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An enduringly popular work by Twain, this book mocks the Christian Science Church and pokes fun at its founder Mary Baker Eddy. Established in late 19th-century, the church propounded the belief of healing through prayer and greatly relied on the power of human imagination. He has brilliantly employed wit, humour, and satire to voice his views. Highly illuminating!

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Customer Reviews (2)

Health and Medicine in the Christian Science Tradition
I found it to be a very informative and interesting discussion of the views of the Christian Science church. It was an excellent review of why Christian Scientists do not use medical means for healing. Sincerely, Jim Warren

Christian Science is great.
Christian Science is wonderful;and while this book is perhaps not the best choice for an introduction to it, Mr. Peel is a very thoughtful and eloquent writer and he knows his stuff.

Anyone really interested, readScience and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy and youwill find ~ to quote Malachi in the Bible ~ "blessing, there will notbe room enough to receive it"! ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Topic of interest and writer famous
I purchased this in order to read some of Willa Cather's early journalistic efforts and at the same time learn more about the founder of Christian Science from a person who was contemporary with her.It was an eye-opener with several gems of the English language.

Good, but biased
This book presents a wealth of interesting insights into Mary Baker Eddy and the founding of the Christian Science. And it is very convincing in its view that Mary Baker Eddy received much of her spiritual information through her one-time mentor Phineaus P. Quimby. It is unfortunate that she did not credit him as she probably should have, but this book dwells too much on that particular aspect. What is more important, in my estimation, is that she gained a good understanding and then managed to communicate and circulate these ideas to others.

I have years of metaphysical study under my belt, and I feel I have a very good understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as He meant it. (I am writing a book on the subject.) Although I came to my conclusions long before I investigated Christian Science, Ms. Eddy obviously found many of the same deep truths.

Truth is One, and opinion is not Truth. Man is imperfect, and any seeker who wants to find the deepest Truth must discover what Christ is truly saying. The orthodox understanding of the Gospels comes to us through men and doctrines of the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries of the current era, when the earth was in the very darkest part of its cycle (as the wisest in the East realize: see The Holy Science by Sri Yuktswar). Jesus said the He did not come to change, but to fulfill the Law, which is Love. God is not limited, and in modern times Christ has clarified His Gospel for those with "ears to hear."A Course in Miracles is the ultimate teacher for those who are ready for it. And if one studies it, one will see that P. Quimby and Mary Baker Eddy were indeed onto something well ahead of the rest of us in the West (though we are but children compared to the East, which has long understood and kept many of these ancient truths alive). [The Second Coming of Christ, a two volume set by Paramhansa Yogananda, is a revelation of the true meaning of the New Testament, and his Autobiography of a Yogi is a must-read for all Spiritual seekers.]

I recommend you read The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy and the History of Christian Science - but only after you read all of the other material I have mentioned in this review!

God Blesses!

Do more research.
December 2007 The Mary Baker Eddy Library has the real and whole story. I think that it must have been built to make everything available to everybody. Before you get lopsided on this book, better visit or call MBE Library for the Betterment of Humanity.
The real test of all this is to read her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.When you feel the change that comes over your whole life you'll be in a better position to write a review. And, it doesn't matter if you are an atheist, a Mormon,catholic or anything in between.

I am not a Christian Scientist.....
but I would not hesitate to write a book about a church that condones the death of children and adults and causes untold emotional suffering and insanity. Period!

An Observation
It seems that all the reviews here show a bias that was held before this particular book was read. If one had a a prejudice agains Christian Science, they thought the book was wonderful. If one was in favor of Christian Science, they thought the book was terrible.

My feeling is, that at least in the US where we treasure religious freedon, to write a book that trashes another's belief is despicable. Everyone should be able to follow their beliefs without someone trashing them.

I am not Catholic, but I am not going to write a book denouncing the pope.

Dennis R. ... Read more

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Keith Ward offers a new interpretation of Christianity, presenting a faith in harmony with the scientific worldview, while remaining true to its traditions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent Book on Science and Religion
A modern view of the Christian faith that respects the latest findings of science. Mr. Ward's book is a delight to read and is easily accessible read for the layman. I highly recommend to those with an open mind.

failed attempt
Ward tries to reconcile materialism and Christianity--and fails. There are much better books on both sides. for the materialist side I would rather recommend Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker or The selfish gene; Rushton'sRace, Evolution and Behavior; Jared's The Real American Dilemma; Hawking'sA Brief Historyof Time. This are all beter books from the materialistside. And for a book soundly reconciling Christianity with materialism, Ilike beter Duke's My Awakening.

Failed attempt
Ward attempted to reconcile materialism and Christianity--and fails. There are much better books on both sides. for the materialist side I would rather recommend Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker or The selfish gene;Rushton's Race, Evolution and Behavior; Jared's The Real American Dilemma;Hawking's A Brief History of Time. This are all beter books from thematerialist side. And for a book soundly reconciling Christianity withmaterialism, I like beter Duke's My Awakening.

Fantastic
Nevermind what the other reviewer had to say.From what I can see, he is simply existing in the drowning world of biblical literalism, which anybody prepared to read this book must have the intellect to at leastchallenge.
Reading what adherents to Dawkins' theories about atheismhaving been proved by science in such books as 'The Blind Watchmaker', itis extremely refreshing to know that even within the same university thereis a professor with enough intellect to show that, if Dawkins thinksscience disproves God's existence, then he is completely missing the point. Ward has come up with some of the most spectacular thought on the relationbetween science and religion that I have encountered; this is reallynecessary reading for any serious theologians.
The only reservation Ihave about this bookcomes from my own personal differences of faith fromWard, who has somewhat more liberal views than myself.However, this isreally no hinderance to the book; if anything, it has only made it moreinteresting for me to read.A truly great book.

Evangelicals will find this book a disappointment
Having read numerous Christian apologetics books over the past two years, I was looking forward to learning what this author had to say on Christianity and science.The read proved to be a major disappointment. The author works in an environment where evolution is accepted as anestabilished fact (e.g., there is no mention, perhaps awareness, of MichaelBehe's work or that of Phillip E. Johnson) and the integration of worldreligions is the goal and he re-interpretsthe message of the Bible inthis light.While the terminology is Christian and there are times whenthe author seems to be lapsing back into a mainstream Christian message,his understanding of Christianity is decidedly non-Christian.He selectsthe ideas which are appealing to his sensibilities and tosses statementswhich are troubling in these enlightened times (e.g, hardly anyone goes toHell and Christ is only one of many ways).What we are left with is awatered down treatment which would never have inspired the originalChristians to go out and do what they did to spread the Word.I believe Iheard that only about 2% of Britons attend church; if this is what passesfor Christian theology, I can see why. ... Read more

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This book traces the origin and development of the concept of worldview in philosophy and examines its appropriation in the social sciences. The seven essays carefully analyze the meanings and connections of commitments, worldviews and science. The papers in this volume were presented at a conference held in July 1985 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and are the fruit of a project on social philosophy sponsored jointly by Calvin College, The Free University of Amsterdam, and the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto. Contents: "On the Idea of Worldview and Its Relation to Philosophy," Albert M. Wolters; "On Worldviews," James H. Olthuis; "On Worldviews and Philosophy: A Response to Wolters and Olthuis," Jacob Klapwijk; "On Christian Learning," Nicholas Wolterstorff; "The Approach to Social Theory," Sander Griffioen; "Sociology and Progress," Jan Verhoogt; "Worldview and the Meaning of Work," P.J.D. Drenth; "Society After the Subject, Philosop the Worldview," William Rowe; and "On Faith and Social Science," Paul Marshall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Excellent Earth Science Curriculum
This Earth Science Curriculum was surprisingly accurate.Frequently I am unhappy with "Christian" science books for being incomplete and find that I have to subsidize them with a lot of extra material.This book was great for 8th grade, home school, earth science.I was very happy with it.I purchased the student text to go with it for my son. ... Read more

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Can someone who accepts Darwin's theory of natural selection subscribe at the same time to the basic tenets of Christianity?Adopting a balanced perspective on the subject, Michael Ruse argues that, although it is at times difficult for a Darwinian to embrace Christian belief, it is not inconceivable. Ruse has produced an important contribution to a sometimes overheated debate for anyone interested in seeking an informed and judicious guide to these issues. Michael Ruse is professor of philosophy and zoology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.He is the author of many books on evolutionary biology.In addition, he has published several hundred articles and many book reviews.He is the editor of the Cambridge Series in the Philosophy of Biology and founding editor of the journal IBiology & Philosophy. Hb ISBN (2000): 0-521-63144-0Amazon.com Review
You'll have to look hard to find a better explanation of the relationship between basic Christian tenets and the Darwinian theory of evolution than Can a Darwinian Be a Christian? by Michael Ruse. The author, a professor of philosophy and zoology at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, writes with bracing candor ("Let me be open," he begins. "I think that evolution is a fact and that Darwinism rules triumphant.") and sophisticated sympathy to Christian doctrine ("if one's understanding of Darwinism does include a natural evolution of life from nonlife, there is no reason to think that this now makes Christian belief impossible."). Writing this book, he also clearly had a hell of a lot of fun (disarming skeptical Christian readers at the beginning, he asks, "Why should the devil have all the good tunes?"). Can a Darwinian Be a Christian? answers its title question with heady confidence--"Absolutely!"--but the book journeys towards that answer with circumspect integrity. Covering territory from the Scopes "Monkey Trial" to contemporary theories of social Darwinism to the question of extraterrestrial life, Ruse applies an impressive wealth of knowledge that encompasses many disciplines. Readers may or may not be swayed, but they can't help but be challenged and edified by this excellent book. --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

How self-serving can you get!
For those of you reviewing this book as though Ruse is somehow acting simply as one interested in finding "reasonable" sides to a very complex issue, you need to get off the fence! This book is about as self-serving (for Darwinism, that is) as it gets. Ruse has a ridiculously simplistic view of Christianity, considering only such "doctrines" and such doctrines to such depths as make for easy strawmen against his beloved Darwinian beliefs. He's no "thinker" in which the tenets and proofs (yes, there are proofs!) of Christianity are justly and thoughtfully considered against the assumed "facts" of evolution. And by facts, I mean the accepted ideas that evolution can even begin to account for the complexity and diversity of life, not to mention the metaphysical instances of life that yet defy any cogent explanation. No one! not even strict religionists have ever argued against natural selection, micro-evolutionary shifts in all species, or primative life-forms. But acknowledging these basic facts is not proof of evolution! So-called evolutionary theory posits on the basis of what it now encounters, and attempts to create "origins" (like the Big Bang) on which to base its proposed tenets.

I have this book so marked with questions and rebuttal comments (highlighted throughout where Ruse's reasoning appears to short-circuit) that I would need to write a book in response.

Actually, there's little point in rehearsing this because Darwinians are going to agree with every evolutionistic point Ruse makes, and weak-kneed Christians are going to "assume" Ruse is trying to deal honestly with competing factions. Ruse's motive seems clear, however: remain firmly entrenched in his evolutionary beliefs while posing as a diplomat between science and religion. As he quotes his fellow apostle of science, Richard Darwkins, make no mistake about his position. Quote: "Modern physics teaches us that there is more to truth than meets the eye; or than meets the all too limited human mind, evolved as it was to cope with medium-sized objects moving at medium speeds through medium distances in Africa." To which Ruse replies, "Amen!"

Still think he's interested in somehow sharing the stage with religionists, specifically Christians? Think again! This is just another anti-religion attack, made from the sidelines instead of coming head-on.

My point, then, is not to debate his science or his credentials, but to take issue with his "seemingly honest" reconciliation of religion and science, which is no reconciliation at all. In every instance, his belief in the paucity of religious verifiability is overwhelmed by his predominant trust in Darwinism.

Nevertheless, serious students of religion and evolution should read this book to understand how one equivocates on important issues!

Can a Darwinian Be a Certain Type of Christian?
In this book, Ruse does what he says he will do: he tackles the question given in the book's title head on and does not avoid, or short shrift, the really diffiulct areas. Not only does Ruse write chapters on the differences and similarities between Christian and "Darwinian" ethics (rightly showing that the latter is subject to much variety), but the question of free will, consciousness, the problem of evil, and human origins.

And to the quesiton "Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?" Ruse answers with a "yes." But really, the yes has a bit caveat - as long as one is a CERTAIN TYPE of Christian, a type not always the easiest to be, a Christian can be a Darwinian.

Ruse shows that a Christian can be a Darwinian in a few ways. Sometimes, he shows that the views of Christianity and evolution do intersect quite nicely. For instance, Christians tend to believe that the appearance of humans marks the apotheosis of God's creation of sentience. Likewise Ruse indicates there have been evolutionists that have believed in an idea of evolutionary progress that leads up to humans (though this is not a NECESSARY belief for a Darwinian evolutionist to have and isn't taken as seriously in recen years).

In other areas, Ruse shows thatthere is, at least, nothing to rule out a Christian interpretation form being grafted onto a Darwinian belief. A good example here is the matter of human souls. Darwinian evolution does indeed show us that we are the result of a long evolutionary chain and closely related to "lower forms" like Chimpanzees. (Christians who deny this are rightly in a small minority.) What Darwinism has not done (cannot do?) is rule out the idea that not only was the process guided, but the humans were infused with souls by God along the way. (This is the route taken by current Catholocism.)

Thirdly, Ruse shows that in some really vexing areas, Darwinism and Christilanity may be compatible because NEITHER really solves the problem at hand. This is the case with an issue like the (seemng) existence of free will or consciousness. While many a Darwinist and many a Christian would like to think that they have solved the issue of how we can be determined (by physics or God) yet have a world full of apparent contingency, neither side (says Ruse) has really done this; nobody's answer really makes great sense. Therefore, at least for the time being, there is nothing barring a Christian from being a Darwinian.

All of this is well and good, except for the fact that we cannot get around the idea that certain areas NECESSITATE a giving of the way either of one's faith or one's scientific beliefs. The issue of miracles, for example, is one where, I think, Ruse may be blinded by his want for reconciliation. He suggests - rightly - that science cannot recognize miracles if we mean that a miracle is a suspension of physical law. (The scientist will always look for the explanation that can be incorporated into physical law.) Ruse goes on, though, to say that it is possible to say that, "many if not all of the miracles happened according to the law, their miraculous nature comes from their meaning or significance." (p. 96) Ruse then goes on to suggest an example: Jesus didn't "turn loaves of fish into a banquet," but moved people to uncharacteristically share their food.

Would this be acceptable to most Christians? It is true that many postmodern theologians explain miracles thus. But even to a non-believer like myself, this does not seem like the type of "miracles" the Bible wants to tell us about or that Christians want to hear about. (If miracles are best seen as extraordinary things happening within physical bounds, then the secularist Tom Paine performed a miracle iwth his "These are the times," essay.) And of course, if one wants to be a Darwinian Christian, then one has to take an extremely metaphoric reading of much of the Bible, which leaves the book on the same par as Aesop's fables, another very moral book of parables and fables.

So, for all of Ruse's trying - and he gives very good treatments of most matters - one can hardly say that he has succeeded in his task. In order to be a Darwinian Christian about miracles, one has practically define miracles out of existence. And in order for one to be a Darwinian Christian when it comes to the idea of human inevitability, one has to take a tortuous view of the role of contingency in evolution, and even take a nod form a very contentious lot of Dawrinissts who believe in the inevitability that consciousness would appear.

In other words, for all of Ruse's work, he still only gets to where others before him got: one can be a Darwinian Christian if one either waters down their Christianity to fit Darwinian views, or waters down their Darwinian views to fit Christianity. Yes, this is a good book. But I am not quite sure that Ruse gives any really great insights. (For possiblky a better book on the topic, check out Catholic evolutionist Ken Miller's "Finding Darwin's God.")

Good book overall, good background
This was overall an okay book, I suppose. It was not anything deeply profound, but it was worth the read, for sure. What I most liked about this book was the fact that there is really no prior knowledge needed about the subject. For example, he basically explains everything that you have to know about the biological aspects of evolution, some central church dogma, etc, before delving into the actual heart of the issue. In addtion, I thought that the presentation style was extremely clear, which made it much more informative for the casual reader. The organization of the book was pretty amazing, I'd have to say. Ruse breaks down each individual topic into little sub-topics that all make a lot of sense and follow a logical progression.

On this other hand, the fact that it for the most part does not assume prior knowledge also meant that one may get really bored at certain portions. Especially (for me, at least) the parts which introduced scientific concepts related to evolution, I just wanted to get those topics over which. For the most part, the religion side of the arguments were well presented, I think, although he does jump right in and start using words like ontology and teleology, which definitely confused me because I'm not particularly well read in this particular area. But I mean, overall the presentation was really good.

As far as the content, you definitely get the sense at certain points in the book that it's not really an evolution vs. Christianity debate but rather science vs. religion, and I guess some parts in the book I just didn't feel were really that applicable to the subject at hand. But the arguments overall made a lot of sense to me and I think this was really informative on the whole.

I was also really impressed by how much outside information Ruse brought into his book. He definitely did a lot of historical and contemporary research, Huxley, Darwin, Gould, Wilson, were mentioned many many times throughout the book and it definitely provides us with a good context with which to evaluate the arguments Ruse presents. What I thought was kind of interesting is that throughout the book he makes it pretty clear that he distains Richard Dawkins' position on the whole issue(like...A LOT of distain), which makes sense, I guess, since Ruse is a big fan of intelligent design, basically the opposite of Dawkins' advocacy. Lastly, I just really appreciate Ruse's attempt to write this book in such a clear and distinct manner, it's really good to see that a believer in intelligent design can just come out and admit that he is indeed himself a Darwinian and believes in evolution right from page 1. That was pretty good.

Fair, Clear, and Funny
This is a very informative and helpful book, and a real delight to read. It is written in a charitable spirit and irenic tone with liberal doses of good humor. I happen to be both an ardent Darwinian and a devout Christian (Reformed with Roman Catholic leanings, and also very admiring of the Greek Orthodox tradition), and as such I wish to commend Ruse not only for writing so passionately yet soberly about Darwinism but also for engaging the Christian faith in such a thoughtful and respectful manner. In reading this book, I have come to realize how complicated some of the issues are. Yet his central argument-that one can affirm both Christian theism and Darwinian evolutionism-is not at all complicated. Among contemporary philosophers writing in this area, Ruse is much better informed about science and--surprisingly for one who is not himself a Christian--about the breadth and flexibility of the Christian tradition than, say, Alvin Plantinga is. Plantinga, the foremost Christian philosopher of religion in our time (and a friend and former coparishioner whom I greatly love and admire), has not taken the time to learn the science as Ruse has, nor the effort to seriously question the assumptions of literalist readings of Genesis. In this book Ruse gives Plantinga, if not exactly a butt-kicking, at least a spanking, and a well-deserved one at that. At the other end of the spectrum, blowhard atheists like Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett come off looking rather shortsighted and, in some ways, rather stupid in Ruse's book, even though Ruse has the utmost respect for them. I particular like the way that Ruse unpacks and clarifies the issues of pain (the problem of evil), freedom, and determinism. For me it is especially the Augustinian doctrine of original sin that needs serious rethinking in light of evolution, but on this point Ruse's treatment is so brief as to be only suggestive. Overall, I doubt that Ruse's book will gain a hearing from atheistic Darwinians, and certainly not from young-earth creationists. Agnostics might be willing to broaden their horizons with Ruse as their guide, but the real audience--and those with the most to gain--will be Christians who consider the evidence for evolution overwhelming and its implications glorifying to God. If Darwin made it possible for many people to be intellectually fulfilled atheists, Ruse has brightened the prospects for a lot of us becoming (even more) intellectually fulfilled theists.

Ruse leaves room for a God of the gaps
A more appropriate title for this book might have been _Is It Logically Possible for a Darwinian to Be a Christian?_ (but from an aesthetic perspective this would have been awful).Ruse deals with his subject soberly and respectfully, not something that can be said for all who have undertaken this project.Still, I have an objection, and I'm not sure Ruse himself would disagree with it.It is Ruse's position that the fact of evolution is not something over which reasonable people can disagree -- no problem so far.He also says that there are certain metaphysical conclusions (like supernatural creation of the universe) about which we cannot be absolutely sure.Again, I agree.However, acceptance of Darwinism (or science generally) has certain epistemological requirements, one of which is the basic assumption that the world is a predictable place -- the whole endeavor of science would be a waste of time without such a starting point.An easy corollary of this premise is that the laws of nature are never broken -- there is no such thing as magic.Yet Ruse counsels that when others claim that we can't be sure God didn't create the universe we should leave open the possibility, even though this violates the premise from which we began.He is aware of this (he deals with it in the form of a response from Daniel Dennett), and says the Darwinian should show some humility and accept the possibility of such a proposition.I guess I can go this far if he means we should accept the logical possibility of divine creation, but this is pretty weak.After all, there are many propositions -- some patently ridiculous -- that are not ruled out logically.One must sacrifice epistemological consistency to get on board with this Rusean compromise, something not all of us are willing to do. ... Read more

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To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings. The wakeful shepherd beholds vi:3 the first faint morning beams, ere cometh the full radiance of a risen day. So shone the pale star to the prophet- shepherds; yet it traversed the night, and came where, in vi:6 cradled obscurity, lay the Bethlehem babe, the human herald of Christ,
... Read more

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An amusing assault on Christian Science's more extravagant claims to cure illness. ... Read more

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The classical revival style of architecture made famous by the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago left its mark on one of the most sustained classical building movements in American architectural history: the Christian Science church building movement. By 1920, every major American city and many smaller towns contained an example of this architecture, financed by the followers of Mary Baker Eddy, the church's founder. These buildings represented a new, burgeoning American institution that appealed to business people and to young men and women working to succeed. Characterized by middle-class congregations that in the early part of the century were over 75 percent women, Christian Science suggested radical civic reform solutions based on an idealistic and pragmatic individualism. It attracted criticism from traditional churches and from the medical establishment due to its rapid growth and to its reinstatement of primitive Christianity's lost elements of physical healing and moral regeneration. "Prayers in Stone" spins out the close connections between Christian Science church architecture and its social context.This architecture served as a focal point for debates over the possibilities for a new twentieth-century urban architecture that proponents believed would positively shape the behavior of citizens. Thus these buildings played a critical role in discussions concerning religious and secular architecture as major elements of religious and social reform. Drawing on a wide range of documentary evidence, including material from the archives of the Mother Church in Boston, Paul Ivey uses Christian Science architecture to explore the social implications of architectural styles and new building technologies, to illuminate class-based notions of civic reform and beautification, and to investigate the use of architecture to bring about religious and social change. In addition, the book explores complex gender issues, including early attempts to define a professional space for women as Christian Science practitioners. Lavishly illustrated, "Prayers in Stone" focuses on four major city arenas of Christian Science building-Boston, Chicago, New York, and the San Francisco Bay area to demonstrate the vital intersection of architecture and religion at the so-called margins of American society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Important study of religious architecture
"Paul Ivey's thorough, readable, and well-illustrated book explainswhy so many [monumental, classical-style, Christian Science churches] existand what they meant in their original contexts. . .Ivey's book will beinteresting and useful for a broad audience.It demonstrates how a studyof religious architecture can illuminate not just architectural history,but social and cultural history, the material culture of gender, and groupidentity."--as reviewed in Pennsylvania Magazine of History andBiography

A First Detailed Look at a Bygone Model
The monumental 'bank-style' churches we normally associate with Christian Science in urban areas are the subject of Paul Ivey's excellent study, afirst-ever history of any sort of the Christian Science 'field'.

Although Ivey's book is the first extensive, stand-alone study toexamine this period in the sociology of Christian Science, it is for themost part an architectural study. We see how original intent (religiousteachings) makes its way into the public world of urban architecture,construction contracts, and finish materials. Solon Beman is the key figurehere, a fine Chicago architect who is largely responsible for the'Extension' of the Mother Church in Boston.

Beman is the taproot of thestyle of architecture that became known for bright, modernized,comfortable, yet neo-classical monuments that sprang up in downtowns fromcoast to coast during this remarkable Christian Science building boom.

We often look skeptically on these edifices, which a century laterappear so pompous in their now hollowed-out urban areas, and whose futuresare in serious doubt. However Ivey brings back life to these churches andshows us why they were not only suitable for their times, but sociallyprogressive.

In confining his focus just to this monumental, urban,pre-Depression segment of the Christian Science movement, he almostunnoticeably confines his historical examination to a certain type ofChristian Scientist, to a type that is not altogether flattering. In fact,he seems to be saying that while the thrust of this church buildingmovement shared certain undercurrents with the spirit of Mary Baker Eddy'steachings, there was an unmistakable self-consciousness about this visionof church, an overbearing push to be perceived publicly as prominent,legitimate, successful, and literally profitable to the worshiper. All thismakes the religious aims of Christian Scientists appear rather superficial,even if Ivey's treatment of Eddy and Christian Science teachings is morebalanced.

If this characterization of the builders of these buildingsmay not be flattering, it may not be unreasonable. As Ivey himself makesclear, Eddy encouraged churches to bring historical Christian imageryup-to-date. For those not familiar with her teachings, she claimed, partlythrough spiritual healing, to "reinstate" primitive Christianity.The churches that Dr. Ivey examines largely ignore any such sentiment.Instead, they take as their prototype a more secular model of monument thatwas considered highly progressive in its day and place. The ChristianScience movement based its entire urban church building movement upon thismodel.

Having said that, Ivey does invoke a sympathetic view of whatthese builders accomplished.

All in all, Ivey's is the first step inlooking at the architecture of this religious movement. With work likethis, we can assess how these individuals, apart from their own publicity,actually viewed the role of their church and its place in the world. Inthis study Ivey took the most prominent public image of this religiousmovement and tells us the story behind it with care and scholarly diligencethat is truly impressive. [Reading his sources you almost begin to feelexhausted yourself.] As a good storyteller however, Ivey brings light andlife to his subject - a subject that today seems to keep its secrets lockedtight behind three story columns and soaring white domes. ... Read more

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During the Golden Age of Islam (seventh through seventeenth centuries A.D.), Muslim philosophers and poets, artists and scientists, princes and laborers created a unique culture that has influenced societies on every continent. This book offers a fully illustrated, highly accessible introduction to an important aspect of that culture--the scientific achievements of medieval Islam. Howard Turner opens with a historical overview of the spread of Islamic civilization from the Arabian peninsula eastward to India and westward across northern Africa into Spain. He describes how a passion for knowledge led the Muslims during their centuries of empire-building to assimilate and expand the scientific knowledge of older cultures, including those of Greece, India, and China. He explores medieval Islamic accomplishments in cosmology, mathematics, astronomy, astrology, geography, medicine, natural sciences, alchemy, and optics. He also indicates the ways in which Muslim scientific achievement influenced the advance of science in the Western world from the Renaissance to the modern era. This survey of historic Muslim scientific achievements offers students and general readers a window into one of the world's great cultures, one which is experiencing a remarkable resurgence as a religious, political, and social force in our own time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful Introduction to Islamic Scientific Achievements
After having just taken a course on the history of the lands of Islam, I found this book to be extremely interesting.Howard Turner covers every area of science imaginable from astrology to medicine to alchemy.Each chapter gives a good introduction to the achievements that were made by the Islamic scientists.Each chapter also starts off by examining where this field of study originated and how the Muslim scientists expanded upon it or completely changed the field of study.The only thing that disappointed me about the chapters was that they were very short.Each chapter gave a brief overview of the major achievements and beliefs of the times but Turner did not go into great detail on any one area of study.Although the chapters were short, Turner provides excellent photos at the end of each section to show you what these scientists were working with and the diagrams that they created.It was absolutely fascinating to see just how advance science was seven hundred years ago and just how much our world of science is based on what was explored at this time.

But an exhibit of Islamic Science, a book does not make

"But an exhibit a book does not make, for an exhibit is one thing and a book is something slightly different, though both products can in principle convey very significant educational messages in their own different ways." George Saliba



Pre Islamic Science:
Alexandria had become the established center of Ancient world's science and philosophy, by the first century B.C., the towering Pharos of enlightenment with its libraries, and institutions. This meeting place of Hellenist and Oriental philosophies with advanced ancient Egyptian Astronomy, Medicine, Chemical technology, mathematics, and Hermeticism, out of which evolved Neoplatonism, became a crucible of sciences and civilized thought.
The Alexandrine heritage systematized and put into dialectical form by the peculiar discursive power of the Greeks, described by the uninformed as greek science, passed from Alexandria to Antioch, and from there to Edessa, by the Monophysite Christian and Syriac Nestorians, particularly instrumental in the evolution of learning in Syriac, as far east as Persia. In the third century A.D., King Shapur I of Persia, founded a school, set up on the model of those at Alexandria and Antioch, in a metropolis that became a center of ancient sciences, studied in Greek and Syriac; astronomy, medicine, mathematics, and logic were taught, mostly from Greek texts translated into Syriac. This school, lasted long after the rise of the Abbasid caliphate, and became an important source of ancient learning in the Islamic world.

Exhibition Catalogue:
I have to start with stating that I was fascinated with this superb collection that still exhibit the splendor of the civilization that produced those objects, and the undisclosed diversity of its inventors Copts, Syriacs, Persians and later Andalusians, majorly of Christian tradition. Since I am a trained engineer who reads in Arabic, I could decipher the writings enjoying more than most of the Western readers and could not agree more with eminent scholar G. Saliba that, "one can easily detect the skill with which this diplomatic curator operated, a skill that makes it very hard for this reviewer to speak critically of a book in which he is thanked for 'valuable guidance'."

Muslim Scientists:
Turner failed like Dr. Hamed Ead, Professor of Chemistry, Cairo U. and director of the Science Heritage Center, Cairo, both briefly quoting or editing G. Sarton's "Introduction to the History of Science," to identify a great many Christian Scientists as Thabit ibn Qurra, Hunain ibn Ishaq, and numerous others, between those who advanced the Islamic motivated empire. "It will suffice here to evoke a few glorious names without contemporary equivalents in the West: Jabir ibn Haiyan, al-Kindi, al-Khwarizmi, al-Fargani, al-Razi, Thabit ibn Qurra, al-Battani, Hunain ibn Ishaq, ... A magnificent array of names which it would not be difficult to extend. If anyone tells you that the Middle Ages were scientifically sterile, just quote these men to him, all of whom flourished within a short period, 750 to 1100 A.D." They did not spring out of obscurity, but pre-existed propagating Christian knowledge of Alexandrine Copts and Antiochian Syriacs.

Scientific Instruments in Islam:
The category of scientific instruments, dealing mainly with astronomy like quadrants, globes, astrolabes, and other directional instruments, which have dominated by their very precision and beauty in exhibitions of Islamic science, have become the icons of Islamic scientific culture, are overwhelmingly used to represent the spirit of 'Islamic Science'. Astrolabes, specifically, played a very important role in Islamic civilization, a role that has yet to be well assessed.
John Philoponus, a Christian philosopher, scientist, and theologian who lived approximately from 490 to 570, in Alexandria is also known as Yehya Al Nahawi( The Grammarian) His oeuvre comprises at least 40 items on diverse subjects such as ..., logic, mathematics, physics, psychology, cosmology, astronomy,... even medical treatises have been attributed to him. A substantial part of his work has come down to us, but some treatises are known only indirectly through quotations or translations into Syriac and Arabic, as quoted from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, wrote on The Astrolabe; Treatise Concerning the use and arrangement of the ASTROLABE and the Engravings upon it; "The subject has already been treated sufficiently by my teacher the philosopher Ammonius, but still requires to be further elucidated so that it may be easily apprehended by those also who are not instructed in such matters."

Themes & Methods:
An introductory few pages on history of that branch of science, are followed by mesmerizing photographs of the precedent objects mentioned, exhibiting the splendor of the civilization that produced those objects. Those cursory introductions are outdated and wanting. Their related captions form unlinked fragmented narratives neither complementingnor coherent with the introductory note expected from a Catalogue, let alone a specialized book. 5 stars for the photos, 3 stars for the text!

A Compelling Review:
Dr. George Saliba, professor of Arabic and Islamic science, Columbia University, a Senior Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the Kluge Center, who rejects common explanations including the claim that scientific inquiry ran afoul with Islamic religious authorities, gave the utmost review. "This book would have been inconceivable without the traveling exhibition "The Heritage of Islam" that was mounted on the occasion of the onset of the Fourteenth Centennial of Islam ... The science curator for that exhibit who diligently collected or photographed the scientific objects exhibited, talked to people all over the world in academic circles, museums, ... Unfortunately, he decided to insinuate that his book was an illustrated introduction to science in medieval Islam."

Uncommonly Cool
This is an extremely terrific introduction to an unfortunately little-known topic.In fifteen chapters and an epilogue, we are treated here to articulate, carefully crafted commentary and overviews of a myriad of medieval Islamic scientific, pseudo-scientific, and philosophical milieus.Turner presents us with chapters upon astronomy, medicine, geography, alchemy, andmathematics, among many other topics, as well as the Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Babylonian, etc. roots of the traditions surveyed.Each chapter includes intelligently selected material, which is oftentimes broken down into various subsections, for increased clarity and focus.One thing that the new reader of this book might want to be aware of is that the body of text inmost chapters isliterally only five to ten pages long. A lot of information is conveyed in the sections at the end of each chapter, which consist of beautiful (black and white) photographs and illustrations of various medieval islamic scientific instruments, observatories, learning academies, etc.Below the photographs are pithy, well-written commentaries upon the objects in the photographs.Don't skip over these commentaries -- they contain some of the best material in the book.Also watch for the helpful timeline in an appendix at the end, the glossary of unfamiliar Arabic vocabulary, and the very useful bibliography.Definitely take the time to scan through the bibliography, if you have any interest in pursuing further work in this area.It contains most of the classic works on this topic, and many lesser-known articles, books, etc.

Many people reading this may be interested in the historical background of Islam, or in the medieval period in and of itself.For people who come to this book from curiosity about how ourclassical heritage was preserved during the centuries between Rome and the Renaissance, (i.e., while the Islamic world was keeping the scholarly and scientific traditions alive, and Europe generally went to pieces), I'd like to take this opportunity to recommend "Scribes and Scholars: A Guide to the Transmission of Latin and Greek Literature," by L.D. Reynolds.The title tells you what that book is about, and it's very well done.

This book is very interesting, very well-researched, and beautifully presented.Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

The pictures alone can tell the story.
I was fortunate to read this in manuscript and knew that it was something most readers would like because of the wonderful illustrations. Readers cannot find a better place to begin to understand the fantastic developments in the Islamic world at a time when Europe had lost most ancient knowledge. It will probably become a required book for most courses dealing with the Islamic and Arabic civilizations. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite its importance as a key text of the Western esoteric traditions this is the first ever contemporary English translation of this book. is the only one of the three central Rosicrucian manifestos that is concerned with the inner transformation of the soul. It is a deeply interior work one which asks the reader to step into its world of symbols and walk with Christian Rosenkreutz along his path of transformation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lynchpin of the Rosicrucian Philosophy
Surfacing in 1616, the Chemical Wedding was the third and last commentary released by the Rosicrucians. Whereas the first two manifestos-the Fama and Confessio-were seditious declarations which seem to possess more of a fairy-tale quality than anything else, the Wedding stands on its own merit as one of the most profound and impenetrable hermetic allegories ever written. The story centers on a man who is summoned by an Angel to witness and take part in a mysterious process that bears very little resemblance to an actual wedding. Despite the success of he and his compeers (qualified by a selection where the other candidates who are not worthy to participate are killed) the story ends in sagacious irony, leaving the protagonist to stand guard over his reward, forbidding him to ever glimpse it.

Joscelyn Godwin provides the translation, and though my knowledge of medieval Latin is not complete enough to grade her work, her reputation is impeccable and warrants little scrutiny. Adam McLean provides introduction and commentary, and it is for his efforts that this volume is most valuable. He abandons the arrogance shown by J. W. Montgomery who quantified the story as an expression of Orthodox Lutheranism, and doesn't attempt a literal translation of the book's intricate symbolism as any specialized religious banter. Instead, he lists the literary symbols (actual and metaphoric) one by one and shows how they link to key Rosicrucian and Hermetic ideologies, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions, never attempting to force feed any specific brand of Gospel. Indeed, despite the fact that the commentary's length rivals that of the text itself, my only complaint is that it is not longer, much longer, as I'm sure his valuable insight could literally fill hundreds of pages: it leaves the readers curiosity piqued more than sated.

All of the drawings and diagrams from the original are faithfully reproduced, and summarily analyzed for their symbolic content as well. As a bonus McLean shows links between the Chemical Wedding and other allegories afterwards, paying close attention to Goethe's `Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily', and includes the Parabola of Hinricus Madathanus Theosophus (an anonymous translation from `The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians') as an appendix. If you are looking for further readings on this subject, my best suggestion is `Foucault's Pendulum' by Umberto Eco. Despite being a work of fiction, it describes a very thorough picture of the Rosicrucian's world, and other medieval secret societies too. Showing them as wildly diabolical, it stills bears the immutable signature of a dedicated and terrifyingly intelligent scholar.

A Foundation of Rosicrucianism
An essential text. Godwin is the premier scholar in America in this area.This text, along with two manifestoes (the Fama and Confessio) made a majorcultural and political impact in 17th century Europe and up through the18th century in Germany. The Chemical Wedding is an allegorical tale of theprocesses of "alchemy." Written in coded and highly symboliclanguage, the book is historically important, but also important for thepracticioner of spiritual alchemy or ritual magic in the Golden Dawn orRosicrucian traditions. For the other two manifestoes purchase FrancesYates "The Rosicrucian Enlightenment," a controversial butexcellent scholary text on 17th century Europe and the influence ofEsoteric Christianity.

This is the first modern and accurate Englishtranslation of this work, attributed to a renegade esoteric Lutheranminister. ... Read more

Product Description
Though the chasm between science and religion has been a source of intellectual and spiritual tension for centuries, the momentous dialogues in NATURAL GRACE demonstrate a remarkable confluence of once opposing camps. Matthew Fox is an Episcopal priest and author. Rupert Sheldrake is one of the most innovative scientists of our time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

THE SECOND DIALOGUE BETWEEN THESE TWO FIGURES
Matthew Fox (born 1940) is a theologian and bestselling advocate of "Creation Spirituality." He became a Catholic priest of the Dominican order, but was removed in 1992, and has subsequently become an Episcopalian priest. He has published an autobiography, Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest. Rupert Sheldrake (born 1942) is an English biochemist and plant physiologist, perhaps best-known for his theory of "morphic resonance" that was proposed in his book A New Science of Life. They have also jointly written the book The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm Where Science and Spirit Meet.

They state in the Preface, "We both share an interest in going beyond the current limitations of institutional science and mechanistic religion, as we both believe that as a new millennium dawns, a new vision is needed which brings together science, spirituality, and a sense of the sacred... The dialogues in this book are preliminary explorations into this new territory... These dialogues emerged as we spoke together in public and private settings..."

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

MF: "Back in the late sixties we said that God is dead, meaning of course that we had killed God. Now we're saying that the planet is dead, meaning of course that we're busy killing it. And I propose that worship is dead."
MF: "But I told hiim that the Universe is 15 billion years old and soon the human community has to make a decision: 150 years of human tradition or 15 billion years of Creation's tradition."
MF: "theologically what I'm talking about is that it's time to start praying with the Godhead instead of just with God."
MF: "That's what myth is---it's a language for that which is too great to fit into mere factual compartments."

Not easy but worth the effort
This book is a dialogue between a mystic and a scientist.From time to time one or the other get a bit esoteric, but the back and forth makes for surprising insights and provocations to further thinking by the reader.I would especially recommend this as a book to discuss in a group.The dialogue between readers of different backgrounds complements the dialogue within the book.

Honest attempt but shoddy in places
This book is a dialog between the defrocked Catholic Matthew Fox and scienctist(of morphic resonance fame) Rupert Sheldrake. In it they discuss both science, religion and spirituality(mostly Echart and Hildegard) and how they intersect at points as I understand it.

Do they do a good job? yes and no. Yes in that both are sincere in their efforts. Sheldrake stands out as the better of the two intellectually. No in that Fox falls down in several areas.

1. He commits a serious epistemological error by confusings metaphysical levels of the spirit and soul with material levels of existence. For Fox A = C this is a big no no. Angels are not atomic paritcles and the soul is not the body.Reification is plain wrong.

2. He bases the bulk of his newly created theology on selected portions of Eckhart, Hildegard and Rumi. This is dangerous, since these were mystics of a high order their writings were never meant to be read as one reads a newspaper or literally as Fox wants to do. Also none the people he mentioned were rebels like himself. These mystics worked within the religous framework of the time. To try to create an exoteric framework from esoteric writings which is what Fox has done is fraught with problems, especially when you are not their equal.

This is my biggest problem with Fox. Instead of trying to show the reader the differences between science and religion he's trying to peddle his new religion of creation spirituality. Which is gnosis without gnosis in disguise.

3. As for Fox's understanding of Catholic or Christian religion in general, he has blinders on.Especially when he comments on the great Cathedrals of Europe. He fails to understand or evem see their symbolism, instead he find's solace in their crypts of all places - this is neurotic. This man loves being in the dark and would like to see all new churchs built underground. His attitude is positively Manichean in nature.

Sheldrake also confuses the readers with his understanding of science in general. Science deal with the quantitative and measurable aspects of materialism. It cannot deal with qualities nor with metaphysics. To use science to justify religion is sloppy thinking and equivalent to building a house on shifting sands.

So my rating is:
** stars
-1 star for lack of a index and specific sources for the quotes Fox used.
-1 star for sloppy epistemology and for Fox trying peddle his new religion instead.
-1 star for using on the back cover "institutionalized science and mechanistic religion" it should mechanistic science and institutionalized religion. Religion may be dull at times but never a machine

The book fails in trying to bring together the strands of science, religion or spirituality. Which nobody has ever really done well. Read E.F. Schumachers "Guide for the Perplexed" which is a must and then Hossein Nasr "Man and Nature". Another good one is Huston Smith's "Postmodern Mind". For a real study on spirituality get Evelyn Underhill's "Mysticism" she's a beautiful writer and very well studied on this topic.

Understanding grace
I've read this book twice and have underlined a lot of it. I've recently shared it with friends and have discussed some of the concepts the authors describe so well. The idea of the body is in the soul, the soul as field, the connectivity through grace...these are powerful, transforming thoughts. Thank you Matthew for another fine book.

God is all...
Well, ran into some deep space in this one. This cosmic equation seems to have some real balence. But as you know love is all there really is> Author write me. Enoch ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

God and Science?
An ambitious task--putting together God, science, end times, and creation--but Cootsona pulls it off with choice quotes and clean writing. Definite recommendation. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Solid State Batteries: Materials Design and Optimizationtreats the fundamental and experimental aspects of solid statebatteries, including the basic requirements for optimum performance ofelectrodes and electrolytes. Coverage includes key issues in solidstate batteries such as electrode/electrolyte interface problems,charge mechanism and mass transport in solid electrodes andelectrolytes. The authors also discuss the physics and chemistry ofinsertion electrodes and glassy electrolytes and provide experimentalapproaches for determining the physical and chemical properties ofbattery materials. With an interdisciplinary approach to the solid state physics andchemistry, materials science and electrochemistry of batterymaterials,Solid State Batteries: Materials Design andOptimization is a valuable reference not only for specialists butalso for chemists, physicists and materials scientists who wish toenter the field of battery technology. ... Read more

Product Description
The esoteric mysteries of the Rosicrucians that have been wrapped in the deepest secrecy for centuries are unveiled in this 170-page primer includes a section authored by the late Max Heindel, a renowned expert and historian of this ancient order. He carefully and gently leads the reader into a spiritual dimension never imagined by the majority of men and women.

His timeless work has been credited with lifting the scales from the eyes of many nonbelievers and thrusting them in the middle of the hidden world’s most startling unseen realities.

In addition, the controversy and mysteries of Christian Science healing are also revealed in this volume by Mary Baker Eddy herself, the late founder of the spiritual sect that became a 20th-century esoteric phenomenon.

Her clear and simple presentation of the healing secrets is an eye opener for all serious students of the unknown and yet to be discovered.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Secrets are revealed!
The esoteric mysteries of the Rosicrucians that have been wrapped in the deepest secrecy for centuries are unveiled in this 170-page primer includes a section authored by the late Max Heindel, a renowned expert and historian of this ancient order. He carefully and gently leads the reader into a spiritual dimension never imagined by the majority of men and women.

His timeless work has been credited with lifting the scales from the eyes of many nonbelievers and thrusting them in the middle of the hidden world's most startling unseen realities.

In addition, the controversy and mysteries of Christian Science healing are also revealed in this volume by Mary Baker Eddy herself, the late founder of the spiritual sect that became a 20th-century esoteric phenomenon.

Her clear and simple presentation of the healing secrets is an eye opener for all serious students of the unknown and yet to be discovered.
... Read more