Natural ReligionTransaction Publishers, 2011 M12 31 - 297 páginas There is widespread belief that the world's religions con- tradict each other. It follows that if one religion is true, the others must be false--an assumption that implies, and may actually create, religious strife. In Natural Religion, acclaimed poet, critic and essayist Frederick Turner sets out to show that the natural world offers grounds for stating that all religions are, in some respect, true. Through the ages, various ways have been proposed to resolve religious differences. Some argue for the destruction of all religions but one's own. Others substitute an abstract principle for the real ritual and moral practice of religion. Still others doubt all religious truth and, consequently, all truth. Others accept a kind of pluralistic relativism. This book explores syncretism, whereby all religions are seen as grasping the same strange and complex reality, but by very different means and handles. The idea that all religions are true raises a supervening question: if so, what must the real physical universe be like? Turner approaches these questions in terms of scientific inquiry. There is not enough room in space itself to fit in all theologies; but there may be enough room in time if new scientific descriptions of time's nature are to be believed. Turner argues that in the time-models of contemporary cosmological and evolutionary science all times may be connected and time may be infinitely branched and causally looped so that both forward-in-time and backward-in-time factors may be in operation in the same event. Thus, the fundamental substance of the universe may be information rather than matter or energy. The universe is more like a vast living organism than a vast machine. Turner argues that all existing religions can be shown to fit into this model, which in turn points to deeper implications of religious doctrines, languages and practices. There would be plenty of "room" in such a view of time for a tree of different yet linked religious worlds and poetic language may be the most effective tool for describing the divine. |
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Página xi
... sense or carry conviction. But in a venture of this kind, error is not just a danger but an inevitable companion. And so I fear lest my many mistakes be attributed to my advisers and informants (whether they know that is what they are ...
... sense or carry conviction. But in a venture of this kind, error is not just a danger but an inevitable companion. And so I fear lest my many mistakes be attributed to my advisers and informants (whether they know that is what they are ...
Página xii
... sense one meant the word—were the phenomena of religious experience. I would like also to remember here my friend, the sculptor Frederick Hart, who is sorely missed. Some paragraphs of this book, which I did not think I had the wit to ...
... sense one meant the word—were the phenomena of religious experience. I would like also to remember here my friend, the sculptor Frederick Hart, who is sorely missed. Some paragraphs of this book, which I did not think I had the wit to ...
Página 3
... sense all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well, as Juliana of Norwich put it. Religion—in its often blundering and sometimes murderously obsessive way—is, as I shall argue, our only real means of getting to grips with ...
... sense all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well, as Juliana of Norwich put it. Religion—in its often blundering and sometimes murderously obsessive way—is, as I shall argue, our only real means of getting to grips with ...
Página 7
... sense that each of the world's religions is telling the truth about its own experience. To do this is no easy task. We see this when we ask ourselves how people of different religions might deal with their disagreement; the various ways ...
... sense that each of the world's religions is telling the truth about its own experience. To do this is no easy task. We see this when we ask ourselves how people of different religions might deal with their disagreement; the various ways ...
Página 8
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abstract ancient animals beauty behavior Benoit Mandelbrot Bhagavad Gita Big Bang biological body brain caduceus chaos chaos theory Christian complex conflict cultural definitions deterministic divine dynamical emergent entities entropy evolution evolutionary exist experience feedback find first flow fractal freedom fundamental future Gaia genes genetic God’s gods human idea Ilya Prigogine imagine implies individual influence Islam iteration Jesus kind language logic lyre Mandelbrot Set mathematical matter meaning metaphors mind monotheism moral mystical myth nature nonlinear one’s particles past perhaps phase space philosophical physical poet poetic poetry polytheism Popol Vuh problem quantum quantum computer reality reflection reflexive religion religious ritual sacrifice scientific sense sexual Shahnameh snake social society soul species spirit story strange attractors survival theology theory things tion Tiresias traditional tree truth ture Turing machine University Press values Vodun words