Templeton Foundation Press

Science and Religion v Spirituality and Health v Character Development v Business and Spirituality

In this Issue:

Three Templeton Titles now Available in Paperback

Templeton Foundation Press is pleased to announce the expansion of its list with the release of three of its most popular titles in paperback editions. The books, Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy, and Conflict Transformation; Realized Religion: Research on the Relationship between Religion and Health; and The Mind of the Universe: Understanding Science and Religion, were so well-received in their original hardcover editions the decision was made to publish paperback editions to meet the demand for sales.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Religion, Public Policy, and Conflict Transformation, edited by Raymond G. Helmick, S.J., and Rodney L. Petersen, grew out of a conference of public policymakers and theologians under the sponsorship of the John Templeton Foundation. It brings together a unique combination of 21 experts in the area of conflict resolution and focuses on the role that forgiveness can play in the process, pointing out the fundamental difference and transforming the influence forgiveness has on all aspects of human existence.

Realized Religion: Research on the Relationship between Religion and Health, by Theodore J. Chamberlain and Christopher A. Hall, chronicles the relative value of religion in terms of its effect on various dimensions of living, including mental health, psychopathology, alcohol use and abuse, marital stability, and other forms of psychological and physical well-being and healing. Realized Religion documents over 300 scientific studies published by reputable scientific journals demonstrating that religion has an ameliorating effect on the survival rate of surgical patients, on depression and anxiety, on suicide rates, and on promotion of a healthy lifestyle and presents useful information to researchers and scholars who seek to understand the subtle connection between healing and spirituality.

The Mind of the Universe: Understanding Science and Religion, by Mariano Artigas, initiates a dialogue between science and religion concentrating on the presuppositions of science—the intelligibility of nature, the human ability to know the natural order, and the values implied in scientific activity—to create a rational search for philosophical meaning of new scientific theories. The book presents a study in which a competent presentation of physical discoveries is combined with a rational search for philosophical presuppositions of science. An important contribution to the dialogue between religion and science, the explanatory patterns presented in this book offer scientists, philosophers, and artists a philosophical unity on the topic, so important for discussing a holistic and consistent worldview.

All three titles are invaluable resources for libraries and schools, as well as the private collections of scholars, politicians, and professionals in each book’s appropriate field.

Special Offer: Purchase a copy of any of our new paperback titles (Realized Religion, Mind of the Universe, or Forgiveness and Reconciliation) and receive a 20 percent discount. A $4.00 shipping and handling cost will be applied for the first book; $1.00 for each additional book. Refer to Code RN16.

Visit our website for more information about these exciting new paperback editions:

Science and Religion Online Bookstore Opens

Nearly 500 critically acclaimed books in fields related to science and religion are now available online in one location: the Science and Religion Bookstore at http://www.scienceandreligionbooks.org. In development for over a year, the site was officially launched on November 1, 2001, and offers books from nearly 200 publishes as well as links to the latest news and information in the area of science and religion. The Science and Religion Bookstore is designed to be a full-service resource for scholars, researchers, libraries, and general readers interested in this fast-growing field. This site will be updated regularly with new books as well as a calendar of events provided by Research News offering details on upcoming lectures, symposiums, and conferences. Visit the site now at http://www.templetonpress.org and click on the Science and Religion Bookstore icon.

Current Best Sellers

The current best sellers for Templeton Foundation Press are listed below. The statistics are an accumulation of both domestic and foreign sales and are updated monthly.

Recent Reviews

This interesting and at times provocative book provides a unique opportunity to review over 300 citations relating to aspects of religion and its potential impact on health and health-related variables. The authors have defined the term "realized religion" as a religion that "brings into concrete existence" the relationship between religion and its effects on health. The authors do a good job of reviewing the available research investigating and describing not only prayer but different forms of religion and religious beliefs from across the globe. Also reviewed are the aspects of attending church and church-sponsored activities and its potential effects on symptomatology or prevalence of illness and discord. Each chapter is written in the format of a review covering the available literature. Most chapters also include a bibliography of additional references for the topic being discussed; many include a brief synopsis. Numerous biblical references are made throughout the book.

The New Force That Will Transform American Business, Government, and Politics in the Twenty-First Century

The most explosive economic and political force of the last decade of the twentieth century has been the growth of personal investment. About half of all Americans now own stocks and bonds through IRAs, 401(k)s, and other financial devices. Polls show that personal investment in corporations changes one’s view of the economy, world events, and public policy toward taxes, government spending, regulation, and protectionism. Much of the growth of personal investing has been facilitated by innovations in the financial services and information technology arena – such as mutual funds and on-line trading – as well as accidental public policies creating tax-deferred employee benefits and personal investment vehicles. This book represents an attempt to sketch out, across a host of public policy topics, a realistic strategy for shrinking the welfare state. To gain a clear understanding of the investor politics of the twenty-first century, the book looks backward to human history and even to prehistory to examine the origins of capital formation. As the facts demonstrate, politics has always been intimately linked with investment, understood in the broadest sense of the word.

The Hand of God
Thoughts and Images Reflecting the Spirit of the Universe
Edited by Michael Reagan

Would you like something brand new and lively to shake up an adult ed class, or to challenge high school seniors? Or, would you like something really, really good to say when someone repeats the tired old notion that science has somehow disproved “religion”? Well try this:

“When the scientist has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” That challenging statement is from God and the Astronomers, an intriguing work by Robert Jastrow, astrophysicist and NASA scientist. Jastrow’s point throughout is exactly this: modern science, far from contradicting theology, strongly affirms its insistence on a mysterious, creative, and ultimately loving God.

The Hand of God suggests an exacting eye, a powerful intelligence, and a sensitive heart behind the visible universe – indeed, infinitely exacting, sensitive, and powerful. Great theologians from the first century Clement of Rome to the twentieth century H. U. von Balthasar have imaged a Deus faber: God as artist. Begley’s anthology and her stunning album verify that God – and verify Dr. Jastrow’s witty, and humble, observation. Try it on the next enlightened agnostic who tries to trump religion with astronomy.

Ordering Information

Books from Templeton Foundation Press are available at bookstores, internet bookstores, and through our website at www.templetonpress.org. You may also order by calling our distribution center at 1-800-621-2736. Note: The monthly specials must be placed via our website or by calling the Chicago distribution center with the applicable code number.

Templeton Foundation Press may be reached by calling 610-971-2670. You may also write to:

TFP Newsletter is a periodic news communication from Templeton Foundation Press.

To unsubscribe or to change your email address, send an email to: ennis@templeton.org

Do you know someone who would like to become a Friend of the Press? Forward this email to their attention or have them visit our website for easy registration.