Envisioning Nature, Science, and Religion

A stimulating set of essays examining possible relationships between the three terms in the title -- nature, science and religion. The point of departure is that many claims about the nature of nature have negative social consequences expressed in terms of, for instance, racial prejudice. Interestingly, the word nature as meaning the physical world as a whole did not come into usage until the 17th century. Then there is the use of the term to refer to human nature with inner and outer dimensions. More specifically, five visions of nature are presented: evolutionary nature, emergent nature, malleable nature, nature as sacred and nature as culture. The editor points out how each of these five visions challenges a different metaphysical dichotomy, for instance malleable nature expressed in biotechnology challenges the dichotomy between the natural and the artificial, while nature as sacred challenges the distinction between matter and spirit, secular and sacred. The 14 essays range widely across this terrain, and the authors are mapped in relation to each other at the end of the book. The reader comes away with an enhanced and more subtle understanding of the way in which philosophers and scientists understand nature, which will form the cultural backdrop to any new relationship with nature.