Recent Related Books

There are not many competing books for bringing theism and physics together, even though these issues have been discussed many times by philosophers and scientists over the centuries. Most attempts have in fact tried to relate science to very-much-simplified theism, such as idealism or monism, even Buddhism. I therefore first list books based on theism that are still in print, and are hence the competing books. There are not many of these books unfortunately (or, fortunately, for us now):

1. Keith Ward 1996, “Religion & Creation”, Oxford: Clarendon. After useful historical presentations from the monotheistic religions, this books makes clear case for our dynamic-theism starting point (as contrasted with the practical neglect of divine immanence in classical theisms). Ward outlines some of the consequences for creation of such a theism, but not comprehensively as I do. He does compare with modern scientific theories.

2. Edward Feser 2008, "The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism", St. Augustine's Press. This book is an animated philosophical presentation of theism from neo-Aristotlean (Thomist) view.

3. Shimon Malin 2001, “Nature Loves To Hide”, Oxford (reviewed by me). This book addresses some physics questions on the basis of ideas from Plotinus.

4. Bernard Haisch 2006,”The God Theory”, Weiser.

The following books are collections of articles, some of which address the current problems:

1. A. Antonietti and A. Corradini (eds) 2008, “Psycho-Physical Dualism Today. An Interdisciplinary Approach", Lexington Books.  I have an article in this collection, “Discrete Degrees Within and Between Nature and Mind”, that contains some ideas of the present proposal.

The following books are not based on theism, but still try to answer similar questions about physics and psychology, and could therefore from the booksellers’ point of view be regarded as competing books:

1. Vic Mansfield 2008, “Tibetan Buddhism and Modern Physics: Toward a Union of Love and Knowledge”, Templeton.  This book by a physicist asks some similar questions, but the answers are almost all opposite of those I advocate here, and certainly no philosophy is allowed to suggest new science.

2. Amit Goswami 1996, “The Self-Aware Universe”, Tarcher; 2008, “God Is Not Dead: What Quantum Physics Tells Us about Our Origins and How We Should Live”, Hampton Roads. Physics from monistic idealism.

3. E.H. Walker 2000, “The Physics of Consciousness”, Basic Books. This physicist finds connections between quantum mechanics and consciousness, and uses Zen Buddhism to conceive of a universal mind.

There are further contemporary authors that continue the conversations between science, religion and philosophy, both for academia and for the general public:

1. John Polkinghorne, Owen Flanagan, Henry Stapp, Nancy Murphy

2. (specific books to be listed here.)

I do not name those many books that advocate reductive or monist physicalism. Conversely, I do not list books arguing from nature to the existence of God, or those apologetic books arguing from a particular tradition or concerning particular histories, or those books concerned with theology without relation to nature. Nor do I argue from the alleged success, or the alleged failure, or the alleged mystery, of universal laws of nature, although all these topics are indirectly related to my enterprise. The particular task of the proposed book is not to discuss present science or religion as such, but to outline a plausible connection between theism and science.