Dancing with the Sacred: Evolution, Ecology, and God
If modern science, and evolution in particular, leads you to conclude that no personal God governs the universe, does that make you an atheist? No, replies Zygon editor Peters (philosophy and religion, emeritus, Rollins Coll.). In lieu of a personal God, he describes a "naturalistic theism, in which the sacred or divine is thought of as a system of nonpersonal processes within the natural world." In other words, the divine character of reality is expressed in the very forces of cosmic and biological evolution. Variations arise, and through the processes of nature some of these variations spawn new aspects of existence: reality is both designless and bubbling with creativity. God is not one with whom we dance; God is the dance itself. Whether this qualifies as theism is a matter of definition. There is little that is new here theologians such as John Cobb, Arthur Peacock, and Ted Peters have addressed the religious implications of science in more detail. Nonetheless, Peters's vibrant optimism and joy of life comes ringing forth from his science-based spirituality. Recommended for all libraries. Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, ILCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.