This Month's Essay:
Religious Diversity: Is Only One Religion Salvific
(Part 2 of 2)
Latest Books:
A History of Mysticism
(SUNY Press, 2024)
Religious Diversity: Is Only One Religion Salvific
(Part 2 of 2)
Latest Books:
A History of Mysticism
(SUNY Press, 2024)
(For Sale here)
Introduction to the Study
of Mysticism
(SUNY Press, 2021)
Introduction to the Study
of Mysticism
(SUNY Press, 2021)
(Available at Amazon.com)
Richard H. Jones is the author of over a dozen books on science and religion and on Eastern mystical traditions. He has an A.B. from Brown University, Ph.D. from Columbia University, and a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He lives in New York City. His interests include science and religion, the history of science, philosophy of mysticism, the scientific study of religious experiences, Asian religions (in particular Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta), Constitutional law (especially the Establishment Clause), and even Harry Potter.
Latest Articles:
Revision to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on “Mysticism”
"Perennialism and the History of Mysticism," Sophia, vol. 60 (no. 2June 2021): 1-20. (Free download)
"On What is Real in Nāgārjuna’s “Middle Way," Comparative Philosophy 11
(no.1 January 2020): 3-32. (Free download)
"On Constructivism in the Philosophy of Mysticism," Journal of Religion 100 (no. 1 January 2020): 1-41.
“Transcendent Knowledge-Claims and the Scientific Study of Mystical Experiences.” In Alex S. Kohav, ed., Mysticism: Twenty-First Century Approaches and Perspectives (Lexington Books, 2020), pp. 247-270.
“Mysticism in the New Age: Are Mysticism and Science Converging?” In Alex S. Kohav, ed., Mysticism and Meaning (Three Pines Press, 2019), pp. 249-277.
“Limitations on the Scientific Study of Drug-Enabled Mystical Experiences,” Zygon: Journal of Science and Religion, vol. 54 (no. 3 September 2019): 756-792.
“Limitations on the Neuroscientific Study of Mystical Experiences,” Zygon: Journal of Science and Religion, vol. 53 (no. 4 December 2018): 992-1017.
"Dialetheism, Paradox, and Nāgārjuna’s Way of Thinking," Comparative Philosophy, vol. 9 (no. 2 July 2018): 41-68. (Free download.)
Now available in Paperback:
Mystery 101: An Introduction to the Big Questions
and the Limits of Human Knowledge
(State University of New York Press, 2018)
Many books are written providing answers to the “big questions” of life — why is there something rather than nothing, what is the meaning of life, do we have free will, does God exist, and so forth. This book looks at the ultimate questions in philosophy, physics, cosmology, biology, psychology, and religion in a different light and asks a deeper question: are we in a position to reasonably expect that we can ever answer those questions? Thus, this is a work in metaphilosophy. I look at the limitations that we encounter in our cognitive abilities, in technology, and in our place in reality itself and argue that we must be agnostic about any answer we might give to any of these questions. This leads, as with my Curing the Philosopher’s Disease, to emphasizing the importance of mystery in our view of both the world and ourselves.
"Exceptionally original, Mystery 101 specializes in questions rather than answers but also analyzes in fascinating detail a whole host of putative answers to the fundamental questions it raises. The book is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking treat. It shows why daunting, seemingly unfathomable mysteries underlie many of our most confident assumptions and claims to truth. And it counsels us wisely on how to live in the face of this fact. The scholarship is impeccable, drawing on many sources, including those of religion (and not just Western religion), philosophy (and not just Western philosophy), science, and literature. An insightful and enjoyable read."
-- Donald A. Crosby, author of The Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Seven Types of Everyday Miracle
"Jones takes us on an interesting journey through all the big questions that perplex people. We end up knowing a lot but, as Socrates, knowing that we do not and indeed cannot know enough. Clear, engaging, and accessible, the book is a bit of a tour de force."
-- George Allan, author of Modes of Learning: Whitehead's Metaphysics and the Stages of Education
For sale on Amazon
"Exceptionally original, Mystery 101 specializes in questions rather than answers but also analyzes in fascinating detail a whole host of putative answers to the fundamental questions it raises. The book is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking treat. It shows why daunting, seemingly unfathomable mysteries underlie many of our most confident assumptions and claims to truth. And it counsels us wisely on how to live in the face of this fact. The scholarship is impeccable, drawing on many sources, including those of religion (and not just Western religion), philosophy (and not just Western philosophy), science, and literature. An insightful and enjoyable read."
-- Donald A. Crosby, author of The Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Seven Types of Everyday Miracle
"Jones takes us on an interesting journey through all the big questions that perplex people. We end up knowing a lot but, as Socrates, knowing that we do not and indeed cannot know enough. Clear, engaging, and accessible, the book is a bit of a tour de force."
-- George Allan, author of Modes of Learning: Whitehead's Metaphysics and the Stages of Education
For sale on Amazon
Philosophy of Mysticism: Raids on the Ineffable
(SUNY Press, 2016)
"This is a significant extension of the seminal work by Walter Stace, Mysticism and Philosophy. That work has stimulated much literature, all of which Jones manages to review here. He critically extends Stace's universal core and embeds it in a sophisticated discussion of the extent, range, and metaphysical implications of mysticism." Ralph W. Hood, Jr., coauthor of The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach"
"Jones's detailed treatment of a wide number of topics, largely argued convincingly, makes this a superb book. ... Philosophy of Mysticism, Raids on the Ineffable is one of the very best books out on the philosophy of mysticism." Jerome Gellman, Reading Religion.
Lower Prices on Some Books Available Here
(Order Here)
Piercing the Veil: Comparing Science and Mysticism as Ways of Knowing Reality
This book explores an area in the field of "science and religion" that scholars usually neglect -- science and mysticism. It examines the recent efforts of New Age popularizers and scholars who see a convergence of modern science and various Asian schools of mysticism -- in particular, Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. The works examined include the Dalai Lama's The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, B. Alan Wallace's Buddhism and Science: Breaking New Ground, the physicist Victor Mansfield's Tibetan Buddhism & Modern Physics: Toward a Union of Love and Knowledge, and Fritjof Capra's best seller, The Tao of Physics. The entire New Age idea of any "quantum mysticism" is shown to be groundless.
In Part I, the distinctions that any comparative study of science and mysticism should recognize are outlined. Philosophical problems arising in comparing science and mysticism as ways of knowing reality are highlighted here, including issues surrounding the neurological study of meditators by such scientists as Eugene G. D'Aquili, Andrew B. Newberg, and Mario Beauregard. Other topics, such as what role mysticism may have played in the history of science, are also discussed. In Part II, the efforts of those who see convergences or parallels between modern science and Asian mysticism are examined. In Part III, central questions in the philosophy of religion related to mysticism are addressed, and a way that science and mysticism can be positively related is set forth.
This book explores an area in the field of "science and religion" that scholars usually neglect -- science and mysticism. It examines the recent efforts of New Age popularizers and scholars who see a convergence of modern science and various Asian schools of mysticism -- in particular, Madhyamaka Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. The works examined include the Dalai Lama's The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, B. Alan Wallace's Buddhism and Science: Breaking New Ground, the physicist Victor Mansfield's Tibetan Buddhism & Modern Physics: Toward a Union of Love and Knowledge, and Fritjof Capra's best seller, The Tao of Physics. The entire New Age idea of any "quantum mysticism" is shown to be groundless.
In Part I, the distinctions that any comparative study of science and mysticism should recognize are outlined. Philosophical problems arising in comparing science and mysticism as ways of knowing reality are highlighted here, including issues surrounding the neurological study of meditators by such scientists as Eugene G. D'Aquili, Andrew B. Newberg, and Mario Beauregard. Other topics, such as what role mysticism may have played in the history of science, are also discussed. In Part II, the efforts of those who see convergences or parallels between modern science and Asian mysticism are examined. In Part III, central questions in the philosophy of religion related to mysticism are addressed, and a way that science and mysticism can be positively related is set forth.
Science and Mysticism: A Comparative Study of Western Natural Science, Theravada Buddhism, and Advaita Vedanta
Do modern science and traditional mysticism have anything in common? Can they be related at all? How do scientific and mystical claims about reality compare and contrast with each other? This philosophical work, attempts to provide some answers to these questions.
Part I sets out those aspects of science and mysticism that become important when the two endeavors are compared. For science, problems concerning understanding, concepts, laws and theories, explanations, models, observations, the acceptance of theories, theory-change, the accuracy of scientific claims are discussed. For mysticism, religious ways of life, mysticism itself, and two types of mystical theories are distinguished. Theravada Buddhism is utilized to illustrate "nature-mysticism" (mystical ways of life in which central importance is given to experiences involving a weakening of the ordinary sense of self and the conceptual structuring of experiences in general). Advaita Vedanta is chosen as the example of "depth-mysticism" (mystical ways of life giving central importance to allegedly cognitive experiences void of all conceptual and sensory content).
Part II contains comparisons of the nature of scientific and mystical claims. First, the basic aims of each endeavor and the general relation of knowledge-claims to cultural phenomena are discussed. Next, under the heading of "reality," a brief discussion of metaphysics is given before specific comparisons are made on the subjects of time, space, and orderliness. A discussion of the nature of what is taken to be "knowledge" in science and in mysticism is followed by a discussion of "experiences" in both enterprises. Finally, the role of language in each is analyzed. Among the topics considered are paradox and metaphoric utterances.
Part III compares and contrasts certain scientific and mystical claims. First of all, possible relationships between science and mystical claims are set forth, with special attention to convergence on abstract levels, complementary ways of knowing, and the general mystical judgment of the status of scientific claims. This is followed by comparisons of specific theories from cosmology and contemporary physics, including one technological advance (holography), with theories of traditional Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. In the case of physics, the topics discussed are fields and mystical oneness, substance and voidness, interconnections and conditionality, and the submicroscopic versus macroscopic realms. The views of such thinkers as F. S. C. Northrop, Fritjof Capra, and Gary Zukav are also discussed. Finally, a reconciliation of mystical and scientific claims is proposed — a position that attributes reality both to "being" and to the "structures" in the realm of change, with mysticism being authoritative for the former and science for the latter.
An appendix discussing philosophical implications of scientific (neurophysiological) studies of mystics and meditators is also included.
Do modern science and traditional mysticism have anything in common? Can they be related at all? How do scientific and mystical claims about reality compare and contrast with each other? This philosophical work, attempts to provide some answers to these questions.
Part I sets out those aspects of science and mysticism that become important when the two endeavors are compared. For science, problems concerning understanding, concepts, laws and theories, explanations, models, observations, the acceptance of theories, theory-change, the accuracy of scientific claims are discussed. For mysticism, religious ways of life, mysticism itself, and two types of mystical theories are distinguished. Theravada Buddhism is utilized to illustrate "nature-mysticism" (mystical ways of life in which central importance is given to experiences involving a weakening of the ordinary sense of self and the conceptual structuring of experiences in general). Advaita Vedanta is chosen as the example of "depth-mysticism" (mystical ways of life giving central importance to allegedly cognitive experiences void of all conceptual and sensory content).
Part II contains comparisons of the nature of scientific and mystical claims. First, the basic aims of each endeavor and the general relation of knowledge-claims to cultural phenomena are discussed. Next, under the heading of "reality," a brief discussion of metaphysics is given before specific comparisons are made on the subjects of time, space, and orderliness. A discussion of the nature of what is taken to be "knowledge" in science and in mysticism is followed by a discussion of "experiences" in both enterprises. Finally, the role of language in each is analyzed. Among the topics considered are paradox and metaphoric utterances.
Part III compares and contrasts certain scientific and mystical claims. First of all, possible relationships between science and mystical claims are set forth, with special attention to convergence on abstract levels, complementary ways of knowing, and the general mystical judgment of the status of scientific claims. This is followed by comparisons of specific theories from cosmology and contemporary physics, including one technological advance (holography), with theories of traditional Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. In the case of physics, the topics discussed are fields and mystical oneness, substance and voidness, interconnections and conditionality, and the submicroscopic versus macroscopic realms. The views of such thinkers as F. S. C. Northrop, Fritjof Capra, and Gary Zukav are also discussed. Finally, a reconciliation of mystical and scientific claims is proposed — a position that attributes reality both to "being" and to the "structures" in the realm of change, with mysticism being authoritative for the former and science for the latter.
An appendix discussing philosophical implications of scientific (neurophysiological) studies of mystics and meditators is also included.
Mysticism Examined: Philosophical Inquiries into Mysticism
This collection of revised published articles examines various topics in the philosophy of mysticism:
This collection of revised published articles examines various topics in the philosophy of mysticism:
- experience and conceptualization in mystical knowledge
- knowledge and unknowing in the Isa Upanishad
- rationality and mysticism
- the nature of the Buddhist Nagarjuna's arguments
- mystical uses of language
- a critique of Joseph Needham's writings on Taoism
- the religious irrelevance of the Ontological Argument
- a critique of Carl Jung's writings on Asian religious traditions
- mysticism and morality
- Theravada Buddhism and morality
Mysticism and Morality: A New Look at Old Questions
This work explores an often neglected area of comparative religious ethics: mysticism. By adressing a myriad of traditions, both Eastern and Western, this work explores the relation of mysticism and morality: Are mystics necessarily moral? Can they even be moral?
Part 1 sets forth the relevant issues and gives definitions of "morality," "ethics," and "mysticism.
Part 2 discusses the problems by looking at the Upanishads, Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, the Bhagavad-gita, Jainism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Tantrism, Daoism, and medieval Christianity.
Part 3 analyzes these issues: the relation of mystical experiences and morality, the relation of mystical ways of life and morality, the lack of social action among classical mystics, and the question of whether mysticism can contribute to morality in today's world.
This work explores an often neglected area of comparative religious ethics: mysticism. By adressing a myriad of traditions, both Eastern and Western, this work explores the relation of mysticism and morality: Are mystics necessarily moral? Can they even be moral?
Part 1 sets forth the relevant issues and gives definitions of "morality," "ethics," and "mysticism.
Part 2 discusses the problems by looking at the Upanishads, Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, the Bhagavad-gita, Jainism, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, Tantrism, Daoism, and medieval Christianity.
Part 3 analyzes these issues: the relation of mystical experiences and morality, the relation of mystical ways of life and morality, the lack of social action among classical mystics, and the question of whether mysticism can contribute to morality in today's world.
Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher
Nagarjuna stands second only to the Buddha in his importance in Buddhist thought. The concept of "emptiness (shuntaya)" became the central ontological concept in Mahayana Buddhism thanks to his effort. Not only did he found the Madhyamaka tradition in India, understanding his philosophy is needed to understand the Zen tradition and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan tradition.
Included here are translations from the Sanskrit of his most important philosophical works into plain English, so that the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy can understand his thought. Also included are separate commentaries, an essay on Nagarjuna's thought, and a bibliography of further readings.
The works presented here collectively constitute what the Tibetans call Nagarjuna's "analytic corpus." Translated from the original Sanskrit are:
Nagarjuna stands second only to the Buddha in his importance in Buddhist thought. The concept of "emptiness (shuntaya)" became the central ontological concept in Mahayana Buddhism thanks to his effort. Not only did he found the Madhyamaka tradition in India, understanding his philosophy is needed to understand the Zen tradition and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan tradition.
Included here are translations from the Sanskrit of his most important philosophical works into plain English, so that the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy can understand his thought. Also included are separate commentaries, an essay on Nagarjuna's thought, and a bibliography of further readings.
The works presented here collectively constitute what the Tibetans call Nagarjuna's "analytic corpus." Translated from the original Sanskrit are:
- The Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (the Mula-madhyamaka-karikas),
- Overturning the Objections (the Vigraha-yavartani) with Nagarjuna's own commentary,
- The philosophical portions of the Jewel Garland of Advice (the Ratnavali).
- Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyata-saptati-karikas),
- Sixty Verses on Argument (Yukti-shashtikas),
- Pulverizing the Categories (Vaidalya-prakarana).
Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher (Second Edition)
A thorough revision of the text in the first edition and the addition of two new essays.
A thorough revision of the text in the first edition and the addition of two new essays.
Indian Buddhist Philosophy After Nagarjuna, Volume 1
Nagarjuna initiated the Madhyamaka tradition in Mahayana Buddhism that influenced Zen and the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Over the centuries, this tradition spawned in India two subtraditions and syncretic combinations with another Buddhist tradition. These developments will be traced in two volumes of translations of the basic texts from Sanskrit into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Texts available today in Sanskrit have been translated, and texts no longer extant in Sanskrit but existing in Tibetan or Chinese have been summarized. Notes and separate essays explaining the philosophical content are also included.
Presented in this volume are the philosophical writings of Nagarjuna's student Aryadeva (the Four Hundred Verses on Yogic Deeds, the Hand Treatise, and a summary of his One Hundred Verses), a song by Rahulabhadra (Song in Praise of Perfected Wisdom), and selections from the principal works of the two figures who were seen by later Tibetan Buddhists as beginning the division of the Madhyamaka tradition — Buddhapalita (summaries from his commentary on Nagarjuna's Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way) and Bhavaviveka (the Summary of the Meaning of the Middle Way and selections from his Verses on the Heart of the Middle Way).
Nagarjuna initiated the Madhyamaka tradition in Mahayana Buddhism that influenced Zen and the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Over the centuries, this tradition spawned in India two subtraditions and syncretic combinations with another Buddhist tradition. These developments will be traced in two volumes of translations of the basic texts from Sanskrit into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Texts available today in Sanskrit have been translated, and texts no longer extant in Sanskrit but existing in Tibetan or Chinese have been summarized. Notes and separate essays explaining the philosophical content are also included.
Presented in this volume are the philosophical writings of Nagarjuna's student Aryadeva (the Four Hundred Verses on Yogic Deeds, the Hand Treatise, and a summary of his One Hundred Verses), a song by Rahulabhadra (Song in Praise of Perfected Wisdom), and selections from the principal works of the two figures who were seen by later Tibetan Buddhists as beginning the division of the Madhyamaka tradition — Buddhapalita (summaries from his commentary on Nagarjuna's Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way) and Bhavaviveka (the Summary of the Meaning of the Middle Way and selections from his Verses on the Heart of the Middle Way).
Indian Buddhist Philosophy After Nagarjuna, Volume 2
This volume continues to trace the development of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy in India after its initiator, Nagarjuna. It consists of translations of Sanskrit texts into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Notes and separate Essays dealing with the philosophical content are also included.
Presented in this volume are the central philosophical writings of the last two prominent Indian Madhyamikas and two Madhyamaka critiques of the idea of a creator God. Parts of two texts by Chandrakirti are presented: Chapter 6 of Entering the Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara), and core chapters of his Clearly-worded Commentary (Prasannapada) on Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way. Chapters 8 and 9 of Shantideva’s Entering the Bodhisattva’s Path (Bodhicaryavatara) on meditation and wisdom (prajna) and verses from his Collection of the Teachings (Shiksa-samucchaya) follow.
The translations conclude with the portions of Bhavaviveka’s Verses on the Heart of the Middle Way (Madhyamakahridayakarikas) on a creator God, and The Refutation of Vishnu as the One Creator (Vishnorekakartritvanirakaranam) attributed to Nagarjuna.
This volume continues to trace the development of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy in India after its initiator, Nagarjuna. It consists of translations of Sanskrit texts into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Notes and separate Essays dealing with the philosophical content are also included.
Presented in this volume are the central philosophical writings of the last two prominent Indian Madhyamikas and two Madhyamaka critiques of the idea of a creator God. Parts of two texts by Chandrakirti are presented: Chapter 6 of Entering the Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara), and core chapters of his Clearly-worded Commentary (Prasannapada) on Nagarjuna’s Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way. Chapters 8 and 9 of Shantideva’s Entering the Bodhisattva’s Path (Bodhicaryavatara) on meditation and wisdom (prajna) and verses from his Collection of the Teachings (Shiksa-samucchaya) follow.
The translations conclude with the portions of Bhavaviveka’s Verses on the Heart of the Middle Way (Madhyamakahridayakarikas) on a creator God, and The Refutation of Vishnu as the One Creator (Vishnorekakartritvanirakaranam) attributed to Nagarjuna.
The Heart of Buddhist Wisdom
The most famous texts in Mahayana Buddhism are the Heart Sutra and the Diamond-Cutter Sutra. They are part of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna-Paramita) tradition. Presented here are plain English translations of those two sutras and more:
In addition to notes to each of these translations, there are separate essays on the Perfection of Wisdom philosophy:
The most famous texts in Mahayana Buddhism are the Heart Sutra and the Diamond-Cutter Sutra. They are part of the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna-Paramita) tradition. Presented here are plain English translations of those two sutras and more:
- Verses on the Collection of the Highest Qualities (the earliest Prajna-Paramita text),
- An abridgement of the entire Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines (the central Prajna-Paramita text),
- Selections from the Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom,
- The Perfection of Wisdom in 700 Lines,
- The Heart Sutra,
- The Diamond-Cutter Sutra.
In addition to notes to each of these translations, there are separate essays on the Perfection of Wisdom philosophy:
- The Philosophy of the Perfection of Wisdom
- Logic and Paradox: An Excursion into Nonsense?
- The Heart Sutra: “Form is Emptiness”
The Diamond Sutra and the Heart Sutra
(Kindle edition only)
The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna-paramita) tradition is fundamental to all Mahayana Buddhist traditions, and its two most popular books are translated here from Sanskrit: the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (Vajracchedika-sutra) and the Heart Sutra (Prajna-paramita-hridaya-sutra).
They are translated into plain English with separate notes to explain their meaning.
(Kindle edition only)
The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajna-paramita) tradition is fundamental to all Mahayana Buddhist traditions, and its two most popular books are translated here from Sanskrit: the Diamond-Cutter Sutra (Vajracchedika-sutra) and the Heart Sutra (Prajna-paramita-hridaya-sutra).
They are translated into plain English with separate notes to explain their meaning.
Curing the Philosopher's Disease: Reinstating Mystery in the Heart of Philosophy
This work is a philosophical examination of the mysteries surrounding the foundations of science, philosophy, and religion.
Much of Western philosophy and science is discussed in order to see our epistemological and metaphysical situation. The love/hate relation philosophers have with mystery is explored, as are the contributions of reductionists and antireductionists, postmodern relativists and critical realists, naturalists and the religious, and theologians and mystics.
The thrust of the arguments affirms that there are limits to what philosophy, science, religion, and mystical experiences can tell us about reality. By acknowledging that some questions may be unanswerable and understanding the importance of that fact even as the answers remain ambiguous, our true situation in the world is revealed. Mystery should be reinstated as a basic feature when we reflect upon the nature of what we know and who we are. Mystery frames all of our claims to fundamental knowledge, and we must accept that it will remain a permanent fixture. Thus, the importance of mystery needs to be reaffirmed today, during an era when the fullness of reality is often ignored.
This work is a philosophical examination of the mysteries surrounding the foundations of science, philosophy, and religion.
Much of Western philosophy and science is discussed in order to see our epistemological and metaphysical situation. The love/hate relation philosophers have with mystery is explored, as are the contributions of reductionists and antireductionists, postmodern relativists and critical realists, naturalists and the religious, and theologians and mystics.
The thrust of the arguments affirms that there are limits to what philosophy, science, religion, and mystical experiences can tell us about reality. By acknowledging that some questions may be unanswerable and understanding the importance of that fact even as the answers remain ambiguous, our true situation in the world is revealed. Mystery should be reinstated as a basic feature when we reflect upon the nature of what we know and who we are. Mystery frames all of our claims to fundamental knowledge, and we must accept that it will remain a permanent fixture. Thus, the importance of mystery needs to be reaffirmed today, during an era when the fullness of reality is often ignored.
For the Glory of God: The Role of Christianity in the Rise and Development of Modern Science, Volume 1
This book presents arguments concerning the positive and negative roles Christian doctrines have played in the rise and development of modern science. Philosophers and scientists have written numerous books about how Creationism and Intelligent Design are not part of science, but they have ignored two more encompassing historical and philosophical issues underlying the conservative theists' attack on science. First, conservative Christian scholars commonly claim that Christian theological doctrines are the source of modern science. To them, modern science is the step child of medieval Christian theology or early Protestant doctrines. That is, without those theological beliefs as presuppositions, modern science could never have arisen, and Christianity or at least theism is the only possible source of these beliefs. Moreover, they argue that even today to practice science all scientists must be committed to these theistic or specially Christian ideas, whether they realize it or not. This "dependency" thesis has become widely accepted, even outside conservative circles. Such scientists as Edward O. Wilson and Paul Davies in their writings for the general public accept the historical part of this thesis as a given.
Second, some conservative Christians argue that theology has the epistemic right to control the content of all scientific theories and indeed the very nature of science. To them, science unfettered from theological control cannot reveal all of the true nature of the universe, and so theology must control the content and methods of all science. In the words of the philosopher Alvin Plantinga, "Scripture can correct science." These Christians in fact advocate religious "control beliefs," not only over science, but over all thought.
Both the "dependency" thesis and the "control belief" thesis are challenged here. First, the Dependency Thesis is presented, and the historical and philosophical case against it is laid out. Next, an argument for why modern science arose in the West and not in some other culture is presented. The negative effect of "control beliefs" on science is then presented, followed by a more general discussion "science and religion."
This book presents arguments concerning the positive and negative roles Christian doctrines have played in the rise and development of modern science. Philosophers and scientists have written numerous books about how Creationism and Intelligent Design are not part of science, but they have ignored two more encompassing historical and philosophical issues underlying the conservative theists' attack on science. First, conservative Christian scholars commonly claim that Christian theological doctrines are the source of modern science. To them, modern science is the step child of medieval Christian theology or early Protestant doctrines. That is, without those theological beliefs as presuppositions, modern science could never have arisen, and Christianity or at least theism is the only possible source of these beliefs. Moreover, they argue that even today to practice science all scientists must be committed to these theistic or specially Christian ideas, whether they realize it or not. This "dependency" thesis has become widely accepted, even outside conservative circles. Such scientists as Edward O. Wilson and Paul Davies in their writings for the general public accept the historical part of this thesis as a given.
Second, some conservative Christians argue that theology has the epistemic right to control the content of all scientific theories and indeed the very nature of science. To them, science unfettered from theological control cannot reveal all of the true nature of the universe, and so theology must control the content and methods of all science. In the words of the philosopher Alvin Plantinga, "Scripture can correct science." These Christians in fact advocate religious "control beliefs," not only over science, but over all thought.
Both the "dependency" thesis and the "control belief" thesis are challenged here. First, the Dependency Thesis is presented, and the historical and philosophical case against it is laid out. Next, an argument for why modern science arose in the West and not in some other culture is presented. The negative effect of "control beliefs" on science is then presented, followed by a more general discussion "science and religion."
For the Glory of God: The Role of Christianity in the Rise and Development of Modern Science, Volume 2
This volume backs up the positions taken in Volume 1 by presenting a history of the role of Christian ideas in the physical and biological sciences from the Middle Ages to today. It reveals the failure of the popular “war” and “harmony” models for the relation of religion and science and shows that a “control” model explains the complex history of the relation of "religion" and "science."
This volume backs up the positions taken in Volume 1 by presenting a history of the role of Christian ideas in the physical and biological sciences from the Middle Ages to today. It reveals the failure of the popular “war” and “harmony” models for the relation of religion and science and shows that a “control” model explains the complex history of the relation of "religion" and "science."
One Nation Under God? New Grounds for Accepting the Constitutionality of Government References to God
A firestorm of controversy developed when Michael Newdow challenged the constitutionality of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. In order to understand the legal issues and the public reaction, One Nation Under God? explores the history of the government’s references to God in our national motto, on coins, and in other governmental announcements, along with a history of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The book discusses the setting of American “civil religion” and other aspects of American culture and then delves into the background of the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s Establishment Clause rulings needed to understand the courts’ rulings on such governmental uses of “God.” State and federal cases on “In God We Trust” and “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and other references to God are also explored.
Finally, a new rationale for accepting these pronouncements as constitutional is presented.
A firestorm of controversy developed when Michael Newdow challenged the constitutionality of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. In order to understand the legal issues and the public reaction, One Nation Under God? explores the history of the government’s references to God in our national motto, on coins, and in other governmental announcements, along with a history of the Pledge of Allegiance.
The book discusses the setting of American “civil religion” and other aspects of American culture and then delves into the background of the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s Establishment Clause rulings needed to understand the courts’ rulings on such governmental uses of “God.” State and federal cases on “In God We Trust” and “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and other references to God are also explored.
Finally, a new rationale for accepting these pronouncements as constitutional is presented.
Analysis and the Fullness of Reality: An Introduction to Reductionism and Emergence
Is the world nothing but matter pushing matter in a void? Are humans nothing but soulless machines for the survival of genes? Is the mind nothing but the brain? Is all science reducible to physics? Must scientists restrict the substance and structure of reality to physical forces? Does society consist merely of individuals or are holistic forces also at work? Is God really no more than a projection of nature, society, or our psyche? Or in each case do new realities emerge that cannot be reduced? Virtually every scholarly and popular book and magazine article on the mind, science, or religion touches on these issues of reductionism. But for all the interest in the topic, no in-depth introduction of the subject exists. The objective of this philosophical work is to fill that void.
This book attempts to provide one common framework for studying how the issue of reduction versus emergence arises in each of the areas in which it comes up — the natural sciences, philosophy of mind, the social sciences, and religion. It tries to resolve some of the disputes by a new analysis: differentiating five types of reductionism and antireductionism — ontological, structural, theoretical, conceptual, and methodological. To help clarify the issues, a brief history of how reductionism and emergentism have developed in Western philosophy is also presented. By distinguishing different types of reductionism and by examining the issues in all the areas of philosophical interest collectively rather than limiting the discussion to just one area, the general issues surrounding reduction versus emergence become clearer. This approach brings together many of the most interesting questions today in philosophy, science, and religious studies.
Is the world nothing but matter pushing matter in a void? Are humans nothing but soulless machines for the survival of genes? Is the mind nothing but the brain? Is all science reducible to physics? Must scientists restrict the substance and structure of reality to physical forces? Does society consist merely of individuals or are holistic forces also at work? Is God really no more than a projection of nature, society, or our psyche? Or in each case do new realities emerge that cannot be reduced? Virtually every scholarly and popular book and magazine article on the mind, science, or religion touches on these issues of reductionism. But for all the interest in the topic, no in-depth introduction of the subject exists. The objective of this philosophical work is to fill that void.
This book attempts to provide one common framework for studying how the issue of reduction versus emergence arises in each of the areas in which it comes up — the natural sciences, philosophy of mind, the social sciences, and religion. It tries to resolve some of the disputes by a new analysis: differentiating five types of reductionism and antireductionism — ontological, structural, theoretical, conceptual, and methodological. To help clarify the issues, a brief history of how reductionism and emergentism have developed in Western philosophy is also presented. By distinguishing different types of reductionism and by examining the issues in all the areas of philosophical interest collectively rather than limiting the discussion to just one area, the general issues surrounding reduction versus emergence become clearer. This approach brings together many of the most interesting questions today in philosophy, science, and religious studies.
Early Indian Philosophy: Selections of the Vedas and the Upanishads Translated into Plain English with Notes and Essays
India has “philosophy” in the Western sense of the term, and it began early. This book deals with the roots of that philosophical thought. Included here are plain English translations (with notes) of selections of the Rig Veda, the Atharva Veda, and especially the classic Upanishads.
Also included are five essays to help understand this philosophical reflection. These essays are on the sources of Indian philosophy, knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics, with a specialized essay on “unknowing” in the Isha Upanishad also included.
India has “philosophy” in the Western sense of the term, and it began early. This book deals with the roots of that philosophical thought. Included here are plain English translations (with notes) of selections of the Rig Veda, the Atharva Veda, and especially the classic Upanishads.
Also included are five essays to help understand this philosophical reflection. These essays are on the sources of Indian philosophy, knowledge, metaphysics, and ethics, with a specialized essay on “unknowing” in the Isha Upanishad also included.
Early Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, Volume 1
The Gaudapada-karikas is the earliest extant Advaita Vedanta text. It is only explicitly Advaita text deemed worth saving from before Shankara’s time. Its philosophical doctrines makes it worthy of study in its own right and sets the stage for Shankara’s slightly different Advaita.
The text is presented here in a plain English translation with notes, along with a translation of the Mandukya Upanishad and Shankara's commentaries on both texts. Also included are an essay on early Vedanta, who the author(s) of this text may be, and the influence of Buddhism on the text (especially Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka tradition); an account of the basic doctrines; an essay on Shankara's understanding of the Gaudapa-karikas; and a philosophical critique of those doctrines.
This books makes the claim intelligible that all is consciousness, one, and unchanging and thereby removes much of the shock of Gaudapada’s Advaita Vedanta. But it also raises problems with the plausibility of the claim.
Early Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, Volume 2
The Brahma Sutra and summaries of Shankara's commentary on it. Play essays on the Brahma Sura's theology
and Shankara's philosophy.
The Gaudapada-karikas is the earliest extant Advaita Vedanta text. It is only explicitly Advaita text deemed worth saving from before Shankara’s time. Its philosophical doctrines makes it worthy of study in its own right and sets the stage for Shankara’s slightly different Advaita.
The text is presented here in a plain English translation with notes, along with a translation of the Mandukya Upanishad and Shankara's commentaries on both texts. Also included are an essay on early Vedanta, who the author(s) of this text may be, and the influence of Buddhism on the text (especially Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka tradition); an account of the basic doctrines; an essay on Shankara's understanding of the Gaudapa-karikas; and a philosophical critique of those doctrines.
This books makes the claim intelligible that all is consciousness, one, and unchanging and thereby removes much of the shock of Gaudapada’s Advaita Vedanta. But it also raises problems with the plausibility of the claim.
Early Advaita Vedanta Philosophy, Volume 2
The Brahma Sutra and summaries of Shankara's commentary on it. Play essays on the Brahma Sura's theology
and Shankara's philosophy.
Time Travel and Harry Potter: Time-Turning in the Prisoner of Azkhaban and the Cursed Child and its Place in Time-Travel Fiction (Revised Second Edition)
All the twists and turns of time travel in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban are fun, but understanding them is also hard. For example, how does Harry get past the Dementor attack so that he can time travel latter and save himself from the Dementor attack? Isn't that impossible?
This book explains how this might in fact be possible and examines more generally how time travel works in the book, along with its problems. For example, did Harry and Hermione change history? Did Harry and Hermione have free will for what they did or were their actions fixed in advance? If we can time-travel to save Sirius and Buckbeak, why can't we time-travel to save others? What did Professor Dumbledore know and when did he know it? Did Hermione get younger by all her time-traveling during the school year? Jones answers these and many other questions. He also extensively discusses fans' competing theories of how time travel works in the Prisoner of Azakhaban.
Now J. K. Rowling's play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child also has time-turning as a major component of the plot. That too is discussed and shown had it bears on time-turning in Prisoner of Azkhaban and one significant change.
Also included is a brief introduction to the theories of time and time travel in physics and philosophy that are utilized in science fiction and other time travel stories, along with a bibliography of relevant works. Do physicists and philosophers think time is real? Is time-travel possible at all? Can we in fact change the past?
The second edition revises the entire text and adds new points, including comments on what Rowling said on Pottermore.com concerning time-turning.
After finishing this book, the reader will have a much greater understanding of both J. K. Rowling's work and a better appreciation of the problems of time and time-travel in general.
(Order Here)
All the twists and turns of time travel in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban are fun, but understanding them is also hard. For example, how does Harry get past the Dementor attack so that he can time travel latter and save himself from the Dementor attack? Isn't that impossible?
This book explains how this might in fact be possible and examines more generally how time travel works in the book, along with its problems. For example, did Harry and Hermione change history? Did Harry and Hermione have free will for what they did or were their actions fixed in advance? If we can time-travel to save Sirius and Buckbeak, why can't we time-travel to save others? What did Professor Dumbledore know and when did he know it? Did Hermione get younger by all her time-traveling during the school year? Jones answers these and many other questions. He also extensively discusses fans' competing theories of how time travel works in the Prisoner of Azakhaban.
Now J. K. Rowling's play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child also has time-turning as a major component of the plot. That too is discussed and shown had it bears on time-turning in Prisoner of Azkhaban and one significant change.
Also included is a brief introduction to the theories of time and time travel in physics and philosophy that are utilized in science fiction and other time travel stories, along with a bibliography of relevant works. Do physicists and philosophers think time is real? Is time-travel possible at all? Can we in fact change the past?
The second edition revises the entire text and adds new points, including comments on what Rowling said on Pottermore.com concerning time-turning.
After finishing this book, the reader will have a much greater understanding of both J. K. Rowling's work and a better appreciation of the problems of time and time-travel in general.
(Order Here)