Download or read book God and the New Biology written by Arthur Robert Peacocke and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Why God Won t Go Away written by Andrew Newberg, M.D. and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2008-12-10 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why have we humans always longed to connect with something larger than ourselves? Why does consciousness inevitably involve us in a spiritual quest? Why, in short, won't God go away? Theologians, philosophers, and psychologists have debated this question through the ages, arriving at a range of contradictory and ultimately unprovable answers. But in this brilliant, groundbreaking new book, researchers Andrew Newberg and Eugene d'Aquili offer an explanation that is at once profoundly simple and scientifically precise: the religious impulse is rooted in the biology of the brain. Newberg and d'Aquili base this revolutionary conclusion on a long-term investigation of brain function and behavior as well as studies they conducted using high-tech imaging techniques to examine the brains of meditating Buddhists and Franciscan nuns at prayer. What they discovered was that intensely focused spiritual contemplation triggers an alteration in the activity of the brain that leads us to perceive transcendent religious experiences as solid and tangibly real. In other words, the sensation that Buddhists call "oneness with the universe" and the Franciscans attribute to the palpable presence of God is not a delusion or a manifestation of wishful thinking but rather a chain of neurological events that can be objectively observed, recorded, and actually photographed. The inescapable conclusion is that God is hard-wired into the human brain. In Why God Won't Go Away, Newberg and d'Aquili document their pioneering explorations in the field of neurotheology, an emerging discipline dedicated to understanding the complex relationship between spirituality and the brain. Along the way, they delve into such essential questions as whether humans are biologically compelled to make myths; what is the evolutionary connection between religious ecstasy and sexual orgasm; what do Near Death Experiences reveal about the nature of spiritual phenomena; and how does ritual create its own neurological environment. As their journey unfolds, Newberg and d'Aquili realize that a single, overarching question lies at the heart of their pursuit: Is religion merely a product of biology or has the human brain been mysteriously endowed with the unique capacity to reach and know God? Blending cutting-edge science with illuminating insights into the nature of consciousness and spirituality, Why God Won't Go Away bridges faith and reason, mysticism and empirical data. The neurological basis of how the brain identifies the "real" is nothing short of miraculous. This fascinating, eye-opening book dares to explore both the miracle and the biology of our enduring relationship with God.
Download or read book Is There Purpose in Biology written by Denis Alexander and published by Monarch Books. This book was released on 2018-06-22 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Atheists assert that the natural world has no meaning or purpose. Dr Denis Alexander, Emeritus Director of The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion at St. Edmunds College, Cambridge, draws a different conclusion. Not only do recent evolutionary biological data appear inconsistent with the claim that the world is purposeless, but the Christian doctrine of creation has provided and continues to provide both context and stimulus for the study of the natural world. Christians started biology! However, is a belief in an omnipotent, benign Creator consistent with a world of pain and suffering? From a lifetime's study in the biological sciences, Denis Alexander believes that whilst the cost of existence is extremely high, it can nonetheless be squared with the idea of a God of love whose ultimate purposes for humankind render that cost more comprehensible.
Download or read book Wired For God written by Charles Foster and published by Hodder. This book was released on 2011-12-08 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human religious experiences are remarkably uniform; many can be pharmacologically induced. Recent research into the neurology of religious experience has shown that, when worshipping or praying, a certain part of the brain, apparently dormant during other activities, becomes active. What does all this mean for those of faith and those with none? In this fascinating book barrister Charles Foster takes a survey of the evidence - from shamans to medieval mystics, to out-of-body experiences and epilepsy, via Jerusalem and middle-class Christianity - and assesses its significance. Written in short, accessible chapters, this is a fascinating tour of religious and mystical experiences and their relation to human physiology.
Download or read book Can We Be Good Without God written by Robert Buckman and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-06-28 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent neurological studies have shown that there are regions of the brain that seem predisposed to create beliefs. Are we hardwired to believe? And if so, why do beliefs sometimes inspire major contributions to society, while on other occasions they precipitate horrendous acts of destruction?In this provocative and stimulating study of the connection between belief and behavior, Dr. Robert Buckman begins by reviewing the history of religious belief, showing the many shared themes among religions of diverse cultures. He then explains little-publicized data from neuroscience on the limbic system and the right-hand temporal lobe of the brain, which when stimulated consistently produces deep-seated spiritual feelings. Recent experiments reveal that this portion of the brain may underlie the development of many common religious beliefs, and perhaps the more aggressive and destructive behaviors associated with some of them. Buckman also summarizes evidence regarding pheromones and their effect on the limbic system, as a possible mechanism for certain types of crowd behavior, whether in a religious or secular context.Finally, considering the long historical relationship between religion and ethics, Buckman asks whether we can develop better, nontheistic belief systems that avoid the destructive aspects of traditional religious beliefs. He then describes ways in which we can become aware of, and perhaps, correct our ôlimbic urgesö when they threaten to lead to destructive behavior. This ambitious work, covering important areas of social anthropology, comparative religion, neurology, and psychology, provides many insights into the mechanisms of belief.Robert Buckman, M.D. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a cancer specialist, professor in the department of medicine at the University of Toronto, the current president of the Humanist Association of Canada, and the author (with Karl Sabbagh) of Magic or Medicine?
Download or read book Return of the God Hypothesis written by Stephen C. Meyer and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times bestselling author of Darwin’s Doubt presents groundbreaking scientific evidence of the existence of God, based on breakthroughs in physics, cosmology, and biology. Beginning in the late 19th century, many intellectuals began to insist that scientific knowledge conflicts with traditional theistic belief—that science and belief in God are “at war.” Philosopher of science Stephen Meyer challenges this view by examining three scientific discoveries with decidedly theistic implications. Building on the case for the intelligent design of life that he developed in Signature in the Cell and Darwin’s Doubt, Meyer demonstrates how discoveries in cosmology and physics coupled with those in biology help to establish the identity of the designing intelligence behind life and the universe. Meyer argues that theism—with its affirmation of a transcendent, intelligent and active creator—best explains the evidence we have concerning biological and cosmological origins. Previously Meyer refrained from attempting to answer questions about “who” might have designed life. Now he provides an evidence-based answer to perhaps the ultimate mystery of the universe. In so doing, he reveals a stunning conclusion: the data support not just the existence of an intelligent designer of some kind—but the existence of a personal God.
Download or read book God and Galileo written by David L. Block and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2019-05-17 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A devastating attack upon the dominance of atheism in science today." Giovanni Fazio, Senior Physicist, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics The debate over the ultimate source of truth in our world often pits science against faith. In fact, some high-profile scientists today would have us abandon God entirely as a source of truth about the universe. In this book, two professional astronomers push back against this notion, arguing that the science of today is not in a position to pronounce on the existence of God—rather, our notion of truth must include both the physical and spiritual domains. Incorporating excerpts from a letter written in 1615 by famed astronomer Galileo Galilei, the authors explore the relationship between science and faith, critiquing atheistic and secular understandings of science while reminding believers that science is an important source of truth about the physical world that God created.
Download or read book God and the New Biology written by Arthur Robert Peacocke and published by HarperCollins Publishers. This book was released on 1986 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book God The Failed Hypothesis written by Victor J. Stenger and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-08-05 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout history, arguments for and against the existence of God have been largely confined to philosophy and theology, while science has sat on the sidelines. Despite the fact that science has revolutionized every aspect of human life and greatly clarified our understanding of the world, somehow the notion has arisen that it has nothing to say about the possibility of a supreme being, which much of humanity worships as the source of all reality. This book contends that, if God exists, some evidence for this existence should be detectable by scientific means, especially considering the central role that God is alleged to play in the operation of the universe and the lives of humans. Treating the traditional God concept, as conventionally presented in the Judeo-Christian and Islamic traditions, like any other scientific hypothesis, physicist Stenger examines all of the claims made for God's existence. He considers the latest Intelligent Design arguments as evidence of God's influence in biology. He looks at human behavior for evidence of immaterial souls and the possible effects of prayer. He discusses the findings of physics and astronomy in weighing the suggestions that the universe is the work of a creator and that humans are God's special creation. After evaluating all the scientific evidence, Stenger concludes that beyond a reasonable doubt the universe and life appear exactly as we might expect if there were no God. This paperback edition of the New York Times bestselling hardcover edition contains a new foreword by Christopher Hitchens and a postscript by the author in which he responds to reviewers' criticisms of the original edition.
Download or read book The New Biology written by Michael J. Reiss and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2023-06-20 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this accessible analysis, a philosopher and a science educator look at biological theory and society through a synthesis of mechanistic and organicist points of view to best understand the complexity of life and biological systems. The search for a unified framework for biology is as old as Plato’s musings on natural order, which suggested that the universe itself is alive. But in the twentieth century, under the influence of genetics and microbiology, such organicist positions were largely set aside in favor of mechanical reductionism, by which life is explained by the movement of its parts. But can organisms truly be understood in mechanical terms, or do we need to view life from the perspective of whole organisms to make sense of biological complexity? The New Biology argues for the validity of holistic treatments from the perspectives of philosophy, history, and biology and outlines the largely unrecognized undercurrent of organicism that has persisted. Mechanistic biology has been invaluable in understanding a range of biological issues, but Michael Reiss and Michael Ruse contend that reductionism alone cannot answer all our questions about life. Whether we are considering human health, ecology, or the relationship between sex and gender, we need to draw from both organicist and mechanistic frameworks. It’s not always a matter of combining organicist and mechanistic perspectives, Reiss and Ruse argue. There is scope for a range of ways of understanding the complexity of life and biological systems. Organicist and mechanistic approaches are not simply hypotheses to be confirmed or refuted, but rather operate as metaphors for describing a universe of sublime intricacy.
Download or read book Coming to Peace with Science written by Darrel R. Falk and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2004-04-06 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together a biblically based understanding of creation and the most current research in biology, Darrel R. Falk outlines a new paradigm for relating the claims of science to the truths of Christianity.
Download or read book Biology Through the Eyes of Faith written by Richard Wright and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-04-23 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Newly Revised The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Series Stressing the biblical message of stewardship, biologist Richard T. Wright celebrates the study of God's creation and examines the interaction of the life sciences with society in medicine, genetics, and the environment. The author brings a biblical perspective to theories on origins, contrasting creationism, intelligent design, and evolution. Highlighting the unique nature of biology and its interaction with Christian thought, Wright demonstrates that Christian stewardship can be the key to a sustainable future. This comprehensive work, one of a series cosponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, addresses the needs of the Christian student of biology to align science and faith. It demonstrates that the study of biology penetrates to the core of human existence and has much to contribute to the construction of a consistent Christian worldview.
Download or read book From the Big Bang to Biology written by John Bryant and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-09 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book recounts the amazing grand narrative of what science is telling us of the sweep of cosmic history from the Big Bang to life on planet Earth. On the way, the challenging questions of the origins of the Universe and of life are examined.The authors, Graham and John, have been career scientists working in very different disciplines - physics and biology respectively - and they bring complementary expertise to these profound questions. They are also Christian believers, which opens for them a new dimension in their appreciation of scientific revelation. It also poses questions about how their scientific worldview can be reconciled with a belief in God. Science is very influential in our secular culture. Scientific research and technological spin-offs have provided huge benefits for the way we live. In contrast, some would say that religious faith seems staid and archaic. However, there is more to it than this simple view suggests. Although both authors love science, they are both appreciative of its limitations. It is a very common conviction that science has solved all the mysteries of life, the Universe and everything, and only minor, unfinished business remains to be resolved. However, an examination of this belief shows it is far from the truth. As human beings we hold many beliefs that have very little to do with the 'analytic' truths of science. These big issues, mostly to do with the meaning of life and our purpose within it, lead to the idea that there are effectively two ways of looking at existence, one stemming from science and the other from philosophy/theology. Can a satisfying synthesis of these two major worldviews be achieved? The book addresses many such questions. Has science made God irrelevant? Is it possible to be a scientist with a faith in God, or is the concept of God an archaic legacy of a distant and superstitious past? It is the answers to questions such as these that have inspired the authors to produce this book.The story of Graham's journey to belief in the Christian God is told in the text, and this was very much related to the relationship between science and faith. Both authors acknowledge personal experiences beyond the physical realm and are left with the inevitable conclusion that science gives an incomplete account of their reality.In summary, it is a multi-disciplinary text with a wide ranging discussion of the relevant threads of this story - including the limitations of science, the cosmology of the Bang Bang, the fine-tuning of physical laws to allow life to arise in the Universe, the origins, history and interdependencies of life on Earth, what makes us human, the scientific and Biblical account of creation and the issues of environmental damage and climate change. The book is written for believers and sceptics alike. Believers will feel more comfortable (and thus encouraged) that a harmony can be achieved between the two worldviews. Sceptics, who nevertheless may be seeking some kind of faith, may find guidance and support in their search for the spiritual realm, a search that is embodied in the title of the book.
Download or read book No God No Science written by Michael Hanby and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-11-30 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No God, No Science: Theology, Cosmology, Biology presents a work of philosophical theology that retrieves the Christian doctrine of creation from the distortions imposed upon it by positivist science and the Darwinian tradition of evolutionary biology. Argues that the doctrine of creation is integral to the intelligibility of the world Brings the metaphysics of the Christian doctrine of creation to bear on the nature of science Offers a provocative analysis of the theoretical and historical relationship between theology, metaphysics, and science Presents an original critique and interpretation of the philosophical meaning of Darwinian biology
Download or read book Biology Religion and Philosophy written by Michael Peterson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-08 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive and accessible survey of the major issues at the biology-religion interface.
Download or read book Buddhist Biology written by David P. Barash and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Compares teachings of Buddhism with principles of modern biology, revealing many significant points of compatibility.
Download or read book Mama Bear ApologeticsTM written by Hillary Morgan Ferrer and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Foreword written by Nancy Pearcey* "Parents are the most important apologists our kids will ever know. Mama Bear Apologetics will help you navigate your kids’ questions and prepare them to become committed Christ followers.” —J. Warner Wallace "If every Christian mom would apply this book in her parenting, it would profoundly transform the next generation." —Natasha Crain #RoarLikeAMother The problem with lies is they don’t often sound like lies. They seem harmless, and even sound right. So what’s a Mama Bear to do when her kids seem to be absorbing the culture’s lies uncritically? Mama Bear Apologetics™ is the book you’ve been looking for. This mom-to-mom guide will equip you to teach your kids how to form their own biblical beliefs about what is true and what is false. Through transparent life stories and clear, practical applications—including prayer strategies—this band of Mama Bears offers you tools to train yourself, so you can turn around and train your kids. Are you ready to answer the rallying cry, “Mess with our kids and we will demolish your arguments”? Join the Mama Bears and raise your voice to protect your kids—by teaching them how to think through and address the issues head-on, yet with gentleness and respect.
