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Science and Theology Online

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Bridging the gap between Science and Theology is a hot field. It even has it's own journal called Research News & Opportunities in Science and Theology. Since this is my field of study, too, I subscribe. However, the online version of the publication (www.researchnewsonline.org/ ) also has a wealth of information. For example, the lead article for October was about an August meeting in Spain at which scientists and religious scholars from throughout the world voted to form a new organization called the International Society for Science and Religion. John Polkinghorne, distinguished for his work in mathematical physics and an ordained priest in the Church of England, pointed out that "science and religion are both searching for truth." Many at the meeting expressed the hope that the society would bridge long-standing divisions between science and religion and help overcome conflicts among the religions themselves.

The Research News site also contains links to sections like "Past Issues" and "Archives." There is also a handy search function. One drawback of the site is that it features only three of the many excellent articles that appear in each issue. For example, a September 2002 article entitled "Why Cooperation Feels So Good" about an Emory University study that found a biological basis for teamwork was not published on the site. For the entire issue, you'll have to visit the "Subscribe" section--or if you click on "Free Offer" you can get a six-month subscription for free.

Other worthwhile science and theology sites include:

The Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org): The John Templeton Foundation is one of the major movers and shakers in the field of science and theology. The foundation was established in 1987 by renowned international investor Sir John Templeton to encourage a fresh appreciation of the critical importance—for all peoples and cultures--of the moral and spiritual dimensions of life. The Templeton Foundation site features a plethora of material for the spiritual traveler. Major sections include "Science and Religion," "Spirituality and Health," and "Character Development." The link to the Templeton Foundation Press (www.templetonpress.org) features numerous books dedicated to a new vision of spiritual progress. Titles include Wisdom from World Religions: Pathways toward Heaven on Earth by John Marks Templeton and A Concealed God: Religion, Science, and the Search for Truth by Stefan Einhorn.

Science-and-Religion Bookstore (www.scienceandreligionbooks.org/): This new site features 697 books in categories like Philosophy/Theology, Physical Sciences, Religion, Religion & Science, Social Sciences, and Spirituality & Health. Featured new selections include Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive by Larry Rosenberg, (Shambhala Publications Inc.) and Heaven and Hell and Its Wonders, drawn from Things Heard & Seen by Emanuel Swedenborg, (Swedenborg Foundation Publishers/Chrysalis Books). In Living in the Light of Death, Rosenberg explores one of the Buddha's great realizations: the reality of aging and death. Heaven and Hell and Its Wonders is a new edition of Swedenborg's best-known work published in 1758, which describes the nature of life after death and of the internal state, or "ruling love," of the individual that determines his or her situation in the afterlife.

Counterbalance Foundation (www.counterbalance.org): This site features an interactive library, offering new views on complex issues from science, ethics, philosophy, and religion. Here you'll find extensive resources on the evolution/creation controversy, biomedical ethical challenges, and much more. Themes include The Relation of Science & Religion, Purpose & Design, Hope, The Future, Global Perspectives, Faith, and Health. Counterbalance is a non-profit educational organization working to promote counterbalanced perspectives on complex issues.

Science and the Spiritual Quest II (www.ssq.net): The SSQ website is a program of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkley, California. Through private workshops and major public conferences around the world, the center promotes dialogue among leading scientists on the connections between their scientific work and their religious or spiritual identities. Two interesting sections at this site are "Media" and "Resources." "Media" features various press releases relating to science and religion. "Resources" features SSQ audio, videos, and publications like Science and the Spiritual Quest: New Essays by Leading Scientists.

Institute for Research on Unlimited Love (www.unlimitedloveinstitute.org): I've written about this excellent site in previous columns. Now the Institute's president Stephen G. Post is inviting people to share their own stories of Unlimited Love. Send your inspirational stories to him via email at sgp2@po.cwru.edu. Include permission to post the story on the Unlimited Love website. By submitting stories about the power of unlimited love and other-regarding virtues like forgiveness and reconciliation, we can both inspire and be inspired.

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Mary Montgomery-Clifford is a certified web author and developer. Her company, Montgomery Media Enterprises ("Freelancing with Finesse!"), specializes in public relations, events, promotions, writing project and web authoring, development and publicity. Ms. Montgomery-Clifford has a Master's Degree in religious studies from Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) in June 2002 and is working on a Ph.D. with a focus on the new scholarship of Unlimited Love and the Other Regarding Virtues in the Fall of 2002. She is also in the process of completing the Morris Pratt Institute Course on Modern Spiritualism. Contact her via e-mail at Monty764@aol.com, by phone at 773-235-8821 or at her web site at www.montymedia.com.

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