Natural Grace - Hardcover

Fox, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385483562 ISBN 13: 9780385483568

Publisher: Doubleday, 1996

Synopsis

The chasm between science and religion has been a source of both intellectual and spiritual tension for centuries, but in these groundbreaking dialogues there is nothing to be found except a remarkable consonance between these two once-opposing camps. In Natural Grace, authors Rupert Sheldrake and Matthew Fox show that not only is the synthesis of science and spirituality possible, but it is truly unavoidable when one considers the extraordinary insights they have both come upon in their work. Sheldrake, who has changed the face of modern science with his groundbreaking theory of morphic resonance, and Fox, whose work in creation spirituality has had a significant impact on people's sense of spirit, balance each other perfectly with their utterly unique yet highly complementary points of view. In this inspired series of talks a variety of ancient topics--including ritual, prayer, the soul, and the nature of are freed from the past and given new power for the future. Through these valuable exchanges, readers will gain deeper insight into the mysteries of the universe and discover a truly majestic sense of the sacred in everyday life. Dynamic and thought-provoking, what results from these dialogues is truly greater than the sum of its parts and will provide science and religion with much to consider for the twenty-first century.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Fox is president of the new University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, California.

From Kirkus Reviews

A graceful and illuminating spiritual conversation between a well-known theologian and a cutting-edge scientist. Fox, an Episcopal priest and author of several books on spirituality (On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear, 1972, etc.), here engages in a unique conversation with Sheldrake (Seven Experiments That Could Change the World, 1995), a British scientist and former research fellow at Cambridge University. Their dialogue encompasses prayer, darkness, ecology, mysticism, and the soul; what emerges from their provocative insights is the sense that the gap between science and religion is perhaps not so wide as Western rationalism might have us believe. Both contend that Westerners have lost touch with their souls--that part of their being which links them to nature and the divine. Fox's contribution is somewhat more accessible than that of Sheldrake, who in criticizing the prevailing scientific worldview occasionally forgets that his readers may need that rationalist perspective explained before it can be thrown out of the window. Readers may also question ``morphic resonance,'' the controversial New Agetype theory that has made Sheldrake famous. He argues that through morphic resonance, ``if rats in Sheffield learn a new trick, rats all around the world should be able to learn it quicker just because it has been learned there.'' But the rest of the conversations are real gems. Both participants are lucid and creative in their approaches to hackneyed theological debates on worship, prayer, and meditation. Both share humbly and honestly from their personal experiences, often speaking anecdotally of the many remarkable people they have encountered in their careers. Fox also draws freely from the wisdom of past mystics such as Meister Eckhart and Theresa of Avila, and the effect is like magic. This is a book to be read under a shady tree when one has time to reflect and to enjoy the beauty of nature. (3 illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0385483562
• ISBN 13: 9780385483568
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 210