Exploring Science and Belief

Some scientists have religious beliefs…
“… we must ourselves be prepared and willing to make a reasoned presentation of our faith, especially to young scientists, who have all too often concluded that a serious faith in a personal God and objective pursuit of scientific truth are incompatible.”
—Professor Francis Collins, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute

… some do not
“… the beliefs of most popular religions… by scientific standards… are based on evidence so flimsy that only an act of blind faith can make them acceptable.”
—Dr Francis Crick (co-discoverer of DNA’s structure)

However, science and belief are both very important for us. Do we have to choose between them? The view that science and belief are in conflict is a major stumbling block for many people today. Michael Poole addresses this issue in Exploring Science and Belief.
Is science the ultimate test of what to believe?
Do its laws make belief in miracles impossible?
Has Darwin’s work ruled out the idea of a creating God?
How did the universe develop?
Was it accidental or planned?
What will happen to it eventually?
Do we have any significance in it?

These are some of the questions addressed in Exploring Science and Belief. Although he “… start(s) from what is for the theist the conviction, for the agnostic the hypothesis, and for the atheist the delusion that God exists,” Michael Poole also dicusses evidence for God’s existence.

Table of Contents
Introduction
1 God’s “Two Books”
2 Watch Your Language!
3 Explaining Explanations
4 Belief, Faith and Evidence
5 Miracles
6 First and Last Things
7. The Galileo Affair
8. Enemies or Allies?
9. Creation and Evolution
10. Accident or Design?
Endnotes
Glossary

Michael Poole is currently Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Education at King’s College, London. With a background in science education, his research interests have centered on the interplay between science and religion with special reference to its educational context. He is the author of several books and some fifty articles and papers on the topic.