The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate

by Adam Frank

Overview

Eloquent, urgent, and inspiring, The Constant Fire tackles the acrimonious debate between science and religion, taking us beyond its stagnant parameters into the wider domain of human spiritual experience. From a Neolithic archaeological site in Ireland to modern theories of star formation, Adam Frank traverses a wide terrain, broadening our sights and allowing us to imagine an alternative perspective. Drawing from his experience as a practicing astrophysicist and from the writings of the great scholars of religion, philosophy, and mythology, Frank locates the connective tissue linking science and religion—their commonality as sacred pursuits—and finds their shared aspiration in pursuit of "the True and the Real." Taking us from the burning of Giordano Bruno in 1600 to Einstein and on to today's pressing issues of global warming and resource depletion, The Constant Fire shows us how to move beyond this stale debate into a more profound experience of the world as sacred—a world that embraces science without renouncing human spirituality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520265868
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	01/06/2009
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Adam Frank is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Rochester and a regular contributor to Discover and Astronomy magazines. He has also written for Scientific American and many other publications. He was a Hubble Fellow and is the recipient of an American Astronomical Society Prize for his scientific writing.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Prologue: House of the Rising Sun

PART I. THE MAP: REIMAGINING SCIENCE, MYTH, AND THE SACRED
Chapter 1. The Roots of Conflict: Science and Religion before Divorce
Chapter 2. The Conflict We Know: Religion, Science, and the Modern World
Chapter 3. Science and the Sacred: Telescopes, Microscopes, and Hierophanies
Chapter 4. Not the God You Pray To: The Varieties of Scientists' Religious Experience
Chapter 5. Science, Myth, and Sacred Narratives: The Universe as Story

PART II. THE TERRAIN: SACRED NARRATIVES IN SCIENCE AND MYTH
Chapter 6. The Origin of Everything: Big Bangs, the Multiverse, and the Parade of Ants
Chapter 7. The Deluge This Time: Climate Change and Flood Myths

PART III. A NEW PATH TO THE WATERFALL: SCIENCE, MYTH, TRUTH, AND THE FUTURE
Chapter 8. Music of the Spheres: Truth, Myth, and Science
Chapter 9. A Need Born of Fire: Mythos, Ethos, and Humanity's Most Dangerous Century

Epilogue: Fire in the Open Mind
Notes

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"An elegant reimagining of the relationship between science and spirituality.. . . . Challenges the assumption that science and religion are implacable foes."—Chronicle of Higher Education

"The most striking aspect . . . . is the passion that Adam Frank displays in writing about his experience as a scientist."—Times Higher Education

"Frank's book is most interesting; it is an easy read."—Perspectives On Science And Christian Faith: Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation

Editorial Reviews

"Frank's title takes the religion and science dialogue in new directions. While the book is atheistic–––or at least agnostic––in terms of affiliation, the practice of science as told by Frank is spiritual. It is highly recommended to graduate students in philosophy."

Reviews in Religion & Theology

An elegant reimagining of the relationship between science and spirituality. Frank challenges the assumption that science and religion are implacable foes.

Chronicle of Higher Education

"Light years beyond the stale standoff between uninspired scientific materialism and unscientific intelligent design, this vision of coexistence appreciates the heavenly music of the spheres." (Starred Review)

Publishers Weekly

“Frank’s book is most interesting; it is an easy read.

Perspectives On Science And Christian Faith: Journal Of The American Scientific Affiliation - John W. Burgeson

“The most striking aspect . . . . is the passion that Adam Frank displays in writing about his experience as a scientist.

Times Higher Education

“An elegant reimagining of the relationship between science and spirituality.. . . . Challenges the assumption that science and religion are implacable foes.

Chronicle Of Higher Education