Truth, Beauty, and the Limits of Knowledge

Is it rational for scientifically trained individuals to believe in God, and accept controversial theological claims such as the existence of miracles? Are science and theology essentially incompatible, or can their positions be reconciled on some level?

Truth, Beauty, and the Limits of Knowledge: A Path from Science to Religion addresses such questions by recasting certain key religious teachings in a language that is familiar to scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. It does so with the help of various science-based metaphors and analogies, whose primary purpose is to interpret theological claims in a way that is attuned to the spirit of our age. A crucial step in developing such "analogical bridges" between science and religion involves challenging the traditional Newtonian paradigm, which maintains that physical processes are generally deterministic and predictable (i.e., "well behaved"). A closer examination of recent scientific developments will show that this assumption is incorrect, and that certain aspects of nature will remain unknowable to us regardless of future technological advances. This realization opens the door to a meaningful conversation between science and theology, since both disciplines implicitly accept the premise that the true nature of "reality" can never be fully grasped by the human mind.

Dr. Aleksandar Zecevic is a professor of electrical engineering at Santa Clara University, and associate dean for graduate studies. His research interests include graph theoretic decomposition algorithms, electric power systems, and the control of complex dynamic systems. Some of his most important results in these fields are summarized in his book, Control of Complex Systems: Structural Constraints and Uncertainty (Springer, 2010). Over the past 15 years, Dr. Zecevic has also done a considerable amount of work in the area of science and religion. His two latest books, Truth, Beauty, and the Limits of Knowledge: A Path from Science to Religion, and The Unknowable and the Counterintuitive: The Surprising Insights of Modern Science are devoted to this topic.