Originally published in Great Britain and now updated and available for the first time in a U.S. edition, this book is a critically acclaimed work by a renowned theologian-scientist.
Russell Stannard is known for cutting through highly technical data and presenting it clearly and simply. In Science and the Renewal of Belief he sheds light on ways in which science and religion influence each other and can help each other. Science and logic cannot establish belief, he says, but belief can be confirmed and renewed with the changed perspective of modern science.
The many reviews of the U.K. edition of his book cite his lucid presentation of relativity and quantum theory, and the way he uses relativity to explore time and eternity, and indeterminacy to comment on free will. He is also praised for offering fresh insight into original sin, the trials experienced by Galileo, the problem of pain, the possibility of miracles, the evidence for the resurrection, the credibility of incarnation, and the power of steadfast prayer. By introducing simple analogies, Stannard clears up misunderstandings that have muddied the connections between science and religion, and suggests contributions that the pursuit of physical science can make to theology.
About the Author
Russell Stannard is emeritus professor of physics at the Open University, the United Kingdom’s largest university. Besides contributing to the science/religion dialogue himself, he has written best-selling books introducing children to modern science, and is a well-known television and radio broadcaster.
Review
“[F]or anyone interested in questions of value, ethics, and social responsibility in science, here is a bold book by a scientist who has equipped himself theologically and philosophically. He does not duck the obvious and difficult questions. … [H]ere are all the issues in twenty-two short and attractively written chapters… I read with fascination.”
