Pari Publishing

Reviews

The Downside Review, Issue July 2009

The most interesting essays, found in all three sections, relate to uncertainties inherent in modern science and the interplay with religion...religion is an aspect of our lives that it is clear from this book must not be neglected in our technological world.

The Pari Center for New Learning, founded by F. David Peat and Maureen Doolan, fosters interdisciplinary discussions linking science, the arts, ethics and spirituality.

The first section of the book discusses Science and Religion. Dr George Coyne, Emeritus Director of the Vatican Observatory, gives a scientific overview of the history of the universe, before considering human life. He discusses the interplay of chance—that molecules reacting in a way necessary for life to evolve would meet under the correct conditions—and the fact that as complexity increases further reactions become more predetermined (by the nature of the feasible reactions), concluding that ‘the complexity proceeds towards an ever more determined direction’ (p.24). Thus he refutes fundamentalist creationism. Science has no bearing on whether God exists; rather if one believes in God, then nature informs one about God (and the ‘convergent’ view of evolution above is more consistent with Scripture than random, non-repeatable evolution). Modern science forces us to disagree with the idea of an omnipotent and omniscient God; instead, ‘God lets the world be what it will in its continuous evolution. He...allows, participates, loves’ (p.29). It is a robust and convincing argument of the need for science to inform faith.

Virginia Del Re McWeeny reflects on ‘correspondences’ between Sufism and science. She asks whether these can coexist, justifying this question because ‘many scientists no longer eschew issues that are frankly metaphysical’ (p.35). She considers Sufi ideas of Baraka, beauty and light and science where harmony and beauty can be considered important. It is perhaps unconvincing to a ‘traditional’ scientific view, but that may be McWeeny's point.

Colin Tudge sets up three positions: atheism, where religion is a primitive view replaced by science; fundamentalism, where religious texts are the literal word of God; and the idea of different non-overlapping agendas—science answers ‘how?’ questions and religion ‘why?’. He rejects all, since ‘religion is and aspires to be the all-embracing narrative’ (p.65), which requires the incorporation of science. He intriguingly presents modern science as a cubist vision—with fragments of (inconsistent) worldviews (relativity and quantum mechanics), and questions the view that atheists could be happy with a ‘Multiverse’, explaining that a multiplicity of physical constants are exactly tuned to allow existence of the universe and life. He proposes the idea of ‘mind-matter’ being the basic stuff of the universe, giving support to the idea of an intelligent universe and suggesting a basis for prayer and mysticism: ‘reason alone cannot take you to faith, but it can certainly help to prepare the ground—and it is necessary’ (p.79). This is an intriguing overview.

F. David Peat writes about the lives of Faraday and Pasteur. He quotes Faraday: ‘...[it is not] necessary to tie the study of natural sciences & religion together...’ (p.83). Pasteur thought that God cannot be approached through science, yet both men were religious. His title Parallel Lines refers to the pursuit of truth in nature and in ‘the world of the spirit’, but he does not explore to what extent integration may be desirable or possible. Jim Kemp presents a parable, ‘a whimsical walk round the corner from stardust to angel dust’. His thesis is that ‘Angels are matured universes’ (p.95). As humans have emerged from stardust via evolution, we humans are the dust from which angels emerge. Contemporary science (relativity and quantum mechanics) ‘seems a lot more hospitable to angels’ (p.109). He proposes thinking of God as ‘verb rather than noun’ (p.110). He suggests that ‘to be’ and ‘to love’ can be equivalent, and Creation is when love consents to, rather than commands, existence.

The second section of the book considers society. Professor John Avery suggests that institutions evolve too slowly to cope with rapid scientific and technological advance. Expenditure on war could be used for health promotion and poverty alleviation. He claims that ‘science cannot claim to be guiltless... Since Hiroshima, we have known that new knowledge is not always good’ (p.136). He links war to a perhaps evolutionary ‘tribalism’ and says that ‘the concept of the absolutely sovereign nation state is an anachronism’ and our best hope ‘lies in developing the United Nations into a World Federation’ (p.140). He states that ‘Through increased communication, the world's peoples can learn to accept each other as members of a single family’. This is, perhaps, rather over-optimistic.

Sean Howard's essay contrasts Western and Native American Science. He considers Bohr's principle of ‘complementarity’—that an inclusive description of the atom must encompass the exclusive descriptions of electron as wave or particle. The scientist Bohm concluded ‘that “science” could never evolve beyond a simplistic reductionism unless “language” evolved’ (p.177); the Native American Algonquian languages would be suitable as they are verb-based. Modern science has revealed the complexity of nature but Howard argues that its ‘one-world’ model (that is not acknowledged as a reflection of its underlying metaphysics) prevents progress.

Edy Korthals Altes considers the contribution of religions to just economic development. Religion should be involved because ‘the present course…is bound to lead to a collapse’ (p.202). He questions the goals of (very successful) economics (maximizing profit) and says that it should be to serve individuals and society. However, ‘the forces resisting any change [i.e. commercial interest and human self-interest] in the present situation are formidable’ (p.209). He counters the myths that humans have unlimited needs, that economic growth is always good, and that a free market should operate unhindered (whilst acknowledging its usefulness). He suggests that religions produce a common position on poverty and the environment. Although Altes should perhaps avoid assertions such as ‘[privatisation] often results in less public service at a higher price!’ (p.215), he has useful things to say on economic outcomes, and concludes that there is ‘a required change in attitude towards human beings, material goods and nature [which] will not occur without a rediscovery of the religious dimension in life’ (p.222).

Hendrik Opdebeeck considers that globalization can lead to ever-greater ethical decay. He asserts that the nations of the world aim to integrate their economies into a world economy, said to be inevitable. A mixed-market economy would appear to offer a solution between the tension of globalization (economic efficiency) and justice (democratic control). He argues that this is no longer a guarantee, and proposes a ‘global social contract’ to offer global, rather than private, wealth, the main obstacle being the lack of a global political system. A global political solution is foreseen, in interesting contrast to individual human change seen as necessary by others.

The third section of the book concerns the Arts. David Keplinger examines Keats's death and its influence on authors. The secret of Keats's ‘way in’ is to ‘forget fame...live life on life's terms’ (p.246). He considers James's definition of religious experience, marked by ineffability, noetic quality, transiency and passivity and notes that St Francis of Assisi had a heretical philosophy which makes it more believable for Keplinger. A church too can have a vision that is ‘hard-wired’ and the Basilica of St Francis is a good example.

In the second essay Alison McLeod quotes Auden saying that the first criterion for success in scientific discovery or artistic vision is love. She considers authors' devotion to their characters: ‘Who then is in control, author or character?’ (p.259). She then considers scientists, quoting John Sulston [who worked on the human genome] on Desert Island Discs: ‘I looked and looked 'till I became the transformer, 'till I could feel the electricity, the voltage, the magnetism’ (p.261). She talks about an experience of ‘wholeness’ experienced by artists, and also some scientists. She concludes that ‘the scientist, too, needs literature and art...as a bridge... the wider experience of the real’ (p.271). This is an interesting account looking at inspiration, in whatever sphere one works.

The final piece is Peat's interview of Anthony Gormley. The most interesting essays, found in all three sections, relate to uncertainties inherent in modern science and the interplay with religion. Other essays place a perhaps naive hope in global institutions rather than individual transformation. Above all, religion is an aspect of our lives that it is clear from this book must not be neglected in our technological world.

MARK GRINSELL