Our Enigmatic Universe - Softcover

Batten, Alan

 
9781907732034: Our Enigmatic Universe

Inhaltsangabe

Three themes permeate Our Enigmatic Universe: that materialism is not the only tenable philosophy for those who take seriously the discoveries of modern science about the size, age and nature of the universe; that a rational case can be made for some form of religious belief; and that, despite all the astounding progress of recent scientific discovery, the universe is indeed enigmatic and there is still much to be learned about the vastness of space, the unimaginably long stretches of time, and still more about the complexity of our human nature and personalities. The history of the relations between science and religion is more complex than is often supposed, and we do not have to believe that the universe revealed to us by our senses is the sole reality. The universe may have other aspects, termed 'transcendent' in this book, partially revealed to us by the arts and music, so room can be found also for a religious dimension. Even the fascinating modern research into the workings of the human brain does not force us to the conclusion that the mind and the brain are identical. Problems posed by the claims of miracles and the practice of prayer are also discussed.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Alan H. Batten was born in England in 1933 and was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School and the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester. He spent almost his entire career, however, at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, B.C., Canada, where he studied spectroscopic binary systems and the history of astronomy. From 1985 to 1991 he served as a Vice-President of the International Astronomical Union, and has also been President of the Canadian Astronomical Society and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. In 1977 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 1995 he was an Erskine Visiting Fellow at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. He has also been active in the promotion of astronomy in developing countries. He is both the son and father of Anglican clergy, has served on the Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia, and has also been closely associated, since its inception, with the Centre for Studies of Religion and Society of the University of Victoria. He has taught courses in both astronomy and history in that University, and he relaxes by practicing the exercise of change-ringing on the bells of Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria.

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