The Realist Guide to Religion and Science

Why do some religious believers slaughter those who refuse to convert to their faith, refuse scientific evidence for an ancient universe, or hold God to be an utterly arbitrary being? Why do some scientists believe that universes pop into existence from nothing, that aliens seeded life on earth, or that fish turn into reptiles by chance processes? The answer, for both, is the same: the abandonment of realism, the human way for knowing reality. In The Realist Guide to Religion and Science, Fr Paul Robinson explains what realism is all about, then undertakes an historical exploration to show how religion and science become irrational when they abandon realism and intellectually fruitful when they embrace it.

"I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and went to college just a few blocks from my grade and high school. After getting a Masters in Engineering from U of L, I worked for Lexmark in Lexington for two years. Then, I decided I had better figure out if God wanted me to be a priest by entering a seminary in Minnesota. It turns out the answer was "yes", as I discovered at my ordination in 2006. Since then, my main priestly duty has been teaching philosophy and theology.

Writing a book was the most difficult thing I have ever done! That being said, it was extremely fruitful in two respects. It helped grow my skills of written communication; I would go back over the chapters again and again, especially the first three, to re-write them when I discovered better ways to get the message across. Secondly, you learn more deeply when you write. The reason is that writing is much more stringent than conversation; people will easily forgive you for a misspoken word, but it is impossible to blot out what is written on a page, and so you have to be much more careful about "knowing your stuff" when you write."

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