Resting on the Future: Catholic Theology for an Unfinished Universe Paperback – September 24, 2015

I am a retired Ph.D. vertebrate zoologist with strong interests in evolutionary biology and animal behavior. I am also in what I prefer to call the nontheistic camp of personal religious belief. This book is by far the best effort to reconcile Christian theology and evolutionary science that I have yet to encounter. The primary weakness is the author's tendency to use the writings other philosophers as representative of scientific naturalism rather than practicing scientists. This is most evident in Chapter 10 (Mind: From Afterthought to Axis) where the author does not seem to be familiar with the current state of modern scientific investigation of the phenomenon we call the mind. The true scientific community in this area is very comfortable with the concept of emergent phenomena and regard cognition as a prime example of such naturalistic emergence. Even so, I give the book a full five stars because it is such a magnificent effort in a very difficult area.

This book is a great contribution to an up-to-date Christian faith, one that makes sense! For example, its chapter, "Suffering: Expiation to Expectation," is just one of the many progressive insights that challenges much of the liturgical and theological language that traditionally depicts Jesus' death as one of atonement for sin! Every chapter is interestingly titled to suggest the process of change that is involved in integrating evolutionary biology and cosmology and theology into one's spirituality . Resting on the Future is a well-written, understandable description of a Catholic Christian theology that incorporates the thought of Teilhard de Chardin and the new story of the universe as found in the works of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme. Its perspective is not limited to Catholic theology, but is applicable to everyone's search for life's meaning.

Finally a Christian theologian who uses science correctly and appropriately and yet makes a case for optimism and hope. Not always clear but makes a step forward in the science-faith dialogue that all should ponder.

This book tackles head on the challenge of 'big history' for classical Christian theology. Though writing primarily to his Catholic tradition, the author's ideas have equal application for Protestant and Pentecostal theology as well. Christian churches, theological education centers, and lay persons must grapple with the meaning of the new cosmology and evolutionary biology for the sake of the gospel they proclaim. This books offers some constructive suggestions for how to do so.

You will end up reading this book several times because it lays a new theological foundation that integrates our new cosmology and evolutionary sense of reality to our ever expanding human consciousness. Awesome!

Comprehensive, well grounded in both Catholic theology and today's science. Hopeful!

Anyone trying to reconcile a world of science and faith in a benevolent Creator will be enlightened by this book.

excellent copy