Cosmology: From Alpha to Omega

In addition to being a Professor of Theology and Science, and the founding director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS), Robert John Russell was an active participant in the Scientific Perspectives on Divine Action Program sponsored by the CTNS and the Vatican Observatory. Many of the footnotes in this book are references to books and papers from that program.This book was written for an academic audience and therefore was not an easy read for a layman like me, but parts of it definitely were interesting and thought-provoking. One of his major themes is that not only does science impact on theology (theologians integrating an old earth and some form of evolution into our Christian faith) but that theology has had and could continue to have an impact on science, e.g., scientific programs to attempt to investigate what the transfiguration of Jesus Christ at the resurrection might enable us to say about the transfiguration of the universe into the New Creation (vs. the long-term future of the universe predicted by the various Big Bang theories: freeze or fry). Russell calls this approach his Creative Mutual Interaction (CMI) model for theology and science. He defines five ways in which science can interact with theology and three ways in which theology can interact with science.Russell discusses general providence and special providence, and views special providence as "consisting in the objective acts of God in nature and history to which we respond through faith and we can interpret these acts in a non-interventionist manner consistent with the natural sciences." (p. 112) He makes a case for a quantum mechanics-based approach to non-interventionist objective divine action (QM-NOIDA) and applies it to biological evolution. He also discusses a number of related topics, including infinity, time, entropy, chaos, chance, the soul, general and special relativity, the problem of evil, etc. On each topic, Russell reviews and critiques the positions of other scientists, philosophers and theologians, then states and defends his own view.Getting through this book was challenging for this layman, but worth the effort because Russell presented a number of new ways of looking at the science-theology debate.

A warning: This is an well written but convoluted work.One of my major concerns with this otherwise enlightening work is that the clarity of Russell’s arguments are buried in rhetoric. There are numerous examples of how Russell’s own use of the written word only serves to obscure our vision more and more. One of his favorite references is to ESCHATOLOGY: the part of theology concerned with DEATH, JUDGMENT, and the final destiny of THE SOUL and the final destiny of HUMANKIND.ESCHATOLOGY is a wonderful word, but he uses the term time and time again without PREDEFINITION so the reader can maintain his or her focus. I found this, as only one example, a disorienting experience.Russell should be courteous enough to recognize many of us are (compared to him) rather dumb and even clueless, so it would be helpful if he clarified the specific relevance of each unusual application of each unusual word, even redefining the word over and over again in context to the reader EACH time he applies it.The reader prerequisites for gaining value from this work are:1. The presuppositions of atheism are not compatible with the discussions contained in the work.A committed or at least flexible belief system that allows for one to at a minimum believe in a divine creator (God) are the best starting point.Being an agnostic, while not disqualifying will handicap one in conceptualizing the information in this well written work.Being an atheist probably disqualifies one from gaining value from this work.2. An educational background that includes a general understanding of the principles of the physical sciences, including some concepts of quantum mechanics and cosmology is an absolute “must”.If these foundations are not present, I would recommend any prospective reader fulfill those needs prior to investing in this otherwise highly valuable, but complex and spiritual work.

No doubt it helps in understanding this book to be well-read in the fields of physics, evolutionary biology and Christian theology, but nevertheless, I would claim that even if half of the terminology and detailed argumentation washes over you, a dedicated reader will come away with an appreciation for the progress that the author (and the community of scholars he represents) has made since the days of NOMA (Stephen J. Gould's formulation of how science and religion relate -- namely, not at all). Since the scientific understandings presented in the book are (like all such understandings) provisional and subject to change (e.g. theories of the origin of the universe), specifics of how science and religion inform each other today can be taken as examples of the "creative mutual interaction" (CMI) methodology that represents the crowning achievement of the book (Chapter 10). From the perspective of faith, this book is a strong and clear testament to the power of Christian theology to provide a scientifically-compatible alternative to despair and meaninglessness. This book also puts to lie the current best-selling thesis by "the New Atheists" that the findings of modern science leave atheism as the only intellectually honest religious stanch.

I was very surprised I was sent a photocopied version of the book.