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Practical Mystic Matthew Stanley

Practical Mystic By Matthew Stanley

Practical Mystic by Matthew Stanley


$8.29
Condition - Good
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Summary

Uses the figure of A S Eddington (1882-1944) - a pioneer in astrophysics, relativity, and the popularization of science, and a devout Quaker - to show how religious and scientific values can interact without compromising the integrity of either. This book questions many common assumptions about the relationship between science and spirituality.

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Practical Mystic Summary

Practical Mystic: Religion, Science, and A. S. Eddington by Matthew Stanley

Science and religion have long been thought incompatible. But nowhere has this apparent contradiction been more fully resolved than in the figure of A. S. Eddington (1882-1944), a pioneer in astrophysics, relativity, and the popularization of science, and a devout Quaker. Practical Mystic uses the figure of Eddington to show how religious and scientific values can interact and overlap without compromising the integrity of either. Eddington was a world-class scientist who not only maintained his religious belief throughout his scientific career but also defended the interrelation of science and religion while drawing inspiration from both for his practices. For instance, at a time when a strict adherence to deductive principles of physics had proved fruitless for understanding the nature of stars, insights from Quaker mysticism led Eddington to argue that an outlook less concerned with certainty and more concerned with further exploration was necessary to overcome the obstacles of incomplete and uncertain knowledge. By examining this intersection between liberal religion and astrophysics, Practical Mystic questions many common assumptions about the relationship between science and spirituality. Matthew Stanley's analysis of Eddington's personal convictions also reveals much about the practice, production, and dissemination of scientific knowledge at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Practical Mystic Reviews

Although Eddington's work has often been noted by scholars dealing with the relationship between science and religion, no one has attempted an analysis of his thought at anything like the level of detail now provided by Matthew Stanley. Practical Mystic throws much extra light on Eddington himself and will serve as a model for what this kind of detailed study can do to help us understand how technical science can actually be influenced by the individual scientist's position on wider issues. - Peter J. Bowler, Queen's University Belfast

About Matthew Stanley

Matthew Stanley is assistant professor of history at Iowa State University and a Mellon Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, School of Historical Studies, in Princeton, New Jersey.

Additional information

CIN0226770974G
9780226770970
0226770974
Practical Mystic: Religion, Science, and A. S. Eddington by Matthew Stanley
Used - Good
Hardback
The University of Chicago Press
20071101
320
Short-listed for Dingle Prize 2009
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Practical Mystic