Matter, Life and Consciousness: God and Science in the Twenty-First Century

Summary

Does science defeat belief in God? Or is it rational both to accept everything that science tells us and at the same time to believe in God as the creator and sustainer of the natural world? Focusing on the philosophy underpinning three areas of science - cosmology (under the heading 'Matter'), evolution ('Life'), and neuroscience ('Consciousness') - the author evaluates the theistic and atheistic world views which both claim support from these three areas. Where does the balance of the argument lie today? This question is addressed by analysis of the notions of 'fine tuning' of the forces of nature; of quantum uncertainty and indeterminacy; of evolutionary randomness; and of the question of the origin of consciousness. The book concludes with a consideration of a distinct but related theist/atheist battle ground - the issue of undeserved suffering. Carl Emery is a former Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge