Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality - Softcover

Fuller

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9780807859612: Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0807859613 ISBN 13: 9780807859612
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2009

Synopsis

The attempt to identify the emotional sources of religion goes back to antiquity. In an exploration that bridges science and spirituality, Robert C. Fuller makes the convincing case that a sense of wonder is a principal source of humanity’s belief in the existence of an unseen order of life. Like no other emotion, Fuller argues, wonder prompts us to pause, admire, and open our hearts and minds.

With a voice that seamlessly blends the scientific and the contemplative, Fuller defines wonder in keeping with the tradition of Socrates — as an emotion related to curiosity and awe that stimulates engagement with the immediate physical world. He draws on the natural and social sciences to explain how wonder can, at the same time, elicit belief in the existence of a more-than-physical reality. Chapters examining emotions in evolutionary biology and the importance of wonder in human cognitive development alternate with chapters on John Muir, William James, and Rachel Carson, whom Fuller identifies as “exemplars of wonder.” The writings and lives of these individuals express a functional side of emotion: that the very survival of life on earth today may depend on the empathy, compassion, and care that are aroused by a sense of wonder.

Forging new pathways between the social sciences, philosophy, belief, and cultural history, Wonder deepens our understanding of the complex sources of personal spirituality and fulfillment.

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About the Author

Robert C. Fuller is Caterpillar Professor of Religious Studies at Bradley University and author of ten books, including Religious Revolutionaries: The Rebels Who Reshaped American Religion and Spiritual, But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America.

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Publisher
The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date
2009
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0807859613
ISBN 13 
9780807859612
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
200
Rating
  • 3.95 out of 5 stars
    20 ratings by Goodreads

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780807829950: Wonder: From Emotion to Spirituality

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0807829951 ISBN 13:  9780807829950
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Pr, 2006
Hardcover