The New Cosmic Story

A Choice Outstanding Academic Title. “A compelling argument for a broader understanding of religion in relation to our cosmic story.”—Mary Evelyn Tucker, coauthor of Journey of the Universe   Over the past two centuries scientific advances have made it clear that the universe is a story still unfolding. In this thought-provoking book, John F. Haught considers the deeper implications of this discovery. He contends that many others who have written books on life and the universe—including Stephen Hawking, Stephen Jay Gould, and Richard Dawkins—have overlooked a crucial aspect of cosmic history: the drama of life’s awakening to interiority and religious awareness. Science may illuminate the outside story of the universe, but a full telling of the cosmic story cannot ignore the inside development that interiority represents.   Haught addresses two primary questions: what does the arrival of religion tell us about the universe, and what does our understanding of the cosmos as an unfinished drama tell us about religion? The history of religion may be ambiguous and sometimes even barbarous, he asserts, but its role in the story of cosmic emergence and awakening must be taken into account.   “A well written book overall, and one that should prompt a more inspiring view of where we are in the Big Picture, The New Cosmic Story is highly recommended.”—Forbes.com   “Haught delivers a singular contribution with his fresh, panoptic perspective on our cosmic story.”—Charles G. Conway, Reading Religion   “This book, John F. Haught’s summa, will become a permanent contribution to the religion and science literature.”—Holmes Rolston, III, Templeton Prize winner