Science and Religion v Spirituality and Health v Character Development v Business and Spirituality
March 2003
Issue 13
Microscopic imagery of brain waves, nerve endings, cell structures, and acid crystals, alongside those of viruses, cancers, and other diseases and disorders, reveal an awe-inspiring beauty that transcends their origins. In Inside the Mind of God: Images and Words of Inner Space edited by Michael Reagan, with an introduction by Sharon Begley, striking photographs of “inner space” are juxtaposed with quotes from Ralph Waldo Emerson, Cicero, Tolstoy, Galileo, the Dalai Lama, the Bible, and many other scientists, writers, and philosophers.
In her Introduction, Wall Street Journal science editor Sharon Begley explores the theme of faith co-existing with science. She looks at the long-running debate over intelligent design, including the question of biological evil (cancer cells, for example) and the current search for evidence of the mind of God in the human brain (scientific measurements of meditation, for example). She remarks on the sense of the spiritual as well as simple awe that runs through science. Describing the photographs that Publishers Weekly calls “mesmerizing,” she writes:
“You will see the DNA of a cell’s mitochondrion, extending its tendrils like a road pushing into the deepest green jungle. You will see crystalline forms of organic molecules, the rough-faceted topaz of human progesterone and the aqua tendrils of adenine, one of the four chemical bases that, in DNA, spell out the human genome. You will see photomicrographs of the protein actin, looking for all the world like the luminescent wing of a butterfly backlit by the moon, as well as of human embryos at many points of gestation: the raspberry-like ball of cells of the human blastocyst, subject of so much controversy because it is the source of stem cells, and the eight-week-old embryo floating in the amniotic sac.”
“Magnificent photographs of brain and body cell imagery are paired with illuminating quotations from sacred scriptures, literature, philosophers, and scientists to express the wonder of our ‘inner space.’"—NAPRA
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In Words of Common Sense for Mind, Body, and Soul Brother David Steindl-Rast offers his reflections on common sense: the inner guidance we all share that enables us to act in ways that make sense. Men and women who listen to and act on common sense find great inner freedom. “They seem to breathe more easily,” writes Brother David. “They radiate a sense of being at home in the universe and everybody feels at home with them. They speak a universal language; anyone can understand them.”
Throughout the centuries and across the continents common sense has been expressed through proverbs. The African Bantu have a saying, “There are forty kinds of lunacy, but only one kind of common sense.” Heraclitus wrote, “We should let ourselves be guided by what is common to all.” Proverbs “do not philosophize or moralize, ”Brother David points out; “they simply hold up one image, as if to say ‘Look!’ And the more we look, the more we see.”
The parables of Jesus illustrate the authority of Common Sense, “with capitals,” Brother David states. They offer both messages about and guidance toward a world inspired by the power of love.
For individuals as well as for the global community, common sense makes sense. “Common sense has been steering the universe from change to change for vast stretches of time…we cannot stop change. But we can cultivate common sense so that the changes for which we and our society are responsible will be in tune with the creative force of the universe—call it the Tao, the Logos, or Dante’s love that moves the sun and all the stars.”
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Does human life and all intelligence inevitably come to an end as the universe evolves, or is there some way in which it could survive until the end of time? What about the universe itself—does it end, or will it continue forever? Would continuation of life and/or the universe for eternity be a good thing? These are among the questions considered in The Far-Future Universe: Eschatology from a Cosmic Perspective, edited by George F.R. Ellis. Here, in eighteen essays, scientists and theologians offer a provocative exchange of research findings, ideas, and opinions. They speculate about the future from viewpoints of cosmology, physics, and biology; consider the existence of life; and discuss issues of humanity, meta-physics, and theology.
Contributors include: John D. Barrow, Margaret A Boden, Steven J. Brams, D Marc Kilgour, A. Graham Cairns-Smith, Stephen R. L. Clark, Simon Conway Morris, George V. Coyne, S.J., Paul Davies, Freeman J. Dyson, George F. R. Ellis, Owen Gingerich, Michael Heller, Jürgen Moltmann, Martin J. Rees, Robert John Russell, and Keith Ward.
Topics such as artificial intelligence; ideas about the end of the world as presented in various world faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism; natures of temporal and eternal existence; cosmic eschatology versus human eschatology; and more are discussed.
The Far-Future Universe presents a wide range of perspectives on eschatological issues while challenging the reader to additional speculation and debate in this area.
Special Offer: Purchase a copy of The Far-Future Universe and receive a free copy of Many Worlds. A $5.50 shipping and handling cost will be applied to all domestic orders. Please add an additional $5.00 for international orders. Refer to Code RN27 when ordering.
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Templeton Foundation Press is pleased to announce that Parish Nursing: Stories of Service and Care has been selected for the 2002 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in the category of Nursing Education and Continuing Education.
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Edited by George F. R. Ellis
“This edited volume is a tour de force of informed speculation about one of the most interesting questions ever posed: What is the ultimate future of everything, including the physical universe and life? Edited by well-known science-and-religion thinker and anti-apartheid Quaker activist George Ellis, this volume brings together 18 leading scholars who look at the question of ‘the far-future universe’ from a variety of perspectives.
It would be difficult to imagine a richer and more informed discussion of the far-future universe than what appears in this volume.”
—Research News and Opportunities in Science and Theology
Harold G. Koenig, M.D.
“Purpose and Power in Retirement: New Opportunities for Meaning and Significance by Harold G. Koenig (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center) is a straightforward, “reader-friendly” guide that dispels common retirement myths, and offers invaluable, practical advice for making the most of one’s “golden years,” including reaping the benefits of volunteering, learning to live healthy for a better quality of life, reducing personal stress, and more. An excellent and very highly recommended instructional and reference guide to reaping the most out of our retirement years, Purpose and Power in Retirement should be a part of every community library Retirement Preparation and Personal Growth collection.” —The Midwest Book Review
“Koenig, an associate professor of psychiatry and associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, is an expert on aging and mental health. He explores the concept of how to let go of old goals and how retirees can identify new goals and a new purpose.
Koenig also cites 20 retirement myths, based on incorrect information that gave people unreal expectations about their retirement years.
Anyone who has recently retired or is facing forced retirement soon should do themselves a favor and read this work. This is a practical and inspiring guide to creating a retirement that can include physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. “—Globe-News (Amarillo, Texas)
Harold G. Koenig, M.D.
“The content of this little book is aptly summed up by the subtitle Why, How, When, and What.
The book is packed full of useful facts and concludes with a useful section on resources, including popular and academic books, journals, and websites. All in all, a useful contribution to spirituality in medical care.”—Sacred Space
Verna Benner Carson and Harold G. Koenig
“Carson and Koenig describe various models of parish nursing and discuss the joys and difficulties of integrating the sacred and the secular in health care. An excellent resource for parish nursing program development” —American Journal of Nursing
Theodore J. Chamberlain & Christopher A. Hall
“For decades, religion has been the so-called ‘forgotten factor’ in health and healthcare research. Within the past 15 years, however, interest in the relationship between religion and health has continued to mount among lay readers and scholars alike, as demonstrated by the flow of research papers, conferences, and publications. A major catalyst for this development has been the John Templeton Foundation, whose press has published Chamberlain and Hall's informative work.
With its clear presentation of what is known about the relationship between religion and health, it would serve as an excellent supplemental text for related social science courses.”
—Catholic Studies
The site, www.scienceandreligionbooks.org, now offers over 800 books from more than 200 publishers, along with links to the latest news and information on science and religion topics. Sponsored by Templeton Foundation Press, the online store is designed to be a full-service resource center for scholars, researchers, libraries, and general readers.
Books can be purchased at a 10 percent discount through a secure e-commerce server and normally ship within 24 hours.
Please visit the website at: www.scienceandreligionbooks.org/
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.
1. Spirituality in Patient Care
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=47
2. Parish Nursing
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=46
3. Words of Common Sense
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=50
4. Inside the Mind of God
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=49
5. Worldwide Laws of Life
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=21
6. The Hand of God
www.templetonpress.org/book.asp?book_id=1
Books from Templeton Foundation Press are available at better bookstores and through our website at www.templetonpress.org. You may also order by calling our distribution center at 800-621-2736. Please Note: In order to take advantage of our monthly specials orders must be placed via our website or by calling the distribution center with the applicable code number.
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