Practical Mystic

Religion, Science, and A. S. Eddington

By: Matthew Stanley

Write A Review

Hardcover | 1 November 2007 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Hardcover
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.35 x 1.65 x 0.25

Hardcover

$155.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $38.94 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

Science and religion have long been thought incompatible. But nowhere has this apparent contradiction been more fully resolved than in the figure of A. S. Eddington (1882-1944), a pioneer in astrophysics, relativity, and the popularization of science, and a devout Quaker. "Practical Mystic "uses the figure of Eddington to shows how religious and scientific values can interact and overlap without compromising the integrity of either.
Eddington was a world-class scientist who not only maintained his religious belief throughout his scientific career but also defended the interrelation of science and religion while drawing inspiration from both for his practices. For instance, at a time when a strict adherence to deductive principles of physics had proved fruitless for understanding the nature of stars, insights from Quaker mysticism led Eddington to argue that an outlook less concerned with certainty and more concerned with further exploration was necessary to overcome the obstacles of incomplete and uncertain knowledge.
By examining this intersection between liberal religion and astrophysics, "Practical Mystic" questions many common assumptions about the relationship between science and spirituality. Matthew Stanley's analysis of Eddington's personal convictions also reveals much about the practice, production, and dissemination of scientific knowledge at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Industry Reviews

"Although Eddington's work has often been noted by scholars dealing with the relationship between science and religion, no one has attempted an analysis of his thought at anything like the level of detail now provided by Matthew Stanley. Practical Mystic throws much extra light on Eddington himself and will serve as a model for what this kind of detailed study can do to help us understand how technical science can actually be influenced by the individual scientist's position on wider issues." - Peter J. Bowler, Queen's University Belfast"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Quaker Renaissance: Making a Religious Scientist
Mysticism: Seeking and Stellar Models
Internationalism: The 1919 Eclipse and Eddington as Quaker Adventurer
Pacifism: Confronting the State and Maintaining Identity in War
Experience: From Relativity to Religion
Religion in Modern Life: Science, Philosophy, and Liberal Theology in Interwar Britain
Thinking about Values and Science
Notes
Bibliographic Note
Bibliography
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Practical Mystic

Religion, Science, and A. S. Eddington

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in History

Russia

Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921

Piano Teacher of Montparnasse

The heartbreaking new novel from the bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Breakneck

China's Quest to Engineer the Future

Letters

1944-1959

Australia's Bush Legends

The heroes, larrikins and adventurers who shaped the nation

The Stolen Crown

The bestselling, gripping account of the succession of Elizabeth I by a leading Tudor expert

Waves of Plenty

Immigration and the Making of Australia

The Last Best Place on the Internet

A Human History of Wikipedia

Plunder

Turning Point

The Battle for Milne Bay 1942 - Japan's first land defeat in World War II

The Most Interesting People You've Never Heard Of

Matthew Flinders

A definitive and indisputable history of the man who mapped Australia

The European Mind

Proto

How One Ancient Language Went Global

The Culture Wars

Identity, Belonging and the Transformation of Australian Politics

The Country Schoolmaster

A Mystery in 88 Letters

The Last Days Of The Incas

Ancient Egypt

A History in Seven Treasures The perfect gift for history lovers from the Sunday Times bestselling author

Dodge City

The Golden Menhir

An Illustrated Asterix Album

The Curious Case of the Stolen Mace

Solving Australia's Strangest Political Crime

Collector's Slipcase Edition Australian Air Power

The F-111 & Huey

Old Vintage Melbourne, a culinary chronicle

Fighting for Country

The extraordinary life of Reg Saunders, Australia's first Indigenous military officer, hero of two wars

This product is categorised by