Faith, Science, Mystery

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleFaith, Science, Mystery
3. Language term English
4. lemma author Tampakis, Kostas
5. lemma category Biology - Orthodox view on technology and engineering
6. Publication date 5-11-2018
7. lemma work Faith, Science, Mystery
8. lemma manifestations Faith, Science, Mystery : Edited by Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic Foreword by Fr Jogn Behr
9. Keywords Evolution - genetics - Ecology
10. Lemma body

    1. This book is an attempt by noted Orthodox Scholar and scientists Gayle Woloschak to bring together various articles she has published on Orthodoxy, and often science, over the years. These articles originally appeared in Praxis, and in other edited volumes. It is 258-pages long book, edited by Bishop Maxim Vasiljevic and with a foreword by Father Jogn Behr. The book is divided in four sections. The first section of this volume contains essays addressing the interface between science and religion, what a dialogue between them might look like, and how they are held together by the author, in her own personal testimony regarding her life as an Orthodox Christian and a scientist, her experience in and out of the Church, and her plea to allow truth to be heard through a diversity of voices in dialogue together. It contains  eight different articles, whose length ranges from five pages to fifteen. These tackle Orthodoxy and the Science –Religion Dialogue, the agreements and tensions concerning the biomedical sciences as seen from the Science-Religion interface, a personal perspective on being Orthodox and a scientist, a take on Orthodoxy, evolution and ecology, a discussion of the broad Science-Religion dialogue, a discussion of the Holy Spirit, dialogue and ideology, and two articles on the Orthodox Council of Crete.

       The second section tackles bioethical issues, concerning both beginning of life and end of life matters, as they currently stand and also the question of whether technological advances should be restricted or halted. It encompasses seven articles, on contemporary bioethical issues for Orthodox Christians, on Orthodox perspectives on Stem cells and cloning, a discussion of in vitro fertilization and of nanotechnology and  three articles  on the limits of technology.

       The third section deals with questions concerning creation and evolution, bringing in also issues of scriptural exegesis and theological curricular. It is a collection of five larger articles, averaging twelve pages each. These discuss the compatibility of the principles of biological evolution, the link between S. Bulgakov and evolutionary biology, biblical literalism, then ecology, evolution and Bulgakov and finally evolution and science curriculum in Serbia.  

       Finally, the fourth section addresses the question of what is to be human, the role of genetics and the potential challenges which may face us in the years ahead. It also includes four articles of  an average length  of twelve pages, which are reflections on personhood and genetics, future genetics milestones, and a discussion of an evolutionary theology of cancer.