Space and physics

About the discipline

Seeking truth: Religion and physics share in common that in both, practitioners seek to learn what is true, while also dealing with unseen realities whose existence cannot immediately be proved. Existence is often inferred based on effects in the visible world. Whether for a higher power, a deeper understanding of tiny particles or an unseen astronomical object, the search requires a sense of mystery, desire for discovery and belief that there is something to be found. Discoveries or convictions in these fields define our understanding of the origin of the universe and our place in it. Read More »

Articles

  • “Early Modern Space Travel and the English Man in the Moon” by David Cressy. American Historical Review. Vol. 111, No. 4 (2006): 960-82.
  • “Science and Religion, 400 B.C.-A.D. 1550: From Aristotle to Copernicus” by Margaret J. Osler. Journal for the History of Astronomy. Vol. 37, No. 4 (2006): 486-7.
  • “Faith and Quantum Theory” by Stephen M. Barr. First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life. Vol. 171 (2007): 21-5.
  • “Space, Time, and Causality” by John Polkinghorne. Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. Vol. 41, No. 4 (2006): 975-84.
  • “From Ether Theory to Ether Theology: Oliver Lodge and the Physics of Immortality” by Courtenay Grean Raia. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. Vol. 43, No. 1 (2007): 18-43.
  • “Presidents, Experts, and Asteroids” by Sir Arthur Clarke. Science, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Vol. 280, June 5, 1998.
  • “A look at religion through science: Symposium on Buddhism explores how modern-day believers are affected by scientific developments” by Liaw Wy-Cin. The Straits Times (Singapore). July 19, 2008.
  • “Modern Physics and the Jain Darshan” by Narendra Bhandari. Earth Science & Solar System, PRL, Ahemedabad  (2001).
  • “A Free-for-All on Science and Religion” by George Johnson. The New York Times, Nov. 21, 2006.
  • “Astronomy, space exploration have nun flying” by Susan Braunheim. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, October 2008.
  • “Astronomy and religion (1780-1915). Four case studies involving ideas of extraterrestrial life” by Michael J. Crowe. Osiris. Vol. 16 (2001): 209 – 226.
  • “Taking Science on Faith” by Paul Davies. The New York Times, Nov. 24, 2007.
  • “Hadrons and Humanity.” The Times (London), Sept. 8, 2008.
  • “The Galileo Affair: Emblematic or Exceptional?” by Matt J. Rossano. Huffington Post. Aug. 23, 2011.
  • Barr, Stephen M. “Faith and Quantum Theory.” First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life. 171 (2007): 21-5.
  • Osler, Margaret J. “Science and Religion, 400 B.C.-A.D. 1500: From Aristotle to Copernicus.” Journal for the History of Astronomy. Vol. 37, No. 4 (2006): 486-7.
  • Polkinghorne, John. “Space, Time, and Causality.” Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science. Vol. 41, No. 4 (2006): 975-84.
  • Raia, Courtenay Grean. “From Ether Theory to Ether Theology: Oliver Lodge and the Physics of Immortality.” Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. Vol. 43, No. 1 (2007): 18-43.

Books

  • Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology. Max Jammer. Princeton University Press, 2002.
  • Theology and modern physics. Peter Edward Hodgson. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2005.
  • In Creative Evolution: A Physicist’s Resolution between Darwinism and Intelligent Design. Amit Goswami. Quest Books, 2008.
  • Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science. Nidhal Guessoum. I.B. Tauris, 2011.
  • Chemistry, Meteorology, and the Function of Digestion, Considered With Reference to Natural Theology. William Prout. Elibron Classics Series ed., 2011.
  • Religion And Chemistry; Or, Proofs Of God’s Plan In The Atmosphere And Its Element. Josiah Parsons Cooke. Kessinger Publishing, 2007 (orig. published 1864).
  • Science and Religion: A Critical Survey. Holmes Rolston. Random House, 1987.
  • What is and What Will Be: Integrating Science and Religion. Paul Budnik. Mountain Math Software, 2006.
  • Science and Religion, 400 B.C. to A.D. 1550: From Aristotle to Copernicus. Edward Grant. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.
  • World in Process, Interconnection and Creativity in the New Physics. John A. Jungerman. SUNY Press, 2000
  • The Religion of Technology: The Divinity of Man and the Spirit of Invention.D. F. Noble. Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.
  • Ancient Astronomy, Modern Science and Sacred Cosmology. John Wood. Kessinger Publishing, 2009 (orig. published 1882).
  • Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist. Guy Consolmagno. McGraw-Hill, 2000.
  • Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness. B. Alan Wallace. Columbia University Press, 2007.
  • Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology. Max Jammer. Princeton University Press, 1999.

Case studies

Codes of ethics

Journals

More links

Professional associations and faith groups

Recent research

  • Duquette, Jonathan. “‘Quantum Physics and Vedanta’: A Perspective from Bernard D’Espagnat’s Scientific Realism.” Journal of Religion & Science. Vol. 46, No. 3 (Sept. 2011): 620-38.
  • Murphy, Nancey. “Cosmopolis: How Astronomy Affects Philosophies of Human Nature and Religion.” Astronomy and Civilization in the New Environment. Vol. 107, No. 3 (2011): 175-85.

Syllabi

  • Share, email or print

    EmailPrintShare


  • Jump to a discipline

    Jump to a resource format

  • Translate this page