Most books that explore the connections and conflicts between science and religion are ponderous tomes, effective antidotes to insomnia. Raymo, a professor of physics and astronomy at Stonehill College and a Globe science columnist, writes in a conversational and provocative style, and from a very personal perspective. He traces his intellectual and spiritual evolution from his youth as an observant Catholic, reared in the milieu of miracles, to his maturity as a physicist and writer. He still believes God resides in mystery, but in the mysteries of the physical world and the self. Meditating on the brilliant intricacy of a DNA helix, the complex vibration of an atomic particle, the elegant motion of an expanding galaxy, Raymo experiences profound awe, and with this feeling, he nonetheless rejoices in the marvel of the divine creation.
Many scientists speak dismissively about religion and believers.
Raymo is respectful of those who seek God through honest contemplation and within the legacies of the church and its writings. His argument is with two other camps. One is made up of those who use the language of science but distort its truths in the service of illusion. The other is populated by those who reject science as dangerous to the health and welfare of modern man. Raymo's dissection of pseudoscience is performed with great humor.