Paths From Science Towards God · the End of All Our Exploring by Peacocke, Arthur -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Copyright Dedication Epigraph Contents Acknowledgements Preface Prologue: Genesis for the third millennium PART I: THE SPIRITUAL QUEST IN THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE

1 The contemporary challenge of science to religious beliefs

The ‘two cultures’ and the dominance of science The spiritual life of scientists The rise of science The forging of Christian belief through past challenges The challenge of the scientific culture to religion today

2 Science and the future of theology

The intellectual reputations of science and theology Science withstands the postmodernist critique Evolution and human rationality Reasonableness through inference to the best explanation Theology at the crossroads

PART II: EXPLORING FROM SCIENCE TOWARDS GOD: NEW VISTAS, CHALLENGES AND QUESTIONS

3 The world as it is

That the world is God and time The world: one and many whole–part influences in the world The flow of information in the world The world-as-a-whole: a System-of-systems A lawlike world – no intervention A world containing inherently unpredictable events Brains, minds and persons in the world Communication between persons in the world

4 The world in process

The epic of evolution The physical origin of the universe The origin of life The anthropic principle The duration of evolution The mechanism of biological evolution – natural selection The process of chance and law (necessity) The emergence of humanity Human behaviour Trends and directions in evolution? The ubiquity of pain, suffering and death The evolution of life and our exploration towards God Evolution: a risky process?

5 God’s interaction with the world

The problem Predictability and causality ‘Chaotic’ systems and divine action Quantum events and divine action Whole–part influence and God’s interaction with the world God as ‘personal agent’ in the world

6 The sound of sheer silence

God, human experience and revelation How does God communicate with humanity?

PART III: THE END OF ALL OUR EXPLORING

7 An open theology 8 ‘In him we live and move and have our being’

Immanence: a theistic naturalism Panentheism

9 The world as sacrament

10 Arriving where we started

The Wisdom of God The Word, the Logos, of God The uncreated energies of God

11 Knowing the place for the first time

Vistas of the end? A global perspective

Epilogue Appendix: A contemporary Christian understanding of sacrament Notes Glossary Supplementary reading Index