Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs [Hardcover]

John Marks Templeton (Editor), Kenneth Seeman Giniger (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998

Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs describes the intellectual and emotional journeys traveled by esteemed scientists worldwide. Charles Birch, S. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Larry Dossey, Owen Gingerich, Peter E. Hodgson, Stanley L. Jaki, Arthur Peacocke, John Polkinghorne, Russell Stannard, and Car Friedrich von Weizsacker offer accounts of their spirituality and scientific inquiry.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

S. Jocelyn Bell Burnell, one of the discoverers of pulsars; Larry Dossey, a physician of internal medicine who has researched the effect of prayer on patients; and eight other scientists representing the fields of physics, biochemistry, genetics, and astronomy discuss their belief in Divine Power. Most, though not all, reflect on the significance of Christian thinking in their life and work, and all examine the reasons for their spiritual beliefs and how they arrived at them in the course of their careers. These thinkers, all distinguished in their disciplines, hold a common sense of humility before the mystery of life without sacrificing the capacity to question and explore the nature of reality. This compelling exploration of the interface between science and religion is highly recommended.?Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L., BC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Templeton Foundation Pr (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890151165
• ISBN-13: 978-1890151164
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,053,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Ten Scientists Briefly Provide Their Spiritual Autobiographies, May 6, 2011

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This review is from: Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs (Hardcover)

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." -- Isaiah 11:1-2 (NKJV)

I well remember taking a writing class where the teacher also taught a course in spiritual autobiographies. I was totally stumped. I could not imagine what would be in a spiritual autobiography. I could easily imagine what would go into a Christian testimony, into an autobiography, and into a narrow autobiography (such as a writing focusing on the personal experience in mastering that craft). Then, at one of our classes, a nun told a moving story about the joy she felt in making a pall for a friend who had been called home. I finally got it!

Many people have spiritual experiences and beliefs without fully embracing a specific faith or theology. They can convey what has happened to them and how they were affected in their spirits. It makes for interesting reading because you come to know more about your own relationship with God in the process.

In this case, ten scientists share their spiritually autobiographical essays. I'm sure they will fascinate many people who would like to better understand how scientists straddle the widely assumed "divide" between "science" and "belief." In that regard, I particularly commend "Cosmic Rays and Water Spiders" by Professor Stanley L. Jaki.

Those who love to read great testimonies by born-again Christians will be disappointed not to find such an essay here. That doesn't make the essays any less interesting and helpful to the reader. It just means that there's a limited range of spiritual experience represented here. But that's to be expected with ten essays.