Mystery and the Culture of Science: Personal Insights for the 21st Century

Mystery is only one step behind the best insights of science and theology. This book deals with the methodology common to both and concludes that all knowledge reflects the culture in which it was articulated and is provisional in the sense that it can always be improved. Failure to respect this lies at the heart of much of the polarisation currently seen in religion and elsewhere.This book offers four reflections, which serve to loosen the sense of certainty that traps and impoverishes Church doctrines, using examples from the nuclear industry, climate change, and chaos theory, among others. The reflections are on the efficacy of prayer; how a sense of mystery and contemplative approach might benefit science; infallibility in church teaching and practice; and, finally, what evolution teaches us about the incarnation. Some readers will find these shocking, but others will find them liberating and in keeping with the Franciscan view of the sacredness of nature.