The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate (Hardcover)

by Adam Frank (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Heavens be praised: here is a scientist who respects religion and relates it to the same impulse that drives scientific inquiry—an aspiration to the true and the real. Astrophysicist Frank is a lover of the skies with sufficient experience of awe to understand there's more than one way to tell the truth. His history of ideas is real science braided with myth and metaphor—the titular constant fire comes from poet Wallace Stevens. He's an engaging storyteller, as might be expected from someone who has published in Scientific American and Discover magazines. He can explain quantum physics and also dismiss woo-woo votaries who produce movies and books based on spurious science. He can relate mythic creation stories to the development of Big Bang theory. Light years beyond the stale standoff between uninspired scientific materialism and unscientific intelligent design, this vision of coexistence appreciates the heavenly music of the spheres. (Jan.)
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Review
"An elegant reimagining of the relationship between science and spirituality.. . . . Challenges the assumption that science and religion are implacable foes."--Chronicle of Higher Education

"An elegant reimagining of the relationship between science and spirituality.. . . . Challenges the assumption that science and religion are implacable foes."--Chronicle of Higher Education

"The most striking aspect . . . . is the passion that Adam Frank displays in writing about his experience as a scientist."--Times Higher Education

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520254120
• ISBN-13: 978-0520254121
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #251,867 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In "The Constant Fire" Dr. Frank makes it clear why there need not be a Science vs. Religion debate., January 22, 2009

By	Jerome Laufer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Frank's rendering of humankind's quest to make sense of all that is in front of us and of the experience of the sacred, from the Neolithic era to the present is communicated with remarkable clarity and vibrant narrative skill in this work.

The book transcends the paranoid squabbling that plagues the religion vs. science dialogue. He gets to the meat of why humans have a perennial aspiration to understand the mysteries that are part of their interface with the world and their universe by using sacred narratives and rich mythologies (the positive definition).

His work does not hammer away at the ever so tiresome creationism vs. evolution argument nor is there any scripture bashing. He speaks from an a-theistic standpoint regarding our fundamental human experience of curiosity and awe that motivates us to explore with a deep sense of " the sacred" and how beauty is revealed when the experience is taken to heart.

There is urgency to his thesis. Dr. Frank likens the present status of our emotional intelligence as being in its adolescence. To paraphrase, you wouldn't hand the keys to the universe to a liquored up teenager so he can drive it off a cliff He explains that the fruits of science must be tempered with a sober and mature collective human consciousness in order for us to use science and religion skillfully and compassionately.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a refreshing dip in the wellspring of the human search for meaning, February 16, 2009

By	Paul J. Green - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a breath of fresh air in a climate stale with the steamy blather of biblical literalists on the one hand and the aridity of scientific reductionism on the other. Dr. Frank writes clearly and engagingly, and with the arc of a storyline he the common ground beneath us all that nourishes the myriad of myth and metaphor we each create in our attempts to understand the world both phenomenologically and spiritually. This is a hopeful tome for a hopeful time!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Book, March 17, 2009

By	Michael Gooch "Author of Wingtips with Spurs:... (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a very well-written book. I would recommend it to anyone seeking an eloquent, pleasant tour into the arena of myths and history.

I was somewhat disappointed that it did not contain as much astrophysics as I had anticipated and that a link between this science field and religion or spirituality was not discussed more in-depth. After reading Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion and The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, I was hoping for more science and less background regarding the rise of religious belief. Still, I found it a very enjoyable book.

Debating the merits of scientific thought while trying to maintain a sacred world is never an easy task. Indeed, it is an objective that has not been achieved, certainly not by today's literature. This is true whether the author is a scientist (as in this case) or a theologian. Nevertheless, I will keep reading and searching.

Again, I recommend The Constant Fire as a pleasant and enjoyable book. I hope you find this review helpful.

Michael L. Gooch - Author of Wingtips with Spurs Cowboy Wisdom for Today's Business Leaders.