God, Life, and the Cosmos: Christian and Islamic Perspectives is the first book in which Christian and Muslim scholars explore the frontiers of science-religion discourse. Leading international scholars present new work on key issues in science and religion from Christian and Islamic perspectives. Following an introduction by the editors, the book is divided into three sections: the first explores the philosophical issues in science-religion discourse; the second examines cosmology; the third analyses the issues surrounding bioethics. One of the first books to explore aspects of science-religion discourse from the perspective of two religious traditions, God, Life, and the Cosmos opens up new vistas to all interested in science and religion, and those exploring contemporary issues in Christianity and Islam.

Addresses all possible questions relating to the world: its constitution and origin; the history of its treatment from cosmogonic myth to philosophical cosmologies; from Biblical cosmogenesis and anthropogenesis to the "primordial soup" and "big bang" theories; from "fallen world" and "fallen man" to apocalypse; from gnostic "alienation" to ecological utopian restoration; from magic to mysticism.

God, Cosmos and Man builds a powerful scientific interpretation of existence centered on the meticulous, integrated development of several main concepts: 1. Matter here and everywhere spontaneously self-organizes; 2. All order we see in the universe has resulted from matter's self-organization; 3. Life is the highest state of spontaneously self-organized matter, and almost certainly exists widely in the cosmos; 4. Mind is the highest state of life, seemingly capable of exerting progressively increasing control over the universe as intelligence further evolves; 5. Science seems to be telling us that god may be different than at least the Western religions would have us believe. Humans basically had a blind-faith, religious view of existence when modern science arose about 400 years ago. But science has progressively superceded religion relative to many critical issues, and remaining topics seem likely to fall to science's relentless onslaught as well. This book carefully crafts a powerful argument based on diverse biological and physical disciplines to show how a remarkably consistent world view emerges from today's science. Such a new perspective carries powerful attributes that may be more satisfying for many, and as any world view should do and agrees with what we actually see. This book provides a fresh, penetrating, scientific analysis of existence, and reveals veiled but powerful interrelations between matter, conscious mind, and cosmic makeup that suggest imaginative new views of god.

This is a collective study, in nine new essays, of the close connection between theology and cosmology in Stoic philosophy. The Stoic god is best described as the single active physical principle that governs the whole cosmos. The first part of the book covers three essential topics in Stoic theology: the active and demiurgical character of god, his corporeal nature and irreducibility to matter, and fate as the network of causes through which god acts upon the cosmos. The second part turns to Stoic cosmology, and how it relates to other cosmologies of the time. The third part examines the ethical and religious consequences of the Stoic theories of god and cosmos.

Contributors include: Christopher Southgate John Hedley Brooke Celia Deane-Drummond Paul D. Murray Michael Robert Negus Lawrence Osborn Michael Poole Jacqui Stewart Fraser Watts David Wilkinson This fully revised and updated edition of God, Humanity and the Cosmos includes new chapters by John Hedley Brooke, Paul D. Murray and David Wilkinson. In addition to a systematic exploration of contemporary perspectives in physics, evolutionary biology and psychology as they relate to theological descriptions of the universe, humanity and consciousness, the book now provides a thorough survey of the theological, philosophical and historical issues underpinning the science-religion debate. Contributors also examine such issues as theological responses to the ecological crisis and to biotechnology; how science is treated and valued in education; and the relation of science to Islamic thought. Dr Christopher Southgate is Lecturer in Theology at the University of Exeter.'

A Christian view of time, space and the universe, emphasizing the superiority of Scripture to all other sources of knowledge and dealing helpfully with the Big Bang theory of origins, extraterrestrial intelligence, the spiritual realm, and much else.

Science and technology have profoundly altered the cosmic and societal perceptions of the world. Regrettably, the Christian imagination has not kept pace. Most believers still adhere to pre-scientific views. Cosmos and Revelation urges the Christian community to reimagine God's creation by engaging the data of science. For if God has indeed brought forth an intelligible world for us to explore through scientific research, those who profess this faith ought to, as a minimum, allow scientific findings to expand their theological horizon. Drawing on his scientific qualification and academic background in theology, Peter R. Stork opens several windows on God's creation, from galactic star nurseries to the wonderland of living cells. After rereading Genesis 1 and 2, the author interlaces examples and reflections to present a coherent yet provocative sketch of the new landscape that spreads out before us, leaving it to his readers to intuit for themselves the immensities Christians are challenged to embrace in the age of science.