The Spirit in Science

The late Christopher Hitchens and those of his ilk liked to sneer at "religion" and claim it was opposed to "science," without actually demonstrating any deep understanding of either. That is a lamentably common stereotype that a new book, one among many, greatly helps to correct: Michael Welker, ed., The Spirit in Creation and New Creation: Science and Theology in Western and Orthodox Realms (Eerdmans, 2012).

About this book the publisher tells us:

How does the Spirit relate to the world in which we live? How does the Spirit relate to the world to come, also known as the new creation? This volume gathers fifteen scholars -- experts in physics, biology, mathematics, psychology, sociology, and theology -- to ponder these questions, each one marshaling his own disciplinary tools and unique perspective.
The contributors represent a variety of countries -- including Germany, Greece, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the Ukraine -- and a number of faith traditions, from Russian and Greek Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Pentecostal. Discussing scientific and theological perspectives on the Spirit's role in creation and in the new creation, the contributors produce a fruitful dialogue that will lead to a deeper understanding of and respect for the Spirit's creative work.
Contributors: Denis Alexander, José Casanova, Sergey S. Horujy, Cyril Hovorun, Vladimir Katasonov, Andrew Louth, Frank D. Macchia, Jürgen Moltmann, Friederike Nüssel, Renos K. Papadopoulos, Marcus Guy Plested, John Polkinghorne, Jeffrey Schloss, Vladimir Shmaliy, Michael Welker

The number of Orthodox contributors to this volume is very impressive, and in the introduction the editor tells us that a Russian translation is already in the works.