God and the Astronomers
Robert Jastrow was an American astronomer and physicist who wrote a book, God and the Astronomers exploring various themes of the creation stories and theological ramifications of various approaches. He presents an image that I have always found meaningful in dealing with the relationship between science and religion.
There is an image that he shows introducing the book that has always stayed in my mind that there is a mountain of knowledge depicted with religion climbing up one side of the mountain and science climbing up the other side of the mountain. They meet at the summit and shake hands with one another.
I read a column about the work of Dr. Lisa Miller’s work on the spiritual life, prayer, and science. She is the keynote speaker for the upcoming NAES Conference (National Association of Episcopal Schools) as she applied hard core science and how it relates to a spiritual life and prayer. I was curious enough to purchase her book which is a provocative study of the relationship between the spiritual life, prayer and scientific research. Please see her video of her work below.
It supports a guideline for religiously diverse schools that I applied at the Episcopal Academy. In essence, we can honor different perspectives if we interface with others who have a different religious expression than we do. We can have our own faith and spiritual life deepened by experiencing the spiritual life of another. It doesn’t have to be an either/or discussion but can be a both/and approach. It doesn’t mean that we have to water down our religious view as much as indicating why it is so important to us. It is the opposite of Christian Nationalism which is a driver for some in our country today. Their watchwords are “It’s my way of the highway!”
They also hold the view that the Declaration of Independence and our forefathers wanted Christianity to be the basis for all political decisions where they forget that our forefathers came to this country to avoid a “single religion must reign” possibility.
I personally believe that the Christian message is inclusive and not exclusive. Miller does a great job of indicating that her research supports a concept of the spiritual life of world religions.
Prayer has been one of the single most important aspect of any religion if it is followed by actions that are honorable. The results of our prayer and spiritual life are not always evident. We don’t need science to make our prayer or spiritual life meaningful, but like Jastrow it is interesting to have science and religion shaking hands at the top of the mountain of religious experience.
The importance of this image of the spiritual life and prayer is found as a core principle in Positive Psychology. The first level of positive emotions is (1) pleasure of a sensate nature such as what Hollywood presents to us, the second level (2) is meaning that is enriched by our relationships with others, but it is the third level (3) that brings ultimate happiness which is to acknowledge that we are committed to something more than “just me”. It can be a team, a cancer support group, or something outside of ourselves such as a spiritual life.
Carlos Castanada, a Peruvian mystic, reflected on the key question of the spiritual life in much the same way as Lisa Miller. He wrote: “Does this path have heart?”
I have always found a definition of the spiritual life and religion contrasted in the following idiom to get to the heart of the matter of the matter as well. “Religion is for those who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for those who have already been there.”
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