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Title: Religion and Scientific Naturalism: Overcoming the Conflicts (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought) by David Ray Griffin ISBN: 0-7914-4564-X Publisher: State University of New York Press Pub. Date: 01 June, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: very informative and insightful!, even though I don't agree
Comment: Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I especially like Griffin's coverage of the historical events and philisophical issues surrounding the science-religion debate. I think that he effectively discusses the history of science and the enlightnment within the context of 18th, 19th, and 20th century religiousity (i.e., deism, atheism, etc.). I also like his description of how science influenced religion and vice versa during the previous centuries. These well-constructed discussions are presented in the first few chapters.
Although I don't agree with his synthesis of science and religion (specifically, I don't like the idea of rejecting God's supernaturalism), he does a good job of educating the reader on how important issues such as supernaturalism, determinism, and free will, etc. play a role in the issue of merging the beliefs of science with religion. I sometimes found myself saying, "that is a great insight", or "Hey, I never thought about that before."
If I have to pick something I did not like it would have to be his lengthy coverage of Darwinism. He presents a discussion of this topic to support his argument, but since I don't buy into his program, I found this long discussions superfluous. But, others may find this section interesting nonetheless.
IMO, given the price, this book is well worth it.
Dave
Rating: 5
Summary: In search of evolutionary naturalism
Comment: Although I would not share as such the perspective of this book, it is a very useful and provocative exploration of many issues current evolutionary theory, as it collides with religion, cannot deal with, because its assumptions of naturalism simply eliminate the problem rather than solving it. Darwinists are often charged thus with naturalistic preconceptions, then judged by a very narrow standard on this score, and we end with miraculous explanations for punctuated equilibrium, and other nonsense. This work by taking a far broader tack stands in the line of a greater tradition of naturalism, that reminds one of the 'evolutionary naturalism' of W. Sellars, and indeed the work summons the philosopher Whitehead to this debate, from which he has been exiled. The author, for example (and this is only a part of the argument) quite audaciously brings in the issue of parapsychology, although this is and will remain problematical. Every culture of man, with the possible exception of various subcultures of the Indian yogic traditions, has been totally confused on this point, and the final confusion is the positivist attempt to declare there is no such subject. It is not surprising that science should take this approach, but the result instantly vitiates the very basis of theory, for the subject has been amputated. However, it is never promising to pursue this area lightly, and it would seem dubious to make it a basis for a new spiritual evolutionism, if the antiquated yet sound traditions of the Buddhist variety always had better sense in their emphasis, not on the marginal parapsychology, but self-consciousness itself. The book generates a kind of constructive dialectical sparring and evokes a side of modernism we forget, from the lost hermetic traditions, to the pantheism, panentheism, and such of many from Leibnitz to Hegel, whose explorations have succumbed to idealist cliches, blinding us to the degenerated condition of the current spectrum of thought. Such issues have traditionally shown little promise however and would not easily resolve the religion-science dilemmas if we consider the great theosophical deviations they would generate. The turtling down of current positivistic evolutionism is a measure of self-defense.
The author's delineation of the types of naturalism with a subscripted terminology, e.g. naturalism-sam and naturalism-ns, and darwinism-1 to darwinism-8, etc,... is clarifying and useful. The retreat to a form of naturalism-ns (no supernatural)is very acute, and would probably relieve the current concealed metaphysics in the Darwinist enterprise, whose flaws the author analyzes at great length. Very provocative book, whatever one's views of its affirmations.
Rating: 5
Summary: A wake-up call.
Comment: The first book I read of David Ray Driffin's was "Parapsychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality: A Postmodern Exploration". That book was a real eye-opening treat. I later purchased his "Unsnarling the World-Knot: Consciousness, Freedom, and the Mind-Body Problem. Also a terrific text. Now he has continued in his pan-experientialist process mode of thought and brought out this wonderful book. Even though I sound entirely in love with his material, I'm not. It's very good and there is much to agree with, but I'm not convinced that theology (or parapsychology) has to give up the term supernatural. In any case, Griffin's books are intelligent and informative, this one is also no exception. Another, excellent recent text that may interest readers is by Huston Smith and its called "Why Religion Matters". Check them all out.
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Title: Parapsychology, Philosophy, and Spirituality: A Postmodern Exploration (Suny Series in Constructive Postmodern Thought) by David Ray Griffin ISBN: 0791433161 Publisher: State University of New York Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 1997 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Reenchantment Without Supernaturalism: A Process Philosophy of Religion (Cornell Studies in the Philosophy of Religion) by David Ray Griffin, William P. Alston ISBN: 0801486572 Publisher: Cornell University Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: Process Theology: An Introductory Exposition by John B. Cobb ISBN: 0664247431 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 1977 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Unsnarling the World-Knot: Consciousness, Freedom, and the Mind-Body Problem by David Ray Griffin ISBN: 0520209443 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 1998 List Price(USD): $50.00 |
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Title: Evil Revisited: Responses and Reconsiderations by David Ray Griffin ISBN: 0791406121 Publisher: State University of New York Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 1991 List Price(USD): $25.50 |
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