The God Experiment: Can Science Prove the Existence of God?

Although presenters of the distinguished Gifford Lectures in science and religion almost inevitably repackage their contributions in book form, few are as successful as Stannard in addressing the general audience originally intended for the lectures themselves. To show how science might inform or challenge human religious perspectives, Stannard draws from a nearly global survey of scientific fields, intent more on illuminating the background of science-and-religion investigations than on constructing a single argument toward religious conclusions. The book takes a generally conciliatory approach, offering clarifications and suggestions rather than adjudicating between believers and skeptics. Stannard writes primarily as a physicist; his commentary on physics benefits from a technical mastery that is lacking in his relatively conventional treatment of evolutionary biology or his forays into biblical interpretation. He also writes as a Christian, and this perspective clearly influences his treatment of what is ""problematic""Da term he uses without disapprovalDabout God and about the possibility of human experience of God. When he describes areas of potential conflict between science and Christian belief (creation/evolution debates, humanity's place in the universe or miracle stories in the Bible), Stannard shows real sympathy for both sides. Believers and nonbelievers alike should appreciate his straightforwardness, even if some of his reinterpretations of Christian beliefs in the name of scientific coherence turn out to be nearly as ""problematic"" as the traditional interpretations they replace. (Dec.)