MysteriousFaith

February 2006 Bookshelf

February 2006 Bookshelf

When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners? by Ian G. Barbour

Ian Barbour is a college professor of both physics and religion, qualifying him as a unique voice to speak towards the disagreements, compatibilities and questions asked by both the community of science and that of religion. His effort is particularly noble and well-done. The book is as candid as anyone could ask for in an effort to unify the disagreements between the life of faith and the implications of science. Ultimately Barbour places emphasis, as he rightly should, on the question of origins and on two less well-supported dimensions to belief, namely tradition and revelation, which he believes make arguing for the Christian God reasonable and, in fact, necessary. The book presents a host of perspectives in an up-front and approachable fashion which makes the book very worthwhile. Its persuasiveness is less than sweeping if for no other reason than in the attempt to honestly reconcile the implications of science to the theistic claims of Christianity he must increasingly evolve an idea of God that is less than comforting and increasingly ambiguous if taken seriously. All in all, an important book and one that engages in meaningful dialogue on a necessary question. On the topic of science and religion, I still much prefer Ken Wilber’s The Marriage of Sense and Soul, which is a better treatment of the nexus between the two.

Spinoza in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series) by Paul Strathern (unabridged book on CD)

These short books are a good way to start an introduction into a philosopher whose work you may not be interested in wrestling with on its own. Spinoza, the great philosopher of the latter part of the 17th century, was one of the progenitors of rationalism; specifically, the idea that as humans we can only understand the world through applying our rational being to our environment, culture and history. As with many of the great rationalists, his works remain hotly disputed as the idea of a life of reason remains terrifying to those who believe such a pursuit will rob humanity of its spiritual sensibility, an unnecessary notion, but one whose belief still carries persuasive value today.

Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel C. Dennett

Without question, this recently published book is the most approachable and gracious treatment of religious belief by a non-believer that has come out in the last several decades. The book is a direct but always kind challenge to the mind and beliefs of religious people. I will have a more detailed review of the book posted in the near future.

The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works–and How It’s Transforming the American Economy by Charles Fishman

Surprisingly well balanced, this book manages to court both the downside Wal-Mart represents for the North American economy while also crediting it for the logistical advances it has implemented along with the attentiveness it has shown to customers. Wal-Mart will be a source for rising populism in the coming decade, representing what many people will come to blame for the American economy stagnating along with their economic fortunes. Fishman’s book is prescient and balanced, a difficult combination to find on a topic that too easily falls along partisan lines.

Misquoting Jesus: the Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart Ehrman

Ehrman is an evangelically trained (Moody Bible Institute) professor and author who is one of the more respected experts in the ancient languages that compose our earliest fragments of the Bible. Ehrman manages in this book to effectively mask precisely his own religious convictions, which will be discomforting for many who want to know more precisely where his scholarship has taken his beliefs. Regardless of his profession of faith (or lack thereof), Ehrman’s treatment of the Bible itself is respectful, serious and scholarly. He is never diminutive either in his treatment of the evidence or the theological claims whose tenuous existence rides on select passages he sees fit to point out deserve to be viewed with suspicion. A full review of the book can be read here.

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey D. Sachs

What would it take to end extreme global poverty – to eliminate the caste of people seemingly forever locked in a cycle of destitution, finding a way to barely live on less than $1 per day? Sachs presents a series of economic reforms and policy arguments for addressing this very human and even spiritual goal. The contribution of people like Bono, who wrote the foreword to this book, is no doubt to prick people’s conscious and ask them if they even care. But once people decide they care, we need policies for encouraging economic development and removing graft. As Sachs’ book forcefully articulates, caring will not be enough, policies are needed to stem the tide of extreme global poverty. I hope to write more on this in the near future.

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• February 27, 2006

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