Most Americans have considered; and still consider; Abraham Lincoln to be a heroic figure. From his humble beginnings to his leadership of a divided nation during the Civil War to his early efforts in abolishing slavery; Lincoln’s legacy is one of deep personal and political courage. In this unique and concise retelling of many of the key moments and achievements of Lincoln’s life and work; Frank J. Williams explores in detail what it means to be a hero and how Lincoln embodied the qualities Americans look for in their heroes.
#547065 in Books John Haught 2013-01-02Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .58 x 6.06l; .70 #File Name: 0809148064208 pagesScience and Faith A New Introduction
Review
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Useful for my World Religions classroomBy Martin E. SchmidtMy students' biggest questions in religion class usually revolve around the relationship of science and religion. However; it's difficult for me as a non-scientist to feel confident that I am providing responsible perspectives on this vital and oftentimes contentious topic. Recently; I came across the writings of John Haught; a professor of theology at Georgetown; and found him to be highly credible; intelligent; balanced; and well-informed about science as well as his primary area of theology. In his latest book; he takes his decades-long study and summarizes the debate between science and faith in responses to twelves questions; such as; do miracles really happen; is there life after death; etc? Responses to each question are written in the voices of three perspectives: conflict (scientists who oppose faith perspectives); contrast (usually people of faith who see science and religion as separate spheres of inquiry); and convergence (Haught's own perspective that opens a dialogue between science and faith). Convergence emphasizes that the universe's 14 billion-year history should be conceived as a drama rather than a static design in which human intelligence plays a special role in this unfolding story. As a religion teacher; this book provides me with confidence that I can approach students' big questions with an orientation that responsibly frames these issues; and with hope that there are thoughtful perspectives available which are working towards fruitful dialogue between the oft-polarized camps of science and religion.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. An attempt to find faith and meaning that is consistent with scienceBy PanoptesI would recommend this book for anyone who is searching for a perspective that is consistent with our current scientific understanding of life and the cosmos yet seeks to interpret that foundational knowledge into a system of meaning. Even those with a more polarized mindset will benefit for reflecting on the author's portrayal of their own perspective and it's possible reconciliation with an opposing view. The religious fundamentalist and the scientific materialist will both be challenged; although this book is not meant to be a thorough refutation of those positions.The book is unusual in two ways. Firstly; each chapter is dedicated to a distinct "big question" and is fairly self-contained. That said; later chapters do make reference to some ideas first encountered in earlier ones. Secondly; each chapter presents an answer to the chapter's question from each of the three positions I will describe below: conflict; contrast and convergence. Written in the first person; the feel is conversational; making the reading much smoother.The overall theme of the author seems to follow a classic Hegelian construct of thesis-antithesis-synthesis. The thesis and antithesis positions are that science and faith are either in conflict/contradiction with each other; or that they are separate and contrasted from each other. The synthesis position of the author; "convergence"; brings science and faith into alignment as distinct layers of explanation of common 'big questions'. Make no mistakes; this is a philosophical/theological work; although the author ensures the technical argumentation is kept only to a necessary minimum and is thus very readable by those not versed or particularly drawn to philosophical thought; including this reviewer. It is; essentially; a work of theology; so the reader should be aware that the language of the book is rich in concepts of hope; value; covenant; love and; of course; faith. But these terms are attempted to be applied in a meaningful way to an unfolding story of the Universe.The reader should also know that this book is not a deep review or explanation of modern science. That said; it is important to know that the author; in the introduction; establishes the framework by which the convergence "synthesis" position is supported. Essentially; current cosmology and biology describe a Universe that is dominated; as the author describes; by structure; chance and time. Lots of time. The history of the Universe and the emergence of greater levels of complexity is the common theme of Big History; or as the author calls it; the new cosmic story. The crux of his 'convergence' position is that the evolving Universe can be interpreted as an unfolding story; one not yet complete but in the process of becoming. Likewise; from the other side; Faith; can also be reinterpreted away from literalist traditions in light of the new cosmic story and give the Universe a sense of meaning and coherence that is beyond the scope of the descriptive approach of science. Both science and faith; then; mutually support each other in our quest to read the story of the Universe. Those familiar with Teilhard de Chardin will see his influence on the author.Overall; this book expanded my mind to new possibilities to consider although I think the author still needs to develop some ideas more thoroughly (like the convergence view of resurrection) and how Eastern religions correspond to this new interpretation. Still; I give this book 5 stars without reservation because the author delvers what he set out to do; the framework of a conversation that is respectful of all sides that is intellectually honest and stimulating; and is approachable by the target audience.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Conflict; Contrast; or ConvergenceBy Paul R. BrugginkThe book is structured around three ways of relating science and religion: conflict; contrast; and convergence. The book is a comparison of the conflict; contrast; and convergence views on twelve different topics. The presentation of each view on each topic is written as if by a proponent of that view on that topic; presenting the view and defending it against the other views.In his book; the conflict view refers only to the views of scientific skeptics of religion; and the contrast position primarily discusses the science side.The convergence option frequently focuses on the theme of an awakening; unfinished; ongoing cosmic drama of a universe still in the making and what that means to individual lives. He gives due credit to Pierre Teilhard de Chardin for inspiration regarding this concept.On miracles (Chapter 4); Haught’s description of the contrast position would be unacceptable to evangelical Christians (e.g.; Christ’s resurrection wasn’t literal). The description of the convergence position on miracles was also rather weak.Although Haught does conflict and convergence very well; I’m not convinced that he gets contrast right; even from the scientific side; let alone the faith side.The structure of the book lends itself to some repetition; but overall; it is a helpful introduction to and/or review of the issues around science and faith.
