Page 14 - Priorities #12 2000-April

Faculty Focus
A classic, Kuhn’s book was itself a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of science. Kuhn was the first to coin the term the “paradigm” to describe “a conceptual framework that permits explanation and investigation of phenomena or the objects of study in a field of inquiry.”
Through a fascinating examination of the history of science and the role of creativity in scientific thought, Kuhn defines scientific progress as “a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions” where one mindset or paradigm is replaced by another. The book club found this book especially illuminating as we discussed the similarities between the way “seeing a new model or paradigm” happens in the search for scientific truth and the ways people gain new insights about spirituality and religious truth.
The Marriage of East and West, Bede Griffiths, (Available in Paperback, Templegate Publishing, June, 1982)
Bede Griffith was a Benedictine monk who lived for over 30 years in India. In The Marriage of East and West, Griffith describes his struggle to make sense of the truths he encountered in Hinduism. He describes howhecametounderstandthatalthough there are many significant intellectual differences between Christianity and Hinduism, the two have much in common on an experiential level.
Griffiths’ came to believe that the spiritual truths of the West could be enhanced and enriched by the spiritual truths and traditions of the East. In this book he explains his belief that the future well-being of the world is dependent on the ability of people with different spiritual and religious backgrounds coming to appreciate the truths they each bring to the table without the need to tell others that they are wrong.
Three Paperbacks Offer Food For Philosophical And Spiritual Thought
By John Provost
Theology Chair
Ed. note: John recommends here three books that were part of a faculty-parent discussion group this year. The group meets monthly in the evenings to talk philosophy.
The Marriage of Sense and Soul: Integrating Science and Religion by Ken Wilber (Available in paperback from Broadway Books, April, 1999)
In Marriage of Sense and Soul, Wilber, one of the foremost philosophers in America today, offers a map of the world and reality that is both integral and holistic. A founder of the Transpersonal Psychology movement, Wilber stresses the importance of acknowledging the spiritual dimension as essential to a full understanding of human nature. He examines a fundamental dilemma of the modern era - the schism between science and religion.
In this book he argues that it is not only possible but essential for the future of the human race that we learn to integrate our quest for truth through science with our search for meaning through religion. Through an examination of the history of science and religion, Wilber points the way towards a philosophy which attempts to honor any truth, spiritual and scientific, in a way that does justice to both without diminishing one or the other.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn (Available in Paperback, University of Chicago Press, November, 1996)
Wilber argues that it is not only possible but essential that we learn to integrate our quest for truth through science with our search for meaning through religion.
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