Table of Contents

Preface vii
How To Use This Book ix


1 Introducing the Dialogue Between Science and Religion 1


Part I History: Three Landmark Debates 7


2 Why Study History? 9


3 Debate 1: Copernicus, Galileo, and the Solar System 17


4 Debate 2: Newton, the Mechanical Universe, and Deism 26


5 Debate 3: Darwin and the Biological Origins of Humanity 33


Part II Science and Religion: General Themes 43


6 Models of Interaction Between Science and Religion 45


7 Science, Religion, and the Explanation of Things 51


8 Science, Religion, and Proofs for God?s Existence 59


9 Verifi cation and Falsifi cation in Science and Religion
67


10 Realism and its Alternatives in Science and Religion 76


11 The Doctrine of Creation and the Natural Sciences 84


12 How Does God Act in the World? 93


13 The Use of Models in Science and Religion 102


14 Natural Science and Natural Theology 110


15 Theoretical Anomalies in Science and Religion 120


16 The Development of Theory in Science and Religion 128


17 The Interaction of Science and Religion in Other Faiths
135


Part III Science and Religion: Contemporary Debates
143


18 Richard Dawkins and Scientifi c Atheism: Does Science Deny
God? 145


19 Cosmology: Does the Anthropic Principle Mean Anything?
151


20 Quantum Theory: Complementarity in Science and Religion
157


21 Evolutionary Biology: Can One Speak of "Design" in Nature?
163


22 Evolutionary Psychology: The Origins of Religious Belief
169


23 The Psychology of Religion: Exploring Religious Experience
175


24 The Cognitive Science of Religion: Is Religion "Natural"?
184


Part IV Case Studies in Science and Religion 191


25 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881?1955) 193


26 Thomas F. Torrance (1913?2007) 197


27 Charles A. Coulson (1910?74) 201


28 Ian G. Barbour (born 1923) 205


29 Arthur Peacocke (1924?2006) 209


30 Wolfhart Pannenberg (born 1928) 213


31 John Polkinghorne (born 1930) 217


32 Nancey Murphy (born 1951) 221


33 Alister E. McGrath (born 1953) 225


34 Philip Clayton (born 1956) 229


Conclusion 233


References 235


Index 240

About the Author

Alister E. McGrath is Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education, and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture at King?s College, London. He is the author of numerous bestselling titles, including Dawkins? God (2004), Theology: The Basics (2004), Christianity: An Introduction, 2nd edition (2006), Christian Theology, 4th edition (2007) and The Christian Theology Reader, 3rd edition (2007), all published by Wiley-Blackwell.

Reviews

Praise for the previous edition of Science and Religion:
"A first rate introduction to the field." (Network)


"McGrath discusses clearly and methodically the various issues
related to the field ? Fair and objective."
(Choice)


"A useful starting point for those entering the study of science
and religion." (Publishers Weekly)