Christopher Bryan's Blog
July 20, 2013
Two reflections on the nature of life
I seem to have been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. Two of the best were Arnold Benz,
The Future of the Universe
(New York: Continuum, 2000) and David George Haskell,
The Forest Unseen
(New York and London: Penguin [Viking], 2012). Both men are scientists. Benz is an astrophysicist, currently Professor of Astrophysics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. Haskell a biologist, currently Professor of Biology at the University of the South in Tennessee. And both men write like poets. Benz looks at the universe and reflects on the origin and evolution of life and matter, Haskell looks a one square meter of the Cumberland Plateau for a year, and through it shows us the planet in action, living and growing. Each in his own way shows scientific and religious experience in relationship to each other.
Benz tackles the issue directly, endeavoring "to take both realms--of faith and of science--fully and in earnest." "I am cognizant that with this very personal book I am leaving the realm of 'hard science' for the sake of inviting you, dear reader, to join me on this journey into a little explored, liminal territory that yet contains much of human interest. Mediating between these two planes of perception, given by science and religion, could be described as the greatest intellectual adventure of our time."
Haskell does not tackle the issue directly, but rather asks, How shall we observe what is around us? He suggests an attitude that is close to the old virtue of humility: look simply at what is there. "Leave behind expectations. Hoping for excitement, beauty, violence, enlightenment, or sacrament gets in the way of clear observation and will fog the mind with restlessness. Hope only for enthusiastic openness of the senses." In this endeavor he suggest that we "borrow from the practice of meditation" and "repeatedly return the mind's attention to the present moment." "The interior quality of our minds it itself a great teacher of natural history. It is here that we learn that 'nature' is not a separate place."
These are two great books. I commend them both to any who wish to think about the mystery and wonder of the universe in which we find ourselves.
Benz tackles the issue directly, endeavoring "to take both realms--of faith and of science--fully and in earnest." "I am cognizant that with this very personal book I am leaving the realm of 'hard science' for the sake of inviting you, dear reader, to join me on this journey into a little explored, liminal territory that yet contains much of human interest. Mediating between these two planes of perception, given by science and religion, could be described as the greatest intellectual adventure of our time."
Haskell does not tackle the issue directly, but rather asks, How shall we observe what is around us? He suggests an attitude that is close to the old virtue of humility: look simply at what is there. "Leave behind expectations. Hoping for excitement, beauty, violence, enlightenment, or sacrament gets in the way of clear observation and will fog the mind with restlessness. Hope only for enthusiastic openness of the senses." In this endeavor he suggest that we "borrow from the practice of meditation" and "repeatedly return the mind's attention to the present moment." "The interior quality of our minds it itself a great teacher of natural history. It is here that we learn that 'nature' is not a separate place."
These are two great books. I commend them both to any who wish to think about the mystery and wonder of the universe in which we find ourselves.
