Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist - Softcover

Consolmagno, Guy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071372318 ISBN 13: 9780071372312

Publisher: McGraw-Hill, 2001

Synopsis

“[A] brilliant defense of science’s place in the religious life (and vice versa).”—Publisher’s Weekly Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno’s moving and intellectually playful memoir of a life lived in the active interplay of science and religion is now available in a handsome paperback edition. Blending memoir, science, history, and theology, Consolmagno takes us on a grand adventure. We revisit the infamous “Galileo affair” and see that it didn’t unfold in quite the way we thought. We get a rare glimpse into the world of working scientists and see how scientific discoveries are proposed and advanced. We learn the inside story of the “Mars meteorite”: how can we be sure it’s really from Mars, and why can’t scientists agree on whether or not it contains evidence of life? Brother Astronomer memorably sets forth one scientist’s conviction that the universe may be worth studying only if it is the work of a Creator

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Praise for BROTHER ASTRONOMER:

"Congenially conveying both meaty science and meaty theology, Consolmagno contributes vitally to the rapprochement of science and faith." - Booklist

"Consolmagno spills the contagious cheer of a man happily married to two loves - religion and science." - The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Deft writing" - Library Journal

"Memorable" - Natural History Magazine

Brother Astronomer is a wonderful contribution to the ongoing science-and-religion debate, from someone living in both worlds. Blending memoir, science, history, and theology, Brother Guy takes readers on a grand adventure. Revisit the infamous "Galileo affair" and discover the circumstances and misconceptions of the times that influenced what really happened. Glimpse into a world of working scientists and see how scientific discoveries are proposed and advanced. Learn the inside story of the "Mars meteorite": how can we be sure it's really from Mars, and why can't scientists agree on whether or not it contains evidence of life? Through Brother Guy's recollections, science and religion fuse together in one individual, and by extension, explain how they both are needed in order to answer the big questions: What would it mean to us if we did find life elsewhere in the universe? How did the world begin, and does it follow natural laws?

About the Author:

Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., Ph.D. is an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory where he serves as curator of one of the largest meteorite collections in the world. He obtained his Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the University of Arizona and went on to teach at MIT until 1983, when he joined the Peace Corps. Consolmagno's writing has appeared in numerous journals and magazines, including Leonardo, Jesuits in Science, and Ad Astra. He is also the author of several books, including The Way to the Dwelling of Light and coauthor of Turn Left at Orion.

About this edition

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0071372318
• ISBN 13: 9780071372312
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 229