While in Madison, WI a few weeks ago, I heard part of a rebroadcast of Electrons to Enlightenment, a 5-part series on science & religion from Wisconsin Public Radio’s To The Best of Our Knowledge program, prompting me to download the MP3s & listen to the entire 5 hours on my commute to work. While I was somewhat disappointed that the interviews did not go deeper into the topics surrounding the intersection of science & religion, I nonetheless found the program fascinating & was pleased with the broad range of ideas discussed and the thinkers interviewed, which included some of my favorites: Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Ken Wilber, & E. O. Wilson, plus a number that were new to me but whose books have dutifully been added to my Amazon WishList for future reading.
From the range of thinkers listed, one may easily guess that I come down on the side of reason rather than faith. However, while I’m not religious, I do value spirituality. While I don’t hold out much hope for the peaceful coexistence of science & traditional mythic/dogmatic religions, whose approaches & belief structures fundamentally clash, I see science & spirituality as clearly compatible &, in my view, unified complements.