Astrophysics professor and Hubble Fellow Adam Frank has recently published a book that promises to transcend the standard science vs. religion dialogue. Entitled The Constant Fire: Beyond the Science vs. Religion Debate, it seeks a rapprochement between the two camps. I, for one, look forward to reading it.
An article about the book may be found here. Here are a few more publication details, including a table of contents, on the University of California Press web site.
Several days ago, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first astronomical observations using a telescope, Pope Benedict praised Galileo’s work, and asserted that such observations of the heavens can lead to a fuller appreciation of God’s creation. More details here.
Star Over Bethlehem, free clip art by Midolluin
Well, this article is certainly relevant. According to astronomer Dave Reneke, the star used by the three wise men to locate the infant Jesus appeared in June, and not December. For Reneke, even the status of the luminary as a star is in question. Definitely worth a read.
Here is another article on the very same topic from several different perspectives. Supernova? Jupiter? You decide.
It’s been a busy, busy month, what with the grading of tests and final exams, but I do look forward to doing some more frequent blogging over the holidays or in the new year.
Wishing you all a joyous holiday season!
This article, in the Vancouver Sun, is the first of a series on the topic of science and religion. Of particular interest is the reference to “the striking similarity between 16th-century Polish astronomer Nicolas Copernicus’s arguments for the Earth’s rotation and those of 13th-century Muslim polymath Nasir al-Din al-Tusi”, noted by science historian and Islamicist Dr. F. Jamil Ragep of McGill University.
