Resting on the Future: Catholic Theology for an Unfinished Universe

Description

Science has now demonstrated without a doubt that we live in an "unfinished universe." Discoveries in geology, biology, cosmology and other fields of scientific inquiry have shown that the cosmos has a narrative character and that the story is far from over. The sense of a universe that is still coming into being provides a fertile new framework for thinking about the relationship of faith to science. John F. Haught argues that if we take seriously the fact that the universe is a drama still unfolding, we can think new thoughts about God, and indeed about all the perennial themes of theology. Science's recent realization that the universe is dramatic, however, has yet to penetrate deeply into either spiritual or intellectual life. Most Christian thought and spirituality still presuppose an essentially static universe while influential academic and intellectual culture remains stuck in a stagnant materialist naturalism and cosmic pessimism. Resting on the Future asks about the meaning of an unfinished universe from the point of view of both Christian theology and contemporary intellectual life. Each chapter covers a distinct aspect of what Haught takes to be an essential transition to a new age in Catholic life and thought. Biology, cosmology, and other fields of science now provide the setting for a wholesome transformation of Catholic thought from a still predominantly pre-scientific to a more hopeful and scientifically informed vision of God, humanity and the natural world.

John F. Haught is Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown University, USA. He is the author of 18 books, including Science and Faith: A New Introduction (2012), Is Nature Enough? Meaning and Truth in the Age of Science (2006), and Deeper Than Darwin: the Prospects for Religion in the Age of Evolution (2003), which was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title. In 2002 he was the winner of the Owen Garrigan Award in Science and Religion, in 2004 the Sophia Award for Theological Excellence, and in 2008 a "Friend of Darwin Award" from the National Center for Science Education. His books have been translated into 13 languages.

The merit of the author consists in offering a readable book concerning such a difficult argument. He succeeds in presenting the fully rational dimension of hope in the contemporary age of science. * Reviews in Religion and Theology * John F. Haught's latest book provides a brilliant theological analysis of what the Catholic faith means in an age of evolution. It is an intellectually adventurous, most inspiring work-a creative response to the Second Vatican Council's call for the much needed renewal of the Catholic Church. This illuminating account of what Haught calls 'the metaphysics of the future' unfolds before us the grandeur of cosmic and Christian hope. Deeply influenced by Teilhard de Chardin, Lonergan, Rahner, and other modern theologians and philosophers, Haught's thought challenges its readers in every fibre of their being to think afresh about the much misunderstood relationship between religion and evolution. It also addresses such topical issues as ecology, transhumanism, the value of human life, suffering and death, and the great biblical promise of the future. I cannot recommend this book too highly-it is a model of clarity, strength of argument, original thinking, and a most persuasive summons to re-examine our life and thought in the light of evolutionary becoming. * Ursula King, Professor Emerita of Theology and Religious Studies and Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Bristol, UK * Professor Haught provides us with a readable, thoughtful synthesis. Not merely responding to the 'New Atheists,' as he has done so well, he offers a way forward for Catholics to think about how the faith relates to issues in science. He reminds us that it is 'good news' that the universe is unfinished. * Terrence W. Tilley, Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Professor of Catholic Theology, Fordham University, USA *