When we peruse the first Histories of all Nations, we are apt to imagine ourselves transported in... more When we peruse the first Histories of all Nations, we are apt to imagine ourselves transported into some new World, where the whole Frame of Nature is disjointed, and every Element performs its Operations in a different Manner, from what it does at present. Each nation has its own objects of the imagination, be it gods, angels, devils or saints …. Christianity has emptied Valhalla, felled the sacred groves, uprooted the shameful superstitions of the people. For the greater part of human history and the greater number of societies, human existence, as culturally constituted, has been heteronymous, subject to the governance of metaperson sources of life and livelihood. People are lesser, dependent beings of an enchanted universe. Marshall Sahlins, The New Science of the Enchanted Universe What was believable in one historical period is no longer in another; what one culture nds utterly incredible is an article of faith in another. There is perhaps no more conspicuous instance of this principle than the process of secularisation -the decline in religious beliefs and practices in the modern West. In the context of world history this development has been both momentous and anomalous. Almost all cultures, in almost all historical
New Directions in Theology and Science: Beyond Dialogue, 2022
This book sets out a new agenda for science-theology interactions. It explores how science-theolo... more This book sets out a new agenda for science-theology interactions. It explores how science-theology discussions can constructively change as a result of recent developments in the history of science, the sociology of religion, and theology. The contributions take seriously the historically conditioned nature of the categories "science" and "religion" and consider the ways in which these categories are reinforced in the public sphere. Reflecting on the balance of power between theology and the sciences, the authors demonstrate a commitment to moving beyond scientistic dialogue and seek to give theology a more active role in determining the interdisciplinary agenda.
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Books by Peter Harrison