Earth, Humanity and God

This challenging and provocative book from a renowned historian of science sets the contemporary agenda for discussing the relationship between science and religion. The author examines the present condition and prospects for our planet by investigating our changing attitudes to the Earth and the implications for humanity. The author argues forcefully that neither the conventional scientific view nor "New Age" philosophy alone help in evaluating our relationship with the Earth. While the book doesn't pretend to come up with detailed recipes for combating the threats to the Earth it does examine - and reject - the two conventional solutions of uncontrolled expansion of technology on one hand or a retreat into pre-scientific mysticism on the other. Each, in its own way, is a prescription for disaster. The resurgence in ancient ideas of "Mother Earth" is seen as a dangerous piece of romantic irrationality which taken to its ultimate conclusion could pose the greatest danger yet. The related Gaia hypothesis is briefly explored and its inherent ambiguities exposed. Instead, the author shows that a hard-headed attempt to relate Biblical and scientific data can yield a valuable new understanding of the problems that face the world and one that offers realistic hope.