Science and the Sacred: Beyond the Gods in Our Image

by C S Pearce, Philip Clayton

Overview

In this beautifully written book, an atheist and a theist explore the intersection points of science and the Sacred. Honestly acknowledging their differences, they discover unexpected common ground across every branch of science and many of the most urgent ethical and spiritual questions humanity now faces. While science may be incompatible with some ancient beliefs about God, the authors show why it is fully compatible with belief in an all-pervading divine presence. Indeed, we will only be able to steer our way safely through the complexities of the modern world when we draw on the best of scientific knowledge as well as the deepest insights of the world's spiritual traditions past and present. This unique exploration by a theologian and a well-known science journalist offers a highly accessible overview of the most complex issues arising at the intersection of science, belief, and hope. The two authors dive into debates normally deemed too sensitive to discuss, identifying common sense ways that science and human values can guide each other. Their emerging friendship and their new insights offer a pathway toward a world no longer plagued by religiously motivated violence and environmental crisis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666769968
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	02/27/2025
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

C. S. Pearce is a writer whose work has been published in the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and newspapers across the country. Her book This We Believe: The Christian Case for Gay Civil Rights was a finalist for the American Library Association’s Stonewall Book Awards.



Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and president of the environmental organization EcoCiv.org. He has written or edited twenty-five books on science, the world’s religions, and ecology.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“What is more awesome—the infinity of interconnections making up the multiverse; or the infinite relationality nicknamed God? The first tinges natural science with wonder; the second frees the sacred from dogma. With entrancing clarity, this book’s dialogue between an atheist and a theist takes us beyond the sterile opposition—to a common ground of Earth’s ecology surrounded by boundless mystery.”

—Catherine Keller, George T. Cobb Professor of Constructive Theology, Drew Theological School



“Tensions between religious and scientific communities grab the headlines. But behind the scenes, another story is emerging. In this brief, well-written, and accessible book, Pearce and Clayton tell this story and offer a fresh and compelling integration of science and the sacred.”

—Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt



“Science and the Sacred is a breathtaking journey that bridges two worldviews often seen as irreconcilable—science and spirituality. With remarkable clarity and mutual respect, the authors, one a theist and the other an atheist, transcend the boundaries of their perspectives to craft a compelling cosmic narrative. From the Big Bang to the rise of human culture, they explore the intersection of empirical discovery and profound meaning, revealing a vision of the sacred that is both scientifically grounded and ethically transformative.”

—Tripp Fuller, host, Homebrewed Christianity podcast

Editorial Reviews

What is more awesome—the infinity of interconnections making up the multiverse; or the infinite relationality nicknamed God? The first tinges natural science with wonder; the second frees the sacred from dogma. With entrancing clarity, this book’s dialogue between an atheist and a theist takes us beyond the sterile opposition—to a common ground of Earth’s ecology surrounded by boundless mystery.”

—Catherine Keller, George T. Cobb Professor of Constructive Theology, Drew Theological School



“Tensions between religious and scientific communities grab the headlines. But behind the scenes, another story is emerging. In this brief, well-written, and accessible book, Pearce and Clayton tell this story and offer a fresh and compelling integration of science and the sacred.”

—Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt



“Science and the Sacred is a breathtaking journey that bridges two worldviews often seen as irreconcilable—science and spirituality. With remarkable clarity and mutual respect, the authors, one a theist and the other an atheist, transcend the boundaries of their perspectives to craft a compelling cosmic narrative. From the Big Bang to the rise of human culture, they explore the intersection of empirical discovery and profound meaning, revealing a vision of the sacred that is both scientifically grounded and ethically transformative.”

—Tripp Fuller, host, Homebrewed Christianity podcast

From the Publisher