John Templeton (1912-2008), founder of Templeton Mutual Funds, devoted his time since 1990 to spiritual progress and his Foundation (www.templeton.org). Robert Herrmann taught biochemistry before focusing on integrating religion and science.

For 25 years John Templeton has funded various Templeton Prizes, Awards, and Grants. It recognizes individuals who have made contributions to the world’s understanding of God. Books by Templeton Prize winners and many others on science and religion are published by The Templeton Press (www.templetonpress.org) and I have read several. I recently decided to “get a taste” of how Sir John Templeton writes, because his path was different from the paths of most of the other science and religion authors I’ve read, who approach the subject from careers in theology or in science, and, in a few cases, from careers that changed in midlife from science to religion (such as Arthur Peacocke and John Polkinghorne). The Templeton Press lists 9 books by John Templeton, excluding books about him or for which he wrote an introduction or foreword. I chose this book because it was written in 1989, just before he redirected his efforts in 1990 to promote discussions of science and religion (and it was updated in 1998). This book is the second book he coauthored with Robert Herrmann. One feature I greatly favor is a long detailed Table of Contents, which this book has with 4 pp outlining 10 chapters.

John Templeton has a worldview that reminds me most of that of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in that they both see science as clear evidence of God. And they both frequently mention the awe, wonder and beauty they see in how God’s continuing creation is being revealed by science. Early in both mens' lives they pursued extensive knowledge of science after becoming involved in their initial careers. It seems easy for me to tell apart the sections of this book written by each coauthor. I’ll focus on and quote those I regard as Templeton’s. Ch 1 – The God Who Would Be Known – begins: “This is a book about signals of transcendence, about pointers to the Infinite that are coming to us not from mystics but instead through the most recent findings of science. … We find an exciting world in dynamic flux, an unexpected universe whose mechanisms are ever more baffling and staggering in their beauty and complexity, where predictability is uncertain instead of deterministic, where matter and energy are interchangeable, and where evolutionary change occurs by leaps and bounds that defy mechanistically simple explanations. … What we now know of the origins of humankind increasingly hints at the awesome sweep of the Creator’s hand. … The most fascinating phase of the human story is its spiritual development.” These quotes clearly reveal his outlook of wonder and awe. After a very brief review of the history of science, the following reveals that which he rejects: “The modern shift in science is to theological openness. There are pockets of resistance here and there; the molecular geneticists are still largely clinging to determinism because of the enormous explanatory power of the DNA revolution. But cracks are beginning to show even in this part of the once-splendid edifice of objectivity. … As pointed out recently by biochemist Robert Shapiro, it is beginning to look very open-ended in all of science. Physicist Paul Davies says, ‘Science offers a surer path to God than religion.’”

A prominent feature of this book is the frequent quotations (sometimes 1-2 pp long) from the works of scientists and/or scientist-theologians – many dozens of them. John Templeton has done us a great service by compiling and synthesizing the recent works of others who share his conviction that science and religion must engage in discussions, to the benefit of both endeavors. It seemed to me that there were more quotes from Arthur Peacocke and John Polkinghorne than anyone else. The remaining chapter titles reveal how the book develops. He doesn’t exclude views of atheists but offers convincing rebuttals, often quoting others. Ch 2 is Science Expands Our Understanding of Nature and Reality. Ch 3 is Recent Scientific Contributions to Meaning and Purpose in the Universe. Ch 4 is God Reveals Himself in the Astronomical and in the Infinitesimal. Ch 5 is The Vast Unseen and Genetic Revolution. Ch 6 is Deep and Powerful Ordering Forces in the Universe. Ch 7 is The Vast Arena of Worship. Ch 8 is Remarkable Evolution of Humankind. Ch 9 is Mysteries Multiplied.

Ch 10 – God and the Future – is a brief summary. Here are a few quotes: “In conclusion, much evidence indicates that this universe is here by divine plan, and that science itself, for decades a bastion of unbelief, has once again become the source for humankind’s assurance of intimate divine concern in its affairs. … What is needed now is a program of research based upon new scientific methodologies to investigate and elaborate the patterns and laws governing spiritual growth and development. … As we said in the conclusion of Ch 8, we have come a long way from the cave shelters of the Ice Age. But, perhaps, in God’s great plan, we have more to travel yet. Already science increasingly reveals Creations of awesome magnitude, intricacy, beauty, and order, and we sense that what lies beyond our instruments is vastly greater still. It is, finally, an experience that should bring us to our knees in humility, to worship the infinite, omniscient, eternal Creator.”

Although much of this book’s contents were quite familiar to me, I enjoyed both the delightful way the authors described things and, as I said above, I am very impressed by the great service this book provides in compiling and synthesizing recent works of others in science and religion. Thus I recommend it very highly.