 Science,
with its seeming promise of delivering an endless stream of comfort and
pleasure through an array of consumer goods, has become virtually the
fount of every blessing for the twenty-first century. And, with its
logical emphasis on observation, objectivity, and experiment as the
final arbiters of truth, science threatens even more to assume the
exalted place in society that religion once enjoyed.
 It
is no secret that science and spirituality have been at loggerheads for
hundreds of years, especially since the eighteenth-century
Enlightenment. There have been baleful feelings on both sides, because
at bottom science is based on reason and objective observation of
nature, while religion is rooted in the entirely different approach of
faith and subjective experience of the Divine. Moreover, scientific
theories have often challenged religious dogma, and religious doctrines
have often led to oppression of scientists.
Nonetheless, many thoughtful scientists and reflective faithful have
come to see the other camp not as an enemy but an ally. The articles you
will find in this special collection highlight this latter phenomenon.
They delve deeply into the wondrous realm in which thoughtful men and
women have seen beyond the conflict between science and spirituality and
have begun to note the ways in which the two describe the same reality,
though from different perspectives and using different terminology.
Whether you come to this collection more from the scientific side or the
faith side, you will find your knowledge enriched and your perspective
expanded. Please enjoy!
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