September October 2001
Altruism and Interstellar Message Design
Getting at the Grass Roots by Jill Neimark
A geographer's survey offers fertile ground for studying the scientific and religious perspectives of American environmentalism.

Altruism: A Scientific Perspective by Douglas A. Vakoch
Scientist Douglas A. Vakoch explains how the universal language of mathematics might communicate the complicated concept of altruism, and why what we say is as important as how we say it.

The Strength of Small by Jill Neimark
A Nobel Laureate research scientist wonders whether nanotechnology can kill his cancer.

Choice for the Common Good by Jennifer Lee Atkin
Pro-choice positions find religious ground on an overpopulated planet.

Beating Chronic Illness by April Thompson
Drumming offers a sound addition to modern efforts to ease pain.

So Much Potential by Jennifer Derryberry
A great dialogue can develop from the ongoing stem cell debate.

Avoiding AIDS by Edward Susman
Theology hampers frank discussion about AIDS prevention with those who need it most.

Infinity and Perspective by Ellen Dissanayake
reviewed by Ellen Dissanyake

The Universe at Midnight: Observations Illuminating the Cosmos by Paul Halpern
reviewed by Paul Halpern

Altruism: An Introduction by Frank Drake
As scientists draft an interstellar message about altruism, we struggle to attain that ideal here on earth.

Altruism: A Theological Perspective by Ted Peters
Scientists don't know whether distinct groups—such as humans and aliens—can be altruistic toward each other. Theologian Ted Peters proposes that our musings about extraterrestrials reveal our xenophobia.

Encoding Altruism by Christopher D. Ringwald
If ETs exist, do they love? And do they love expecting nothing in return?

Beyond Reconstruction by Sara Solovitch
Spiritual practices are gaining mainstream acceptance as complementary and alternative therapies. And as spiritual well-being is boosted, breast cancer patients become survivors.

July August 2001
Artificial Intelligence
Pig in a Poke by Mike Fillon
Ethicists snort; biotech firms go hog-wild. Is xenotransplantation the answer to prayers or an animal sacrifice?

Zero Tolerance by Elizabeth Kadetsky
John D. Barrow explains why "nothing" stirs up trouble for theologians and mathematicians alike.

Facing the Maker by Jill Neimark
Machines don't have souls, but they can beat us at chess and compose music to rival Beethoven and Bach. Yet, as the line between "man" and "man-made" becomes increasingly blurred, artificial intelligence may offer a mirror image of our own mechanisms.

May June 2001
Animal Spirituality
Rain Dance by Dr. Jane Goodall
A storm's fierce tempo moves chimpanzees to mimic the force's strength. Is this awareness of a greater power, a form of worship, or evidence of animal soul?

Forces of Habit: Drugs and the Making of the Modern World by Dr. Christopher D. Ringwald
reviewed by Christopher D. Ringwald

March April 2001
Ageing, Healthcare and Spiritual Convergence
Persistent Prayer by Erika Rasmusson
Throughout the turbulent times in Betty Kirchner's life—during World War II, when her husband was stationed in Hawaii at Hickum Airfield; in 1988, when that same husband passed away; and today, as her son battles lymphoma—prayer has been her anchor.

Global shepherd by Ken Silverstein
Rev. Leon Sullivan downplays his status as the most influential black man alive. But the title, promoted by black scholars and supported by students of his life, is well earned.

Lifelong Learning by Erika Rasmusson
Parker Rossman, who taught religion in higher education at Yale University, is fond of the Russian philosopher Nicolai Berdayev's definition of spirituality: "He said that he felt our purpose in life for religious belief was not to be good in a conventional sense, but to be creative. True goodness was using creative talents and developing potential in life."

Can God Save Healthcare? by Christopher D. Ringwald
An aging America threatens to cripple the healthcare system. Seniors and their faith communities may be the secret to salvation.

Faith in Motion by Jennifer Derryberry
Ina Frymire's life is that of an extraordinary everywoman. The twice weekly church volunteer, thrice weekly bridge player, friend to many, and family matriarch is a get-up-and-go kind of gal.

The house that service built by Jennifer Derryberry
For 50 summers Henry Kohn has abandoned his New York law firm to listen to the discordant hammering of amateurs. The carpenters are Jewish teenagers' the foundation of the American Jewish Society for Service, a work camp Henry started and still sustains. Since 1951, more than 2000 students have worked in 45 states and completed more than 120 building projects dedicated to the downtrodden. Many campers are second or third generation participants. Henry's own children—even a few grandchildren—have participated.

Work of Art by Colleen Cook
Sister Helen Beuning's voice is as gentle as the hand she places on her students' shoulders. Scrutinizing their artwork, she remarks on their technique and asks about their intentions. Under her careful guidance, 170 students throughout Atchison, Kansas, and the small towns nearby learn to recognize beauty in the world—and in themselves.

The Fruits of Labor by Karen Willemsen
Jose Guevara walks with stooped shoulders, but walk every morning—5:30 am, sunshine permitting—he does. He greets passersby with a broad smile and speaks with warmth. Deeply spiritual, Jose's faith inspires him to stay active in his family and his Sunnyvale, California, community.

The Good Doctor by Jennifer Derryberry
Visit Dr. Gladys, and you may find yourself with a prescription for soul searching. "Spirit is the life," says Gladys Taylor McGarey, MD. "Mind is the builder, and the physical is the result."

January February 2001
Biotechnology and GM foods
Strength of character by Colleen Ryckert Cook
Materialism and moral apathy send children unhealthy messages. Character education fights back, fostering personal strength and academic success.

Decision Crisis by T George Harris
T George Harris on why GM foods elicit Frankenstein Fears that leave us tongue-tied.

Tainted Waters, Wounded Spirits by Colleen Ryckert Cook
The Mohawk of Akwesasne strive to stay connected to Mother Earth after progress polluted their livelihood.

Heart in hand by Meg Holloway
A nurse's journey begun in anguish leads to renewed faith and a life-soothing gift.

2000
Consciousness
Publisher's Muse: Spirtituality & Science - The Future by Kevin Sharpe
A look at what lies ahead for the science-religion dialogue as it absorbs the encounter with non-western thought, growing secularization, and our increasingly individualized search for spirituality.

The Art of Life: Body, Emotion, and the Making of Consciousness by Antonio Damasio
In an excerpt from his book, The Feeling of What Happens, the noted neurologist traces the emergence of self-awareness from its biological foundations in the brain.

Quantum Computing: The Key to Ultimate Reality? by Paul Davies
As advances in computing approach the quantum level of operation, untold powers could be unleashed, leading us to an encounter with the ultimate nature of reality.

Disturbing the Universe: Freeman Dyson Wins the 2000 Templeton Prize for Religion by Meta Science and Religion List: www.meta-list.org
Physicist and futurist Freeman Dyson wins the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion-a brief portrait of the winner and his work.

Quantum Computing: The Key to Ultimate Reality? by Paul Davies
As advances in computing approach the quantum level of operation, untold powers could be unleashed, leading us to an encounter with the ultimate nature of reality.

Pursuing the Ingenious: An Interview with Lisa Jardine by Kate Prendergast
The historian of science debunks some of the myths surrounding the great leap forward of Western science in the 17th century.

Mind and Metaphor: Archaeology and the Evolution of Mind - An Interview with Steve Mithen by Kate Prendergast
The eminent archaeologist delves deep into the pre-history of human consciousness, showing how that history has shaped the modern mind.

Wired for the Ultimate Reality: The Neuropsychology of Religious Experience by Andrew Newberg and Eugene D'Aquili
Examining the biological mechanisms underlying religious and spiritual experience.

Pushing the Process: Science, Religion, and Society - An Interview with Ann Pederson by Mary Lacombe
The ethicist and theologian tells of her hopes to help push the science-religion dialogue into the ?wider domain of culture.?

Mind at Work: The Computational Consciousness - An Interview with Steven Pinker by Chris Floyd
The best-selling psychologist explains the computational theory of consciousness, and its implications for science. religion, ethics, and culture.

Natural Morality: Reaping our Innate Rewards by Kevin Sharpe
In the fifth of a series of articles from his upcoming book, Kevin Sharpe explores the scientific underpinning of John Templeton's Laws of Life. Part V-The Moving Mirror: Confirming our Self-Image

Darwin on the Brain: Reductionism and Religious Belief by Michael Ruse
Can Darwinism—long feared by believers for its ruthless materialism—actually be turned to theological account? Philosopher Michael Ruse investigates, and finds some surprising possibilities.

Daniel Dennett's Darwinian Mind: An Interview with a 'Dangerous' Man by Chris Floyd
The outspoken philosopher of science distills his rigorous conceptions of consciousness, and aims withering fire at the dialogue between science and religion.

Altruism, Agape and Love
Opening the Doors of Perception: Buddhism and the Mind: An Interview with Mark Epstein by Kate Prendergast
Psychotherapist and Buddhist writer Mark Epstein talks about the Buddhist view of mind, the power of meditation, and the processes of healing in both Buddhism and psychotherapy, in this exclusive interview.

Genes and Predestination: The Cracked Skull by Kevin Sharpe with Rebecca Bryant
Is behavioral genetics just another form of the doctrine of predestination? Is our destiny laid out for us at birth? Or does science point to a new solution to the age-old conflict between free will and determinism?

Time Out of Mind: A New Vision of Temporal Reality: An Interview with Julian Barbour by Kate Prendergast
Is time an illusion, a piece of quantum trickery that fools us into a false sensation of flow in the midst of a static reality? Physicist Julian Barbour makes a strong case in this exclusive interview with Science & Spirit.

Virtuous Species: The Biological Origins of Human Morality: An Interview with Frans de Waal by Chris Floyd
Human morality springs from evolutionary foundations still evident today in our primate cousins, says noted zoologist Frans de Waal in this exclusive interview. His work opens up a new vision of human nature, one in which compassion and caring are just as fundamental as Darwinian competition.

Emergent Wonder: The Sacred Depths of Nature: An Interview with Ursula Goodenough by Mary Lacombe

Growing Into the Light: The Matter and Mystery of Consciousness: An Interview with Susan Greenfield by Chris Floyd
Neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, one of the world?s top figures in the public understanding of science, talks about the relationship between the biology of the brain and the subjectivity of consciousness in this exclusive interview.

Being and Emptiness: Buddhist Perspectives on Compassion by Ruben L. F. Habito
World religions scholar Ruben Habito traces the development of a key concept underlying Buddhist thought on the compassionate life: the ultimate emptiness of reality.

The Tie that Bonds: The Molecular Basis of Monogamy by Thomas R. Insel and Larry J. Young
Explorations into the biological foundations of behavior are throwing new light on the way we organize our societies, and ourselves. Neuroscientists Insel and Young outline new clinical studies and examine their implications for human monogamy.

Natural Morality: Managing Motivation: Punishment or Reward? by Kevin Sharpe
In the fourth of a series of articles, Science & Spirit Publisher Kevin Sharpe draws on the latest advances in the physical and social sciences, as well as the heritage of the world's religious traditions, to explore the scientific underpinning of John Templeton's Laws of Life. Part IV- Managing Motivation: Punishment or Reward?

Regarding the Other: Altruistic Love as Religious Ideal and Scientific Project by Stephen G. Post
Noted ethicist Stephen Post examines the features of altruistic love - its definition, its ordering, its role in society - and points toward the importance of dialogue with the sciences "if we hope to make any socially relevant progress in our religious understanding."

Biology and Beyond: The Art and Science of Love by Michael Ruse
Can literature explore scientific ideas in a rigorous way, finding implications that might never have occurred to scientists themselves? Philosopher Michael Ruse puts the case for art in science and science in art in this examination of Ian McEwan's novel, Enduring Love.

Second Glance by Kevin Sharpe and Chris Floyd

God's Funeral: The Birth of Modern Science and the Death of Faith: An Interview with A.N. Wilson by Karl Giberson and Don Yerxa
Novelist and biographer A.N. Wilson talks about his new study of the Victorian era's emotionally devastating loss of religious faith in the face of the 19th century's great scientific discoveries—a loss still reverberating in our own day.

Trees of Knowledge: Psychology and the Uncovering of Spiritual Beliefs by Douglas A. Vakoch
Psychologists have developed methods to discover our implicit ways of seeing the world. Can we use those same approaches to gain a deeper appreciation of divergent views of spirituality?