Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics

by Diarmuid O'Murchu

Overview

Here, best-selling author Diarmuid O'Murchu presents a vision of the intersection of quantum physics and spirituality. It is now revised to reflect the most recent advances in physics. From black holes to holograms, from relativity theory to the discovery of quarks, this book is an original and rich exposition of quantum theory and the way it unravels profound theological questions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780824522636
Publisher:	The Crossroad Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/01/2004
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	233,849
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

	Introduction to the Revised Edition	1
Part 1	The Invitation
1.	You Are Invited ...	5
2.	What do We Mean by Theology?	9
	Theology and Religion	11
	Theology and Spirituality	13
	Contemporary Theology	15
	Conclusion	22
3.	What is the Quantum All About?	24
	The Classical Model	25
	The Quantum Theory	28
	Do We Create Our Own Reality?	33
	Wholistic Consciousness	35
Part 2	The Dance
4.	Energy, Movement, and Rhythm	45
	Dancing to Our Sacredness	47
	Dance of the Gods	49
	Dance as a Scientific Metaphor	50
	The Symmetry Within	53
	Music as a Pulse of Creation	53
	The God Question	55
5.	Wholes and Parts	58
	Beyond the Mechanistic Metaphor	59
	Wholes and Parts	60
	Our Holographic Universe	61
	The World as Subject	64
	Wholeness and Uniqueness	65
Part 3	The Relationship
6.	The Horizon of Belonging	71
	Fields of Influence	72
	In Relation to the Whole	75
	Whither Revelation?	78
7.	Beyond Our Isolation	85
	Trinitarian Relatedness	87
	Individual Uniqueness	91
	The Search for Community	93
Part 4	The Story
8.	In the Beginning	101
	The Potential for Self-Organization	103
	The Gaia Hypothesis	105
	Propensity for Self-Regulation	109
	The Creative Vacuum	110
	The Anthropic Principle	112
	Humans and Gaia	113
	Theological Implications	114
9.	Stories Generate Meaning	117
	Stories Stretch the Imagination	118
	The Word as Story	120
	The Central Myth of the Christian Story	122
	Interpreting Sacred Texts	124
	Story in Peril?	125
Part 5	The Shadow
10.	Embracing the Dark	131
	Black Holes	132
	The Theory of Chaos	135
	Being and Nothingness	139
	Salvation and Redemption	141
11.	Integrating the Shadow	145
	The Power of Dualisms	147
	Integrating the Shadow	149
	Sins of Our Time	151
Part 6	The Light
12.	The Search for Enlightenment	163
	The Light That Shines	165
	The Path to Enlightenment	167
	The Sacrament of Light	170
	The Sacramental Process	172
13.	Reaching Toward Infinity	175
	Resurrection from the Dead	176
	The Universal Will to Life	178
	Whither Afterlife?	180
	World without End?	183
Part 7	The Future
14.	The Promise and the Peril	189
	Our Calvary Moment	190
	Quantum Yearnings: Within and Without	193
	God and Creation in Process	195
15.	No Greater Love...	198
	Power of Love or Love of Power?	199
	The Embodiment of Love	200
	New Horizons of Human Sexuality	201
	The Spirit as Friend	204
	The Love That Liberates	206
Appendix 1	Principles of Quantum Theology	209
Appendix 2	Doing Theology in a Space-Time Continuum	215
	Notes	219
	Bibliography	223
	Index	235