The Whole and the Person: The Destiny of the Self in the Infinite Universe (original) (raw)
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Zygon, 2016
Clifford Cain, editor and also author of six of the ten chapters in this book, is the Harrod-C.S. Lewis Professor of Religious Studies at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri. He solicited contributions by colleagues from the sciences-biology and physics-as well as from philosophy from his home institution to address the issue of cosmology (Laura Stumpe, "The Big Bang Theory," 17-34), evolution (Gabe McNett, "Seeing the Reality of Evolution," 45-71), genetics (Jane Kenney-Hunt, "The Complex Relationship between Nature and Nurture," 95-112), and intelligent design (Rich Green, "Intelligent Design," 123-43), providing theological commentaries himself to each of these topics besides writing the Introduction (1-15) and the Conclusion (153-58). The book "is intentionally directed toward a general, nonspecialist audience, because the contributors believe that the attempt to relate science and religion should not be reserved for, or monopolized by, experts talking only to each other" (ix). This overarching goal is well achieved. The individual contributors not only explain almost every technical term they use and provide essential references in "notes" at the end of their chapters, but also unfold complex matters in plain language and in such a way that these easily can be grasped (a nice proof of their didactic skills). While, then, nothing much needs to be said regarding the straightforward, very basic presentations of the scientific topics; it is the theological interpretations that warrant a closer examination, because it is these to which the book's title refers when speaking of "re-vision." What is revised and reimagined here is not scientific theory or research as such, but the theological interpretation of scientific and, as in the case of intelligent design, pseudo-scientific theories and research in light of process theology. Process theology "picks up on both the God of the philosophers and the God of the Bible" (147, original emphasis), "promotes a view of the world that involves change, development, novelty, and organic unity," and "posits a concept of God as having two natures. .. a transcendent aspect and also an immanent" one (76). Properly understood, process theology abolishes the concept of an omnipotent God and renders the literalistic, fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible impossible. To thus revise the concept of God and the study of the Bible "is critical" because in light of scientific findings "it is no longer tenable" to cling to a religiously informed deterministic worldview by asserting "a notion of God as divine Regulator with infinite power and meticulous providence" (154). The same applies to "biblical literalism," for this "not only creates (unnecessary) conflict with science, it also does not do justice to religion's scriptures themselves" (153; original parenthesis). With an almost pastoral concern, Cain pleads for a nonconfrontational "conversation" (12) between science and religion for mutual benefit, since both "are needed for a complete picture of reality. .. and make necessary contributions to
2016
Clifford Cain, editor and also author of six of the ten chapters in this book, is the Harrod-C.S. Lewis Professor of Religious Studies at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri. He solicited contributions by colleagues from the sciences-biology and physics-as well as from philosophy from his home institution to address the issue of cosmology (Laura Stumpe, "The Big Bang Theory," 17-34), evolution (Gabe McNett, "Seeing the Reality of Evolution," 45-71), genetics (Jane Kenney-Hunt, "The Complex Relationship between Nature and Nurture," 95-112), and intelligent design (Rich Green, "Intelligent Design," 123-43), providing theological commentaries himself to each of these topics besides writing the Introduction (1-15) and the Conclusion (153-58). The book "is intentionally directed toward a general, nonspecialist audience, because the contributors believe that the attempt to relate science and religion should not be reserved for, or monopolized by, experts talking only to each other" (ix). This overarching goal is well achieved. The individual contributors not only explain almost every technical term they use and provide essential references in "notes" at the end of their chapters, but also unfold complex matters in plain language and in such a way that these easily can be grasped (a nice proof of their didactic skills). While, then, nothing much needs to be said regarding the straightforward, very basic presentations of the scientific topics; it is the theological interpretations that warrant a closer examination, because it is these to which the book's title refers when speaking of "re-vision." What is revised and reimagined here is not scientific theory or research as such, but the theological interpretation of scientific and, as in the case of intelligent design, pseudo-scientific theories and research in light of process theology. Process theology "picks up on both the God of the philosophers and the God of the Bible" (147, original emphasis), "promotes a view of the world that involves change, development, novelty, and organic unity," and "posits a concept of God as having two natures. .. a transcendent aspect and also an immanent" one (76). Properly understood, process theology abolishes the concept of an omnipotent God and renders the literalistic, fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible impossible. To thus revise the concept of God and the study of the Bible "is critical" because in light of scientific findings "it is no longer tenable" to cling to a religiously informed deterministic worldview by asserting "a notion of God as divine Regulator with infinite power and meticulous providence" (154). The same applies to "biblical literalism," for this "not only creates (unnecessary) conflict with science, it also does not do justice to religion's scriptures themselves" (153; original parenthesis). With an almost pastoral concern, Cain pleads for a nonconfrontational "conversation" (12) between science and religion for mutual benefit, since both "are needed for a complete picture of reality. .. and make necessary contributions to
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences, 2015
The article discusses the problem of interpretation of the universe as a whole in the context of the modern dialogue between science and religion. It is argued that the very possibility of cosmology and theology imply each other. Thus humanity becomes the central problem of the dialogue because of its ambivalent position in the universe as being an organic physical being on the one hand and the articulating consciousness of the whole universe, on the other hand. On the basis of asymmetry in relation between theology and cosmology a methodology of a theological treatment of cosmology is suggested as being based in the irreducible primacy of the event of living with respect to any possible representation of the universe. A phenomenological methodology of "deconstructing" the ideas about the universe is suggested with the aim to disclose the source of these ideas in human person.