Natural Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science - Softcover

Matthew Fox; Rupert Sheldrake

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385483597 ISBN 13: 9780385483599

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 1997

Synopsis

The chasm between science and religion has been a source of intellectual and spiritual tension for centuries, but in these ground breaking dialogues there is a remarkable consonance between these once opposing camps. In Natural Grace, Rupert Sheldrake and Matthew Fox show that not only is the synthesis of science and spirituality possible, but it is 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 revolutionary 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 with their unique yet highly complementary points of view. In these inspired dialogues a variety of ancient topics--including ritual, prayer, and the soul--are freed from the past and given new power for the future in the liberated universe Fox and Sheldrake show us.

About this title

About the Author

Matthew Fox, a spiritual theologian and Episcopal priest, has authored twenty books that have brought the creation spirituality tradition to life, including Original Blessing. He is president of the newly formed University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, California.

Rupert Sheldrake is one of the most innovative scientists of our time. He is a former Research Fellow of the Royal Society and was Director of Studies in biochemistry and cell biology at Clare College, Cambridge University, England. He is the author of several books, including Seven Experiments That Could Change the World. He lives in London.

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: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0385483597
• ISBN 13: 9780385483599
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 210