Science Without God?
Rethinking the History of Scientific Naturalism
Peter Harrison editor Jon H Roberts editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:17th Jan '19
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Can scientific explanation ever make reference to God or the supernatural? The present consensus is no; indeed, a naturalistic stance is usually taken to be a distinguishing feature of modern science. Some would go further still, maintaining that the success of scientific explanation actually provides compelling evidence that there are no supernatural entities, and that true science, from the very beginning, was opposed to religious thinking. Science without God? Rethinking the History of Scientific Naturalism shows that the history of Western science presents us with a more nuanced picture. Beginning with the naturalists of ancient Greece, and proceeding through the middle ages, the scientific revolution, and into the nineteenth century, the contributors examine past ideas about 'nature' and 'the supernatural'. Ranging over different scientific disciplines and historical periods, they show how past thinkers often relied upon theological ideas and presuppositions in their systematic investigations of the world. In addition to providing material that contributes to a history of 'nature' and naturalism, this collection challenges a number of widely held misconceptions about the history of scientific naturalism.
I would highly recommend Science without God? to anyone who is interested in the relationship between science and religion and/or the history of scientific naturalism. * Nathan Bossoh, UCL/RI, Science & Christian Belief, Vol 33, No. 2 *
This is a book for scholars with a serious interest in the relationship between religion and science. * C.G. Wood, CHOICE *
this anthology provides a highly informative historical survey of the complicated tri-relation between science, naturalism, and theology. It can be recommended to anyone who is considering the emergence of scientific naturalism, its implications for theology, and the place of God in science. * Mikael Leidenhag, Philosophy, Theology and the Sciences *
The book is an excellent source if one wishes to know anything about the religious and supernatural commitments and motivations of scientists over the course of the last 2,500 years. It deserves also to be noted that there is an impressive consistency in style throughout, with some of the authors even drawing parallels between their own arguments and those found in other chapters. * Tiddy Smith, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
Peter Harrison and Jon H. Roberts provide a highly compelling alternative history of the sciences and their relation to naturalism that will be of direct relevance to contemporary philosophical arguments about the nature of scientific explanation and the enduring importance of religious belief. * Jamie Boulding, University of Leeds, Religious Studies *
ISBN: 9780198834588
Dimensions: 241mm x 164mm x 23mm
Weight: 586g
280 pages