Rebuilding the Matrix: Science and Faith in the 21st Century

Are we just survival machines, evolved for the main purpose of perpetuating our DNA? Where do our ethical principles—which we use to make decisions about the application of science—come from? How can we maintain a sense of meaning and purpose when faced with our transient lives in a vast universe? Science appears to offer one set of answers; Christianity, another. The two seem set in a perpetual attack-and-defend stance against each other. But is the difference as irreconcilable as we’ve been led to believe? Unfortunately, the most vigorous public responses to this question have come from radicals on either side of the spectrum. The result, says author Denis Alexander, has been ‘an unnecessary polarization between science and religion in which more moderate voices have often been drowned out by the media attention given to extremist positions.’ In Rebuilding the Matrix, Dr. Alexander speaks for the ‘silent majority’ of working scientists who are tired of the radical rhetoric and critical of the abuse of science for ideological purposes. This book promotes dialogue among scientists across the whole range among professionals, from atheistic evolutionists to young-earth creationists. Full of new insights and fresh perspectives, it is thorough, yet also accessible to anyone interested in issues of faith and science. Alexander offers evidence that a much greater part of the Western scientific community allows for theism than the media suggest. Rebuilding the Matrix draws on sociologists, historians of science, philosophers, scientists, and theologians to provide an overview of the varied ways in which faith and science interact. Beginning by laying historical groundwork, the book moves on to tackle such key questions -How do scientific and religious knowledge relate? -Does evolution have any religious significance? -Can ethics be derived from evolutionary biology? -Does the anthropic principle support religious belief? -Are miracles strictly unbelievable? Rebuilding a ‘theistic framework for science’—the matrix to which the title alludes—is no easy task. But as you will discover, there are compelling reasons to make the effort. Rebuilding the Matrix is an informed, refreshing, and thought-provoking exploration into some of the biggest issues of our time.