Astrophysics and Creation (Trade paperback (US))

Astrophysics and Creation (Trade paperback (US))

Written by a prominent and active scientist, this book, based on personal experience and biblical theology, does not try to derive God's existence from science. It is critical of scientific inferences on the notion of God (Natural Theology). Cosmic fine-tuning and other coincidences are no proof of the divine, but they are astounding and have never been fully explained. Amazement, therefore, is the appropriate emotional perception of reality. Human life, the beauty of nature, and the habitability of planet Earth can be considered undeserved gifts. In the light of these gifts, the universe is metaphorically interpreted and existentially believed, by ...

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Written by a prominent and active scientist, this book, based on personal experience and biblical theology, does not try to derive God's existence from science. It is critical of scientific inferences on the notion of God (Natural Theology). Cosmic fine-tuning and other coincidences are no proof of the divine, but they are astounding and have never been fully explained. Amazement, therefore, is the appropriate emotional perception of reality. Human life, the beauty of nature, and the habitability of planet Earth can be considered undeserved gifts. In the light of these gifts, the universe is metaphorically interpreted and existentially believed, by ...

Read more
  • Imprint : Crossroad
$21.00
ISBN:9780824517809
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  • Title : Astrophysics and Creation
  • Formats : Epub (9780824500511), Paperback (9780824599379),
  • Imprint : Crossroad
  • Keywords : creation, biblical theology, cosmos, universe, existence of God, God and science, nature, human life, science
  • Language : eng
  • Number of pages : 144
  • Publication date : 6/1/2019
  • Table of content : Contents Prologue Part 1: Amazing Formation 1. The Stuff We Are Made Of 1.1 Clouds in Space 1.2 Earlier Ideas About the Formation of Stars 1.3 A Ramble in Our Cosmic Environment 1.4 The Rationality of Nature 2. When Stars and Planets Form 2.1 Accretion Discs 2.2 Why Do Planets Orbit? 2.3 From Accretion Disc to Protostar 2.4 Planets Form 2.5 From Protostar to Star 2.6 Unfathomable Puzzles 3. Boundless? 3.1 The First Stars 3.2 The Big Bang: Our Horizon in Time 3.3 Black Holes: Horizons in Space 3.4 Silence of the Stars: Limits of Methodology 4. Origin and Creation 4.1 Physico-Theology 4.2 Why Speak of Creation? 4.3 The Parable of the Invisible Gardener Part 2: Dissolution and Horror 5. The Development Continues 5.1 The Young Sun 5.2 Design or No Design? 5.3 The Decay of the Sun 5.4 Becoming and Decaying 6. Living in the Midst of Evolution 6.1 The Young Earth 6.2 Earth Is Still Growing 6.3 Evolution of the Atmosphere 6.4 Life Is a Risk 7. Reality in the Cosmos and in Life 7.1 Levels of Reality 7.2 Religious Perceptions 7.3 Participatory Perceptions 7.4 The Depth of Reality 8. From Perception to Interpretation 8.1 Explaining and Modeling 8.2 Comprehending 8.3 Construing 8.4 Many Possible Interpretations Part 3: Interpreting the Universe as a Creation 9. The Creative Principle, Hope and Ethics 9.1 The Formation of Life in the Universe 9.2 Anyone Else out There? 9.3 The Creative Principle 9.4 Ethical Reflections 9.5 Hope in Spite of Decay 10. God in the Universe 10.1 Biblical Creation Stories 10.2 Cosmic Icons 10.3 Creation Today 11. Longing for Meaning 11.1 Big Bang or Creation: What is the Question? 11.2 A Theory of Everything 11.3 Is the Universe a Unity? 11.4 Spooky Action at a Distance 11.5 Is Mankind the Goal? 11.6 The Question of Meaning 12. Space and Time – Surprised by Creation 12.1 The Frightening Size of the Universe 12.2 Empirical Dimension of Time 12.3 The Origin of Time 12.4 Outlook Epilogue Acknowledgements Index Notes
  • Trim size : 8.2500 x 5.3750
  • Type : Paperback

David Pocta (Author)

David Pocta is a Christian Spirituality Scholar, ministry builder, and educator. After nearly three decades of pastoral work, he returned to school for his PhD in Christian Contemporary Spirituality. His work blends his experience in pastoral ministry with spirituality scholarship. His research interests include the spiritual journey, spiritual wilderness, contemporary evangelical church culture, and Christian mysticism. His dissertation addressed how the spiritual journey of Christians, when in their own wilderness, exposes the need for a reimagined church culture in Protestant evangelicalism. David is a collaborator and builder. He enjoys creating spaces for honest dialogue and authentic learning. He lives with his wife of more than thirty years in San Antonio and treasures having his daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren nearby.

David Pocta (Author)

David Pocta is a Christian Spirituality Scholar, ministry builder, and educator. After nearly three decades of pastoral work, he returned to school for his PhD in Christian Contemporary Spirituality. His work blends his experience in pastoral ministry with spirituality scholarship. His research interests include the spiritual journey, spiritual wilderness, contemporary evangelical church culture, and Christian mysticism. His dissertation addressed how the spiritual journey of Christians, when in their own wilderness, exposes the need for a reimagined church culture in Protestant evangelicalism. David is a collaborator and builder. He enjoys creating spaces for honest dialogue and authentic learning. He lives with his wife of more than thirty years in San Antonio and treasures having his daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren nearby.

Written by a prominent and active scientist, this book, based on personal experience and biblical theology, does not try to derive God's existence from science. It is critical of scientific inferences on the notion of God (Natural Theology). Cosmic fine-tuning and other coincidences are no proof of the divine, but they are astounding and have never been fully explained. Amazement, therefore, is the appropriate emotional perception of reality. Human life, the beauty of nature, and the habitability of planet Earth can be considered undeserved gifts. In the light of these gifts, the universe is metaphorically interpreted and existentially believed, by many, to be a divine Creation. Science cannot create such faith, but it can foster it. This volume asks: Is God necessary to explain the universe? Is the idea of a Creator excluded by modern science? Why continue speaking of a Creator and to believe in His continuing creation, when God cannot be demonstrated in scientific data? Arnold Benz, a renowned astrophysicist and Christian, insists that human perception reaches further than science and demonstrates this in various examples—personal, biblical, and literary.

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