Download or read book Spiritual Evolution written by George Vaillant and published by Harmony. This book was released on 2009-06-09 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In our current era of holy terror, passionate faith has come to seem like a present danger. Writers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens have been happy to throw the baby out with the bathwater and declare that the danger is in religion itself. God, Hitchens writes, is not great. But man, according to George E. Vaillant, M.D., is great. In Spiritual Evolution, Dr. Vaillant lays out a brilliant defense not of organized religion but of man’s inherent spirituality. Our spirituality, he shows, resides in our uniquely human brain design and in our innate capacity for emotions like love, hope, joy, forgiveness, and compassion, which are selected for by evolution and located in a different part of the brain than dogmatic religious belief. Evolution has made us spiritual creatures over time, he argues, and we are destined to become even more so. Spiritual Evolution makes the scientific case for spirituality as a positive force in human evolution, and he predicts for our species an even more loving future. Vaillant traces this positive force in three different kinds of “evolution”: the natural selection of genes over millennia, of course, but also the cultural evolution within recorded history of ideas about the value of human life, and the development of spirituality within the lifetime of each individual. For thirty-five years, Dr. Vaillant directed Harvard’s famous longitudinal study of adult development, which has followed hundreds of men over seven decades of life. The study has yielded important insights into human spirituality, and Dr. Vaillant has drawn on these and on a range of psychological research, behavioral studies, and neuroscience, and on history, anecdote, and quotation to produce a book that is at once a work of scientific argument and a lyrical meditation on what it means to be human. Spiritual Evolution is a life’s work, and it will restore our belief in faith as an essential human striving.

Download or read book The Human Spirit written by Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2018-11-28 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, Marjorie O’Rourke Boyle probes significant concepts of the human spirit in Western religious culture across more than two millennia, from the book of Genesis to early modern science. The Human Spirit treats significant interpretations of human nature as religious in political, philosophical, and physical aspects by tracing its historical subject through the Priestly tradition of the Hebrew Bible and the writings of the apostle Paul among the Corinthians, the innovative theologians Augustine and Aquinas, the reformatory theologian Calvin, and the natural philosopher and physician William Harvey. Boyle analyzes the particular experiences and notions of these influential authors while she contextualizes them in community. She shows how they shared a conviction, although distinctly understood, of the human spirit as endowed by or designed by a divine source of everything animate. An original and erudite work that utilizes a rich and varied array of primary source material, this volume will be of interest to intellectual and cultural historians of religion, philosophy, literature, and medicine.

Download or read book The Spirit in the Gene written by Reg Morrison and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From famines and deforestation to water pollution, global warming, and the rapid rate of extinction of plants and animals--the extent of the global damage wrought by humankind is staggering. Why have we allowed our environment to reach such a crisis? What produced the catastrophic population explosion that so taxes the earth's resources? Reg Morrison's search for answers led him to ponder our species' astonishing evolutionary success. His extraordinary book describes how a spiritual outlook combined with a capacity for rational thought have enabled Homo sapiens to prosper through the millennia. It convincingly depicts these traits as part of our genetic makeup--and as the likely cause of our ultimate downfall against the inexorable laws of nature. The book will change the way readers think about human evolution and the fate of our species. Small bands of apes walked erect on the dangerous plains of East Africa several million years ago. Morrison marvels that they not only survived, but migrated to all corners of the earth and established civilizations. To understand this feat, he takes us back to a critical moment when these hominids developed language and with it the unique ability to think abstractly. He shows how at this same time they began to derive increasing advantage from their growing sense of spirituality. He convincingly depicts spirituality as an evolutionary strategy that helped rescue our ancestors from extinction and drive the species toward global dominance. Morrison concludes that this genetically productive spirituality, which has influenced every aspect of our lives, has led us to overpopulate the world and to devastate our own habitats. Sobering, sometimes chilling, consistently fascinating, his book offers a startling new view of human adaptation running its natural course.

Download or read book The Spirit in Human Evolution written by Martyn Rawson and published by . This book was released on 2007-08 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Martyn Rawson, a seasoned Waldorf teacher and biologist, takes the reader on a journey into modern anthropological thinking from the perspective of a spiritual scientist. Chapters: Self-knowledge, Truth, and Goodness Contextual Thinking Versus Reductionist Thinking Anthroposophical Anthropology and the Developing Human Being First Steps Lucy, Flatface, and Friends Working Man The Ancients The Moderns

Download or read book Spirit Earth and Human Evolution written by Yubraj Sharma and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book When Did Sin Begin written by Loren Haarsma and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The question of the "historical Adam" is a flashpoint for many evangelical readers and churches. Science-and-theology scholar Loren Haarsma--who has studied, written, and spoken on science and faith for decades--shows it is possible both to affirm what science tells us about human evolution and to maintain belief in the doctrine of original sin. Haarsma argues that there are several possible ways of harmonizing evolution and original sin, taking seriously both Scripture and science. He presents a range of approaches without privileging one over the others, examining the strengths and challenges of each.

Download or read book Human Evolution written by Rudolf Steiner and published by Rudolf Steiner Press. This book was released on 2014-12-15 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Returning from travels in war-torn Europe, Steiner gives a stark impression of the conditions of the time, encouraging esoteric work as a counter to the world-situation. Steiner analyses the gulf between contemporary culture and science – which he says are characterized by 'narrow-mindedness, philistinism and ineptitude' – and a scientific approach to the spirit. The wealth of spiritual thoughts and knowledge in these lectures remain as relevant today as they did when they were first delivered.

Download or read book Seven Days of Spiritual Evolution written by E. Kent Rogers and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How are we to reconcile a literal reading of the Creation story in the Bible with what science tells us of how the universe and humankind came to be? Based on the ideas of Emanuel Swedenborg, E. Kent Rogers's Seven Days of Spiritual Evolution points the way to a deeper symbolic meaning hidden within the narrative of Genesis 1. Using his experience as a mental health counselor and spiritual practitioner, he develops practical techniques for spiritual growth on our own personal journey from the darkness to the light.

Download or read book The Divine Providence written by Emanuel Swedenborg and published by . This book was released on 1905 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aspects of Human Evolution written by Rudolf Steiner and published by SteinerBooks. This book was released on 1987 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 8 lectures, Berlin, May 29-July 24, 1917 (CW 176) How to Keep Your Soul Alive after Twenty-Seven This could have been the title of this book. The author shows that the natural development of the soul stops at around the age of twenty-seven. After that, nothing happens for our inner being unless we learn to make it happen. Part of the tragic nature of our time is that more and more people allow their soul life to die at twenty-seven, so that the remainder of their life becomes a kind of mummification. Steiner explains how, by exerting our thinking and feeling, we can keep our soul alive and growing. This is ultimately the only way we can make this incarnation a satisfactory one. Through such effort, we can continue to develop inwardly until a very advanced age--each year, becoming richer and more interesting than the one before. Aspects of Human Evolutionis a book that gives real meaning to the idea that we live in a state of becoming This book is a translation from German of Menschliche und menschheitliche Entwicklungswahrheiten. Das Karma des Materialismus (vol. 176 in the Bibliographic Survey).

Download or read book Spiritual Evolution written by John Marks Templeton and published by Templeton Foundation Press. This book was released on 1998-06 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These personal essays by esteemed scientists worldwide describe the spiritual journeys they have taken. Autohirs share their own experiences of learning to blend an understanding of the Divine with scientific perspectives.

Download or read book The Science of Spirit written by Luis Portela and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2020-12-18 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the 20th century and into the new millennium, humanity has made enormous advancements in science and technology. Spiritual enlightenment, however, has gone relatively neglected, as fascination with material progress tends to keep us focused on the physical world, giving less importance to universal values, to being, to spiritual life. Parapsychological research has produced significant findings over the last few decades, and science has the obligation to continue exploring this area, seeking to contribute to the spiritual enlightenment of humanity. This book examines evidence of traditional psychic phenomena, promoting a more comprehensive understanding of them, and offering new perspective to see ourselves as particles of "universal energy," interconnected with all others.

Download or read book Thank God for Evolution written by Michael Dowd and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a philosophy that unifies evolution and religion, discussing evolution as a divine process, how to use insights derived from evolution to improve spiritual life, and how to work for systemic change within this framework.

Download or read book Spiritual Evolution written by Amanda M. Hicks and published by . This book was released on 1917 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Human Evolution written by RUDOLF STEINER and published by Rudolf Steiner Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ‘Anyone who takes hold of what we call spiritual science, not with purely abstract thoughts but with his whole being, will see that this spiritual science goes right into the dexterity of the hands, that it makes a person more capable and enables him to extend his interest over wider areas and his will over a wider world.’ – Rudolf Steiner Returning from travels in war-torn Europe, Rudolf Steiner gives a stark impression of the disastrous conditions of the time, encouraging deeper esoteric work as a counter to the world-situation. Speaking under the broad theme of human development in the light of anthroposophy, he analyses the gulf between contemporary culture and science – which he says are characterized by ‘narrow-mindedness, philistinism and ineptitude’ – and a scientific approach to the spirit. At the same time, Steiner is clear-sighted about the shortcomings of his followers, mentioning past failures and a continuing tendency towards sectarianism and dogmatic judgements. Rudolf Steiner discusses how we experience a state of separateness with the world through our physical form, whilst our aura – or soul-spiritual being – is already living actively in cosmic surroundings. A conscious crossing of the threshold into the spiritual world is urgent and necessary today, although Steiner warns of the dangers inherent in certain eastern and western approaches. The tendency of initiates of the Orient is to abandon the human race, whilst the American impulse is immersed too strongly in physical, bodily nature. And a potential demonic influence works through technology. However, a spiritual-scientific path of knowledge and development can allow us to navigate through these challenges. Other themes featured include: the threefold Sun Mystery of ancient times; the Mystery of Christ Jesus and the threefold being of man; the human limbs as thoughts of the higher hierarchies; the loss of the spiritual knowledge of the old Mysteries; the gulf between idealism and realism; the formation of language from Cosmic Intelligence; the Pythagorean School and the mendacity of the world at that time; the disintegration of words after death; the twelve senses; the spiritual impact of old people’s death on the physical Earth; and the impulse of socialism. The wealth of spiritual thoughts and knowledge presented in these lectures remain as relevant today as they did when they were first delivered.

Download or read book The Evolution of Spirits written by Bahram Esmailzadeh M. Sc. and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Evolution of Spirits What is the Reason for Being Here, in This Creation? By Bahram Esmailzadeh, M.Sc. What is the reason for being here? Unlock the answer in The Evolution of Spirits. In this intriguing follow-up to his first book,Understanding the Creation, Esmailzadeh introduces a general theory for the creation, evolution and destiny of all spirits. The Evolution of Spirits directly deals with variety of spiritual phenomena and yet it is not related to any of the religions or philosophies. It reveals the authors curiosity, his extensive research and persistent personal contemplations on various spiritual phenomena. This book raises the most important question: What is the reason for being here? Esmailzadeh sheds light on this very matter. In this comprehensive blueprint he demonstrates how everything began, the objectives that must be met and how spirits may eventually accomplish their ultimate and common task. He begins by explaining the creation of the physical and the spiritual worlds and the specific laws that govern them. He follows with a discussion on how spirits evolve, as they go through their evolutionary path. He tells what will eventually become of all spirits, the physical world and the spiritual world. By applying the proposed theory, Esmailzadeh also provides consistent explanations for a variety of spiritual phenomena such as overlapping past lives, power of thought, spiritual healing, states of dreaming, trance and coma, sleep paralysis, spiritual guides, wandering and escorting spirits, evil eye and witchcraft, prophesying and fortune telling, sexuality, animal languages, psychopaths, seizures, cravings, multiple personalities, possessions and exorcism, ghosts and apparitions, astrology, as well as inspiration, imagination, intelligence, instincts, curiosity, memory, conscience and of course the source of the ever-growing number of human spirits. Thought-provoking and thoroughly engaging, The Evolution of Spirits clarifies issues that have challenged mans intelligence since the beginning of time.

Download or read book Religion in Human Evolution written by Robert N. Bellah and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 777 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice An ABC Australia Best Book on Religion and Ethics of the Year Distinguished Book Award, Sociology of Religion Section of the American Sociological Association Religion in Human Evolution is a work of extraordinary ambition—a wide-ranging, nuanced probing of our biological past to discover the kinds of lives that human beings have most often imagined were worth living. It offers what is frequently seen as a forbidden theory of the origin of religion that goes deep into evolution, especially but not exclusively cultural evolution. “Of Bellah’s brilliance there can be no doubt. The sheer amount this man knows about religion is otherworldly...Bellah stands in the tradition of such stalwarts of the sociological imagination as Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. Only one word is appropriate to characterize this book’s subject as well as its substance, and that is ‘magisterial.’” —Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review “Religion in Human Evolution is a magnum opus founded on careful research and immersed in the ‘reflective judgment’ of one of our best thinkers and writers.” —Richard L. Wood, Commonweal