Many Worlds: The New Universe and Its Theological Implications

Steven J. Dick

Templeton Foundation Press

What has wonder, that apparently innocent feeling of amazement so common in little children, to do with wisdom, often thought to be the privilege of those who are old? What has theology and religious experience to do with scientific investigation of the natural world? Professor Celia Deane-Drummond’s exploration of these themes expands thedialogue between science and religion. She begins her study with reflectionson the emotion of wonder, tracing the history of its meaning from its Indo-European roots to the present, focusing on the experience of the naturalworld, including that described by contemporary cosmology.Incorporating insights from both Eastern and Western religious traditions,as well as African spirituality, she segues to a discussion of wisdom. Sheconsiders: natural wisdom, looking at evolutionary convergence and design inthe natural world and how it might mesh with theological understanding ofnatural wisdom; human identity; and the notion of God as wisdom. She also discusses the origin of the cosmos and the role of God as creator, as well as whether there is wisdom in nature and what the role, if any, of neuroscience in wisdom as a facet of human nature might be. Returning to the theme of wonder, she muses on wonder as it relates tothe wisdom of God and the wisdom of the cross. She shows that by weavingwonder and wisdom together, a deeper spirituality can surface that integratestheology and science. “If wisdom is the voice for theology at the boundaryof science, so wonder reminds theology that science too offers its own wisdomthat needs to be taken into account,” she concludes.

Wonder and Wisdom: Conversations in Science, Spirituality, and Theology

Religion & Spirituality

Deane-Drummond, Celia

Religious Studies

In this book, Stephen R. L. Clark, a philosopher with a lifelong "addiction" to science fiction, explores G. K. Chesterton's ideas and arguments in their historical context and evaluates them philosophically. He addresses Chesterton's sense that the way things are is not how they must have been or need be in the future, and his willingness to face up to the apparent effects of the nihilism he detected in the science and politics of his day. 
Clark offers a detailed study of some of Chesterton's works that have been identified by science fiction writers and critics as seminal influences. He attempts to deal with some of Chesterton's theories that have been found offensive or "positively wicked" by later writers and critics, including his arguments against female suffrage and in praise of war, his medievalist leanings, and his contemptuous rejection of Darwinian evolutionary theory.

G. K. Chesterton: Thinking Backward, Looking Forward

Biographies & Memoirs

Clark, Stephen R.L

Professionals & Academics

Based on eight years of hands-on experience and more than 300 interviews, Street Saints is both a book of motivational stories about unsung heroes and a sociological study of the faith factor, documenting faith-based programs that are treating social maladies in America. This book takes readers on a tour of communities and institutions in America where faith-based initiatives are making a difference. It offers inspiration, role models and guidelines for people who would like to give back to their own communities. Section 1 introduces street saints, people who are willing to go where there is pain and suffering and be a presence of healing with love. They are people of faith who are solving problemssuch as a woman who has reclaimed a city-block from drug dealers and a pastor who walks into gang confrontations to defuse them. Although of diverse races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, they are alike in their motivation to transform individuals. Section 2 offers a tour of programs with an examination of what works and why. Examples include: prison rehabilitation programs, a program that cares for abused toddlers, one that mobilizes thousands of mentors for at-risk children by pairing a church with an elementary school, drug treatment and welfare-to-work programs that move people into self-sufficiency and programs that help mentally and physically handicapped people support themselves with micro-enterprises. Section 3 focuses on three citiesPittsburgh, Memphis, and Fresnowhere people of faith are mobilizing resources to transform entire communities. Section 4 presents the historical framework that puts social entrepreneurship into a broader vision of the soul of America. An appendix provides contact information for those who want to emulate the examples provided in the book.

Street Saints: Renewing American Cities

Business & Money

Elliott, Barbara J.

Job Hunting & Careers

In Unexpected Grace Bill Kramer offers a rare look into the human side of the world of scientific research. He goes behind the scenes of four scientific investigations on diverse aspects of the study of unlimited love and offers uplifting portraits of human beings struggling to understand and improve the complex issues facing them. He explores the dynamics between the researchers, the subjects they study, and the participants in the studies, and eloquently tells their personal stories. The stories touch on vastly different social and human issues, but all are connected by love.The first is the story of Courtney Cowart, who was part of a group of theologians who met at Trinity Place in lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001, not knowing her experience would become the subject of a study. The story of how the group struggled to survive and the formation of a practical, effective altruistic community is heartrending and inspiring. This is followed by a description of a University of California Santa Cruz psychology department study on the dynamics of friendship and prejudice that completely changed the perceptions of those involved.The third study, from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, focused on the benefits of religion on mental and physical health, which led its researcher to a greater understanding of forgiveness, humility, and grace. The final powerful story is about a physiology of love study conducted in Iowa City. Here, a functional MRI is the vehicle for measuring empathy and brings the researcher to wonder, "Is there a point at which empathy shuts down and we turn away?" Ultimately she comes to recognize that past experiences influences our ability to respond emphatically.Each story candidly unveils the transformations the researchers and their subjects experienced in the course of their work. This illuminating book, with its unique insights, will appeal to educators, researchers, students, study participants, and everyone who wonders what goes on behind the scenes of investigative studies.

Unexpected Grace: Stories of Faith, Science, and Altruism

Politics & Social Sciences

Kramer, Bill

Social Sciences

Health care professionals, clergy, chaplains, social workers, and others who counsel people in medical crisis often find themselves faced with deeply painful questions: Why is this happening to me? Am I dying? Why should I live? I'm just a burden to others.Here is a workbook that suggests healing verbal responses to such expressions of spiritual pain. The accompanying DVD helps reinforce the lessons and exercises that integrate psychology, psychiatry, pastoral counseling, nursing, chaplaincy, and spiritual direction for whole person care.The author, an internationally recognized expert in spiritual caregiving, points out that wanting to help is one motivation for learning these skills, but there are also evidence-based reasons: helping patients express their innermost feelings promotes spiritual healing; spiritual health is related to physical and emotional health; spiritual coping helps patients accept and deal with their illness; and patients tend to want their health care professionals to know about their spirituality.Lessons, tips, and exercises teach how to listen effectively, with guidelines for detecting and understanding the spiritual needs embedded in patients' conversations. Suggestions are provided for verbal responses to patients who express spiritual distress, including tips for building rapport, using self-disclosure, and praying with patients. A FAQ section deals with frequently asked questions and miscellaneous information, such as: •What do I do when a patient talks on and on and I have to leave? •How do I answer a "why" question? •What do I say to a patient who believes a miracle will happen to cure them? •What if I'm not religious? How can I talk about it? By practicing and using these healing techniques, Taylor explains, healthcare professionals will be able to provide patients responses to their questions that allow them to become intellectually, emotionally, and physically aware of their spirituality so they can experience life more fully.

What Do I Say?: Talking with Patients about Spirituality (with DVD)

Elizabeth Johnston Taylor

Christian Books & Bibles

Twelve renowned scientists and theologians offer penetrating insights into the evolution dialogue in The Deep Structure of Biology. Each considers whether the orthodox model of evolution is sufficient and offers his/her own perspective on evolution and biology. Essays include: •Chance and Necessity in Evolution •Green Plants as Intelligent Organisms •Canny Corvoids and Political Primates: A Case for Convergent Evolution in Intelligence •Social and Cultural Evolution in the Ocean: Convergences and Contrasts with Terrestrial Systems •Purpose in Nature: On the Possibility of a Theology of Evolution Editor Simon Conway Morris provides the introduction and an overview of the issues as well as an essay on evolution and convergence. Other contributors are: Richard Lenski, George McGhee, Karl Niklas, Anthony Trewavas, Nigel Franks, Nicola Clayton, Nathan Emery, HalWhitehead, Robert Foley, Michael Ruse, Celia Deane-Drummond, and John Haught. The discussion of biology and evolution in these essays broadens the scope of the traditional evolution discussion as it aims to stimulate the development of further research programs. Scholars in the science and religion field will find this book a valuable resource.

The Deep Structure of Biology: Is Convergence Sufficiently Ubiquitous to Give a Directional Signal?

The scientific study of forgiveness is a new approach to an age-old problem. For thousands of years, people have practiced forgiveness within religious systems. Now, the field of scholarly research of forgiveness reveals the beneficial aspects of the process. p&gt;Contributors include Elliot Dorff and Martin Marty discussing religious interpretations, followed by social implications explained by Kenneth Pargament and Mark Rye. Roy Baumeister, Julie Exline, and Kristin Sommer present the victim's point of view. Other contributors focusing on the forgiveness research are: Everett Worthington, Robert Enright, Catherine Coyle, Carl Thoresen, Frederic Luskin, and Alex Harris. An annotated bibliography by Michael McCullough, Julie Exline, and Roy Baumeister, covers the empirical literature on the subject. Lewis Smedes concludes with the four steps necessary for forgiveness: moving from estrangement to forgiveness to reconciliation to hope.

Dimensions of Forgiveness: Psychological Research & Theological Perspectives (Volume 1)

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Mental Health

Optimism and hope are not random feelings; they can be conscious choices. Martin E. P. Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, is one of the world's leading authorities on learned helplessness and its relation to optimism and hope. In recognition of his contributions to the field, the John Templeton Foundation hosted a symposium to honor his work and to document its tremendous influence on the world of psychological research.   This volume brings together eminent psychologists and professionals whose work has been greatly influenced by Seligman's innovative approach. The contributors focus on several concepts related to optimism and hope, including expectancies, explanatory style, goal setting, future-mindedness, control and choice. They address the areas of optimism and well-being in individuals, neurobiology of optimism, psychological resilience, physical health, promoting optimism and hope, and optimism in families, faith and cultures.   Over the past ten years, Seligman has demonstrated that pessimists can be taught the skills of optimism. Adults and children who acquire these skills are less vulnerable to depression. Although his work in positive psychology is still in its early stages, it suggests that we may be able to improve our lives by changing the way we think. The research by such prominent professionals is testimony to the tremendous influence Martin Seligman has had, and will continue to have, in shaping the field of positive psychology.   Includes Index.

The Science Of Optimism and Hope: Research Essays in Honor of Martin E.P. Seligman (Laws Of Life Symposia Series, vol. 2) (Volume 2)

Gillham, Jane E.

Psychology & Counseling

Www.Here-I-Am

Sam didn't think much of religion. What with science being able to explain almost everything about us and about the world we live in, there didn't seem much point to believing in God any more. But then came the day Sam was exploring the Internet, and stumbled across God's website! At least, that was what it claimed to be.Sam decides to investigate, and becomes engrossed in conversations with the mysterious person on the other end. Together they explore the great questions arising out of evolution, astronomy, cosmology, the laws of nature, and the possibility of miracles. Not that Sam knew much science. Fortunately the stranger was able to explain the science from scratch in a way that Sam could understand. They also tackled the problems of evil, suffering, and death; that really set Sam thinking.Readers will be challenged to form their own personal responses to the issues raised based on a listing of forty questions at the back of the book. Sample questions include: •What do you hope to achieve in your lifetime? •Does belief in God play a part in that? •Do you believe in evolution—that you came from animals? •Do you think there is life on other planets? •If so, does that make human beings less important? •Do the world religions contradict each other, or are they simply talking about the same God in somewhat different ways? •How should belief in an afterlife affect the way you live this life?

www.Here-I-Am

Teen & Young Adult

Stannard, Russell

Literature & Fiction

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