Light is the key to the deepest of mysteries, and the bridge that connects science and spirituality. When Christian faith is understood in terms of the scientific properties and behaviors of light, not only do perceived conflicts between science and spirituality disappear, but there exists a synergy between them that supports and enriches both. The key to understanding our place and purpose in the universe is the property of light known in physics as the "complementarity principle," in which light exists as waves until it is observed by humans, upon which it instantly manifests as physical reality. This dual nature of light defines dual realities - the spiritual and physical realities. Visionaries and prophets throughout history and from widely diverse backgrounds, as well as many individuals who have had so-called near death experiences, have consistently reported experiencing God as Light - Light that is qualitatively and quantitatively different from the light we ordinarily see. Furthermore, the "tunnel" often seen in the near death experience is the same phenomenon as the so-called "spiritual eye" or "gate of heaven" of the visionary experience. It's a phenomenon that was predicted by Einstein's theories 100 years ago. In addition, re-examining the biblical creation story in terms of the Light of Christ and the complementarity principle, it becomes clear that the "fall" of man from the presence of God was a quantum event in which his conscious awareness switched from God to the physical world. It also becomes clear that the first chapter of Genesis is about the creation of the universe, not about our planet. The apparent anachronisms in the Genesis story then disappear, details of the physical creation as distinct from the spiritual come into sharper focus, and the creation story is seen to be in complete harmony with modern science.

A considerable amount of public debate and media print has been devoted to the “war between science and religion.” In his accessible and eminently readable new book, Stephen M. Barr demonstrates that what is really at war with religion is not science itself, but a philosophy called scientific materialism. Modern Physics and Ancient Faith argues that the great discoveries of modern physics are more compatible with the central teachings of Christianity and Judaism about God, the cosmos, and the human soul than with the atheistic viewpoint of scientific materialism. Scientific materialism grew out of scientific discoveries made from the time of Copernicus up to the beginning of the twentieth century. These discoveries led many thoughtful people to the conclusion that the universe has no cause or purpose, that the human race is an accidental by-product of blind material forces, and that the ultimate reality is matter itself. Barr contends that the revolutionary discoveries of the twentieth century run counter to this line of thought. He uses five of these discoveries—the Big Bang theory, unified field theories, anthropic coincidences, Gödel’s Theorem in mathematics, and quantum theory—to cast serious doubt on the materialist’s view of the world and to give greater credence to Judeo-Christian claims about God and the universe. Written in clear language, Barr’s rigorous and fair text explains modern physics to general readers without oversimplification. Using the insights of modern physics, he reveals that modern scientific discoveries and religious faith are deeply consonant. Anyone with an interest in science and religion will find Modern Physics and Ancient Faith invaluable.

FFaith Physics is a new Theory of Everything (ToE) combining ancient spiritual wisdom and modern quantum physics findings to deliver a belief system that is both intellectually sound and spiritually satisfying. It maintains an ineffable Supreme Consciousness is the catalyst of all material creation as a ‘great thought’ through pure white light in zero-point morphogenetic quantum fields. Faith Physics claims that consciousness is the cornerstone of base reality existing in a timeless state of now. By using the natural cause-and-effect laws of classical physics, the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics, and dark matter/energy, Faith Physics posits pure consciousness manifests physical creation in a remarkable myriad of forms. In the wave/particle duality paradigm revealed by quantum mechanics, conscious observation transforms light energy into particulate physical matter as condensed or frozen light in accordance with Albert Einstein’s famous E=mc2 equation. Faith Physics teaches us we exist and thrive in a unified participatory universe emanating from an eternal Supreme Consciousness source, and we are not just a product of random-chance evolution. In the 21st century, religion and science are reaching an enlightened consensus that pure metaphysical consciousness is perpetually painting a picture on the space-time continuum canvas depicting a miraculous cycle of physical creation, entropy, and cosmic rebirth.

Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose questions some of the most fashionable ideas in physics today, including string theory What can fashionable ideas, blind faith, or pure fantasy possibly have to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely, theoretical physicists are immune to mere trends, dogmatic beliefs, or flights of fancy? In fact, acclaimed physicist and bestselling author Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are just as susceptible to these forces as anyone else. In this provocative book, he argues that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes productive and even essential in physics, may be leading today's researchers astray in three of the field's most important areas—string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. Arguing that string theory has veered away from physical reality by positing six extra hidden dimensions, Penrose cautions that the fashionable nature of a theory can cloud our judgment of its plausibility. In the case of quantum mechanics, its stunning success in explaining the atomic universe has led to an uncritical faith that it must also apply to reasonably massive objects, and Penrose responds by suggesting possible changes in quantum theory. Turning to cosmology, he argues that most of the current fantastical ideas about the origins of the universe cannot be true, but that an even wilder reality may lie behind them. Finally, Penrose describes how fashion, faith, and fantasy have ironically also shaped his own work, from twistor theory, a possible alternative to string theory that is beginning to acquire a fashionable status, to "conformal cyclic cosmology," an idea so fantastic that it could be called "conformal crazy cosmology." The result is an important critique of some of the most significant developments in physics today from one of its most eminent figures.

Argues that the discoveries of twentieth-century physics--relativity and the quantum theory--demand a radical reformulation of the fundamentals of reality and a way of thinking, that is closer to mysticism than materialism.

Setting aside the pervasive material bias of science and lifting the obscuring fog of religious sectarianism reveals a surprisingly clear unity of science and religion. The explanations of transcendent phenomena given by saints, sages, and near-death experiencers—miracles, immortality, heaven, God, and transcendent awareness—are fully congruent with scientific discoveries in the fields of relativity, quantum physics, medicine, M-theory, neuroscience, and quantum biology. The Physics of God describes the intersections of science and religion with colorful, easy-to-understand metaphors, making abstruse subjects within both science and religion easily accessible to the layman—no math, no dogma. This intriguing book: Pulls back the curtain on the light-show illusion we call matter. Connects string theory’s hidden brane worlds to religion’s transcendent heavens. Reveals the scientific secret of life and immortality: quantum biology’s startling discovery that the human body is continuously entangled. Demonstrates the miracle-making power of our minds to effect instantaneous physiological changes. Explains how the intelligent observer effect confirms our high spiritual potential. Compelling and concise, The Physics of God will make you believe in the unity of science and religion and eager to experience the personal transcendence that is the promise of both.

"Based on his 1993-94 Gifford Lectures, Polkinghorne's task here is to ask challenging questions of the contemporary scientific worldview and to show how the range of possible answers carries beyond biology to spirit and beyond physics to God. . . . The single most important work of his theological corpus".-- First Things.