 2 Science and Religion: General Themes. Here he covers topics such as: models of interaction, the explanation of things, proofs for God's existence, verification and falsification, realism and its alternatives, Doctrine of creation, how does God act in the world, the use of models, natural science and natural theology, theoretical anomalies, the development of theory, the interaction of science and religion in other faiths.

Part 3 Science and religion: Contemporary Debates. Does science deny God? Cosmology and the Anthropic Principle, quantum mechanics, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, psychology of religion, the cognitive science of religion.

Part 4 Case Studies in Science and Religion. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas F Torrance, Charles A Coulson, Ian G Barbour, Arthur Peacock, Wolfhart Pannenberg, John Polkinghorne, Nancy Murphy, Alister E McGrath and Philip Clayton.

Each chapter has a further reading section. There is a decent index. All in all, it is a good introduction.

NB. the first edition was published in 1999, McGrath says that the 2010 edition is a major revision of the first edition.

BTW. I also found Ian G Barbour to be excellent When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners?

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introductory book, July 12, 2010

By 

Ronald Mennickent Cid (Concepción, Chile) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Science and Religion: A New Introduction (Wiley Desktop Editions) (Paperback)

I found this book quite good. The chapters are easy to read, short, concise and explore well defined fundamental topics. The added references
for further reading are maintained at a minimum, which is good for somebody with not much time for exploring them.