The faith of biology & the biology of faith

the long version

"Robert Pollack argues that an alliance between religious faith and science is not necessarily an argument in favor of irrationality: the two can inform each other's visions of the world.". "Pollack begins by reflecting on the large questions of meaning and purpose - and the difficulty of finding either in the orderly world described by the data of science. Next, the book focuses on matters of free will, from the choice of a scientist to accept evidence to the choice of a religious person to accept a revelation to a patient's loss of free will in medical treatment. In closing, Pollack considers the promise of genetic medicine in enabling us to glimpse our own future and offers a reconsideration of the possible utility of the so-called placebo effect in curing illness." "Whether refuting a DNA-based biological model of Judaism or discussing the Darwinian concept of the species, Pollack, under the banner of free inquiry, presents a genuine, vital, and well-argued assay of the intersection of science and religion."--BOOK JACKET.