The Marriage of Sense and Soul Integrating Science and Religion

by WILBER, KEN

• ISBN13: 9780767903431
• ISBN10: 0767903439
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-04-20
• Publisher: Harmony

Summary

There is arguably no more critical and pressing topic than the relation of science and religion in the modern world. Science has given us the methods for discovering truth, while religion remains the single greatest force for generating meaning. Yet the two are seen as mutually exclusive, with wrenching consequences for humanity. In The Marriage of Sense and Soul, one of today's most important philosophers brilliantly articulates how we might begin to think about science and religion in ways that allow for their reconciliation and union, on terms that will be acceptable to both camps. Ken Wilber is widely acclaimed as the foremost thinker in integrating Western psychology and the Eastern spiritual traditions. His many books have reached across disciplines and synthesized the teachings of religion, psychology, physics, mysticism, sociology, and anthropology, earning him a devoted international following. The Marriage of Sense and Soul is his most accessible work yet, aimed at guiding a general audience to the mutual accord between the spiritual, subjective world of ancient wisdom and the objective, empirical world of modern knowledge. Wilber clearly and succinctly explores the schism between science and religion, and the impact of this "philosophical Cold War" on the fate of humanity. He systematically reviews previous attempts at integration, explaining why romantic, idealistic, and postmodern theories failed. And he demonstrates how science is compatible with certain deep features common to all of the world's major religious traditions. In pointing the way to a union between truth and meaning, Ken Wilber has created an elegant and accessible book that is breathtaking in its scope. From the Hardcover edition.

Author Biography

Ken Wilber's first book, The Spectrum of Con-sciousness, written when he was only twenty-three, was hailed as "the most sensible, comprehensive book about consciousness since William James.  He is the author of more than a dozen books, including Grace and Grit; Sex, Ecology, Spirituality; A Brief History of Everything; and The Eye of Spirit; and his large readership has kept all of his books in print. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.


From the Hardcover edition.

Table of Contents

A Note to the Reader
The Problem	p. 1
The Challenge of Our Times: Integrating Science and Religion	p. 3
A Deadly Dance: The Relation of Science and Religion in Today's World	p. 15
Paradigms: A Wrong Turn	p. 26
Modernity: Dignity and Disaster	p. 41
The Four Corners of the Known Universe	p. 59
Previous Attempts at Integration	p. 77
The Reenchantment of the World	p. 79
Romanticism: Return of the Origin	p. 90
Idealism: The God That Is to Come	p. 102
Postmodernism: To Deconstruct the World	p. 116
A Reconciliation	p. 137
The Within: A View of the Deep	p. 139
What Is Science?	p. 150
What Is Religion?	p. 162
The Stunning Display of Spirit	p. 175
The Path Ahead	p. 185
The Great Holarchy in the Postmodern World	p. 187
The Integral Agenda	p. 202
Further Reading	p. 215
Index	p. 217
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.