The Luminous Web: Essays on Science and Religion

by Barbara Brown Taylor

In these essays on the dialogue between science and Christian faith, Barbara Brown Taylor describes her journey as a preacher learning what the insights of quantum physics, the new biology, and chaos theory can teach a person of faith. She seeks to discover why scientists sound like poets and why physicists use the language of imagination, ambiguity, and mystery also found in scripture.

In explaining why the church should care about the new insights of science, Taylor suggests ways we might close the gap between spirit and matter, between the sacred and the secular. We live in the midst of a “web of creation” where nothing is without consequence and where all things coexist, even in such a way that each of us changes the world, whether we know it or not. In this luminous web faith and science join on a single path, seeking to learn the same truths about life in the universe. “For a moment,” Taylor writes, “we see through a glass darkly. We live in the illusion that we are all separate ‘I ams.’ When the fog finally clears, we shall know there is only One.”

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Theology, Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Faith

90 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Barbara Brown Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author, teacher, and Episcopal priest. Her first memoir, Leaving Church (2006), won an Author of the Year award from the Georgia Writers Association. Her last book, Learning to Walk in the Dark (2014), was featured on the cover of TIME magazine. She has served on the faculties of Piedmont College, Columbia Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, and the Certificate in Theological Studies program at Arrendale State Prison for Women in Alto, Georgia. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential People; in 2015 she was named Georgia Woman of the Year; in 2016 she received The President’s Medal at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Mercer University and is working on her fourteenth book, Holy Envy, forthcoming from HarperOne in August 2018.

Reviews

[Steve Li · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is a very well respected and well known minister. I am a scientist always in search of the weaving of science and religion. I know I am in the minority of reviewers with my 2 star rating of the book. I provided this low rating based on the author's own statement on page 16 "...truth comes in two varieties -facts and meanings-and the same facts do not always generate the same meanings. In the chapters that follow I will knowingly violate this boundary by imposing my own meanings on scientific facts and theories." She readily acknowledges that she is not strong or well versed in science and this writing is based on talking to scientists and some of her own readings. Her 'own meanings' about science are far too basic and in many cases wrong, or at least controversial to be convincing in a discussion of science vs religion. Because her own knowledge of science and scientific thinking is weak and her theology is strong, her discussions on science are very weak and her discussion on theology are very strong. This imbalance, in my opionion, is due to her lack of science knowledge and therefore not a true reflection of the actual strength of science vs religion.

If you already have a strong faith, you will undoubtedly like this book. However, it would be an error to take her arguements regarding science as a good or strong representation of the science side of the spiritual discussion. 'Language of God' is a far better discussion of the science issue from an author whose training is science and not theology.

If you start the book with the belief that religion reigns over science, then this book will reinforce that belief. If you are unsure how to balance religion and science or you believe that science reigns, the discussion is too weak with the scientific views to be convincing.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastically creative, wise, informed and thought-provoking gift from BBT 💕 As a non-scientist who loves the wonder science brings, this was awesome (literally, awe-inspiring!). Not sure how a scientist would enjoy it, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes to/wants to think about the dynamics of faith and the world.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am in awe of Barbara Brown Taylor. If I ever became an author, she is exactly the type of writer I’d want to be. Everything she writes feels like poetry, while also being intelligent and deeply insightful.

This book is really something I’ve always been looking for. My brain is not scientific or mathematical, but it is curious. I see the wonder of nature and I want to learn more and just sit in awe of its complexities. I’ve always attributed the complexity to God, and it makes me almost desperate to know more. But any book I try to read on the topic is so dense that I get lost in the weeds trying to wrap my head around it. The thing I loved about this book is she eliminated all the weeds, and just gave easy yet awe-inspiring summaries in extremely poetic and beautiful layman’s terms. It let me marvel and ponder, rather than try to force my brain to keep paying attention to details that are too hard for me to understand. It was truly such a beautiful book. ✨

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart, beautiful depiction of our search, as humans, for meaning and a way to understand the world (and cosmos) around us and the interplay of science and religion in doing so.

[Virtuella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much food for thought. Science and religion do not talk about two different things, they talk about the same thing – the one reality – in two different ways. Present day science has reached a frontier beyond the reach of ordinary language and speaks, like religion has always done, of reality in the language of poetry, i.e. by metaphor and analogy. The Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution aren’t technically theories, as they are not falsifiable and cannot be verified through repetition; in that sense they are more akin to religious creation stories. Much of our current world view is still shaped by the mechanistic notions of Newtonian science, while quantum physics confirms the fundamental interconnectedness and unpredictability of all reality. Chaos theory shows that the unpredictability is embedded in larger patterns. God is not in everything, God is everything (but then what of evil?) The ability of human minds to contemplate the cosmos is miraculous, while the enormity of the cosmos should leave us humble and disinclined to “pester God about good weather for the family reunion.” Belief is the acceptance of dogma, while faith is a radical openness to truth.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHH!

Have you ever finished a labor of love, one in which, almost inexplicably, you enjoy every step? I have to wonder if that was as much the author's experience as reading this book was for me.

Thoughtful, important questions abound. Observations and reflections from the scientific and religious communities seem to have been chosen not only for their heft but also for the quality of their articulation. The reader is likely to be drawn into the conversation - not as observer but as partner, as a co-curator of what we are learning and yet about to discover from the dance between science and religion.

[Colby Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not so much a reconciliation between science and religion as a hostage situation, where science is tied so tightly to its chair that you can barely hear its cries for help. Clearly, Barbara Taylor is well versed in theology, but her opening statement, "I am not a scientist", might as well been the whole book; instead, she spends the next 74 pages painfully attesting to that fact through her incessant leaps of logic, false equivalences, and simply incorrect statements. The end result is an irredeemable disaster where both science and theology go to die.

[Circle of Hope Pastors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Brown Taylor has done us a great service. She eloquently describes how she has preserved her perception of God as Lord of both science and religion. As she deftly gives meaning to new science, she helps us get from Newton much deeper and from atomization back to communion. This is a brief book, just four essays, but it will expand your understanding greatly and it will help you understand why we are organized as Circle of Hope as we are and why we keep looking for what the Spirit is doing next. -- Rod White

[Zac Talbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a book but a collection of individual essays. It's very different from the books BBT has become known for, so if you're expecting something like an Altar in the World you will be greatly disappointed. This book does, however, serve an important purpose in helping the church facilitate discussions of science and our faith. It's a helpful tool in becoming a person of faith who realizes that science and religion do not have to be, and are not, mutually exclusive.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

This summarized some difficult material and made it a tiny bit more understandable for a lay person. A lot is still beyond my comprehension, but this filled me with awe of the universe and God

[Amy (Bossy Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barbara Brown Taylor is one of my favorite authors, but this slim, early book of hers didn't offer the candid, thought-provoking, wise voice I've loved in some of her other books.

The proposed exploration of the intersection of science and religion within The Luminous Web was an irresistible premise. I just didn't feel as though the book ever delivered depth on the topic.

I appreciated Barbara Brown Taylor's aim to close the gap between the sacred and secular, and I respected how she leant deeply into the unknowing wonder at the heart of faith.

But when I finished the book, I found myself with as many, if not more, questions as I had when I began. Because I find BBT so illuminating, so candid, so thought-provoking, and so fully presented in her own voice in her other books, I was left feeling dissatisfied here.

To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see The Luminous Web.

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[Craig Amason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I have read by Taylor, and although she will not be known by most readers for it, I think this publication is very fine. Admittedly, my praise of the book comes out of my deep interest in the intersection (or polarization) of science and religion. Published in 2000, the book is perhaps somewhat dated now, but the principle thesis and the keen observations are still perfectly relevant. Taylor is a priest with a sincere interest in science, which places her in good company with some of the greatest minds in history going back to the Middle Ages with Thomas Aquinas and up to the 20th century with people like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who was both a priest and a scientist. I think Rev. Dr. Taylor believes in and is always searching for what Teilhard de Chardin named the "Omega Point," that evolutionary conclusion where God and the physical universe are united, or as some have phrased it, a "divine unification." To Taylor, God is not superseded by science nor is God made irrelevant by the scientific method. She clings to the idea that science and religion are equally in pursuit of the truth -- the former in its exploration and explanation of the physical universe and the latter in its attempts to find meaning and purpose.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In these essays, on the dialogue between science and Christian faith, Taylor describes her own journey as a preacher (now retired) who is trying to learn what the insights of quantum physics, the new biology, and chaos theory can teach the believer. She seeks to discover why scientists sometimes seem like poets, and why physicists often use the language of imagination, ambiguity, and mystery also found in scripture.

In explaining why the church should care about the new discoveries and insights of the physical world, Taylor suggests ways we might close the gap between spirit and matter, between the secular and the sacred. She says, "For we live in the midst of a 'web of creation where nothing is without consequence and where all things coexist in such a way that each of us by our very existence changes the world, whether we know it or not. In this 'luminous web' faith and science join on a single path, seeking to learn the same truths about life in the universe. "For a moment," she writes, "we see through a glass darkly. We live in the illusion that we are all separate 'I ams.' When the fog finally clears, we shall know there is only One."

[Patrick Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first exposure to Barbara Brown Taylor. I’ll be back for more. Thanks to Englewood Review of Books (ERB) for offering a used copy of this book for sale. ERB is a great resource for Christian readers who appreciate access to a wide range of authors and subjects.

The Luminous Web shares themes with Faith Across the Multiverse: Parables from Modern Science, another worthwhile read (although I acknowledge some bias toward that title). Barbara Brown Taylor offers enlightening perspectives on religion and science. In a nutshell, both faith and science represent searchs for truth. Neither should be dismissed in favor of the other in that search.

[James R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed in Luminous Web. I read it because it was the inspiration for a more recent book by a minister I respect who wrote a much more balanced book about how science informs his view of a non theistic understanding of God. This book, however, lacked any attempt at balance. The author’s bias toward religion distorted her logic time and time again. Some of her most basic assertions were just simply wrong. This book was as fair and balanced as Fox News is to current events which also sees its purpose as giving meaning to facts in a way that validates it’s prejudices. I give the book 1 star for trying and 2 for content. I was expecting, hoping?, for much more.

[Claudia Staude · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had existed in 1973 when I began my collegiate studies in biology! But it is here now and I now I will be musing over it and rereading it for the rest of my life.

If you have ever struggled with the push/pull relationship between religion and science (and who among us hasn’t?) this book is for you too. I have never seen anything quite like it before and it has pulled together many of the things I have felt in my soul for so many years!

This is not a science book nor is it a religious book- it is a way to see the universe and keep your sense of awe intact.

Only 80 pages- and my mind is forever blown and happy to be so!

[Jordyn Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s interesting reading these essays from the late 90s early 00s when the science vs. religion dichotomy was a lot more pronounced/heated than I feel like it is now. (But maybe that’s a misperception on my end). I really appreciated how she framed these essays as a larger ongoing practice for her to critically engage with and understand science as a Christian without fear, defensiveness, or prejudice. I particularly liked the essay on particle physics.

Coming from religious culture where people literally warned me about being misled by atheists teaching evolution in my science classes when I switched from Christian school to public school, I so wish that I had seen church leaders take this approach instead. I can’t help but think about how her humility, sense of wonder and curiosity, and intelligence would have influenced me and my thoughts on creation as a teenager AND led me to think critically for myself rather than defensively trying to memorize scripture to refute the “world.” 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃 I digress.

[Lisal Kayati Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of BBT. She translates deep and heady theological and philosophical ( and now scientific ) tenets into conversational language for the common reader. I think she did a good job in this collection of essays - an attempt to bring God and Science to the same table. I enjoyed her theological rumination because that is how I approach the world. She made complex scientific theories understandable and approachable for me. I believe she achieved what she set out to do - but completely understand that a scientific thinker might not think so.

[Tamara Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Barbara Brown Taylor’s writing style as well as the essay as a literary form. I enjoyed this book as a series of ruminations about the conversation (literally and figuratively) between science and religion. I suspect those more versed in either side of that conversation would find much to quibble about, but if the reader chooses to not take herself too seriously there’s much to enjoy in this book.

[Sue Johannsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about science and faith. I really like this part: Carl Feit, a cancer biologist and Talmudic scholar, says, “I don’t think that by studying science you will be forced to conclude that there must be a God. But if you have already found God, then you can say, from understanding science, ‘Ah, I see what God has done in the world.’

The ideas that I don’t know things and lack understanding are reinforced by this book, but that’s OK. I am in good company.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty years on, scientific theory and knowledge has changed in many ways but BBT's explorations and explanations of what is known about the Big Bang, evolution, quantum mechanics, and other scientific thought, and the way this knowledge can parallel and also deepen Christian theology, remain compelling. Too hard to say more because it is all kind of mind-bending - uncertainty, unity, relationship, etc.

[Trinki Brueckner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well and (relatively) simply written. As the author discusses the relationship of physics (relativity, quarks, chaos theory, etc) to religion, the book probably isn't for everyone. But it was fascinating and it certainly makes religion more relevant and exciting. It's short - I recommend it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very different from all the other books by this author that I have read. The first part of the book was all over the page trying to explain scientific theory without solid background. The last chapter - The Limits of Knowledge - was the best, discussing why science and faith often have a hard time coming together and why that doesn’t have to be a problem for believers or scientists.

[Jackson Hearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Episcopal Priest Barbara Brown Taylor has put together 4 talks or addresses she has delivered in the past, essays on Science and Religion. There is a lot to think about here, and I am amazed at how well she can talk about scientific data and theories in light of religion. It's not the easiest book to read, but it IS short (less than 100 pages) so you can get through it. :-)

[Stephen And Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Brown Taylor at her best

As near to perfect as one can get looking at the relationship between science and religion. Written so well and simply with a great depth of understanding and humility. Thanks rev. Taylor.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy Barbara Brown Taylor, and this is no exception. Her writing is thought provoking. However, this book is very short, and I would have preferred more development of her ideas. A worthy read perhaps for a retreat.

[Richard Pütz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most excellent book. Understanding that Chaos Theory is part of our discovery of the Significant Other of our Universe. Religion, Science, and humans beings in collaboration to come to know the Divine

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy Brown's writing. This one about science and religion was really interesting, because I have been struggling to understand who or what God is. This book doesn't necessarily answer that question, but it helps me to get a better understanding now.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the insights that Barbara shared in her series of essays on the dialogue between science and Christian faith. Her image of creation as a luminous web rather than a hierarchy or a chaotic "bouncing around of atoms" was helpful.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these essays that combined both religious and scientific thought. One thing doesn't have to exclude the other, and both have their place in this world. Very thoughtful and encouraging, even with some of the science becoming dated at this point (2023).