Born to Wonder
Exploring Our Deepest Questions--Why Are We Here and Why Does It Matter?
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In Born to Wonder, Alister McGrath, a prolific Oxford scholar, scientist, and theologian, explores the deepest mystery at the heart of life itself.
Life is a gift. We never asked to be born. Yet here we are, living in this strange world of space and time, trying to work out what it's all about before the darkness closes in and extinguishes us. We are adrift on a misty, grey sea of ignorance, seeking a sun-kissed island of certainty, on which we might hope to find clear answers to our deepest and most poignant questions.
What is the point of life? Why are we here? And what is it about us that makes us want to ask these questions? As far as we know, we're the only species on earth that asks these questions, and dares to hope that we might find an answer. It seems that we are born to wonder, not merely to exist. From time to time, all of us find ourselves overwhelmed by a sense of awe or mystery, often when confronted with the beauty of nature, whether it is a mountain stream or the vast expanse of ocean waters. That is when we see a flicker of a grander vision of reality, perhaps lying beyond the horizons of our experience. It is as if, for only a moment, a veil is removed, and we catch a half-glimpsed sight of a promised land, waiting to be mapped and explored. This sense of wonder fuels much of humanity's creativity and its search for understanding.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This excellent academic treatise by theologian McGrath (Historical Theology) offers an information-dense yet surprisingly poetic overview of what it means to be human. McGrath contends that to unlock the mysteries of human nature, science needs to be supplemented by religion, particularly Christianity. Posing fundamental questions how can we grasp "the immensity of our universe"?; "why are we here?" but never offering definitive answers, McGrath argues that humans' innate drive to ask these questions reveals truths about the nature of humanity, and God as well: "human beings need more than facts; they seek meaning." He cites contrasting perspectives from a variety of fields (among them science, philosophy, theology, and the literary arts), considers divergent philosophical views (such as Marxism, Darwinism, transhumanism, rationalism, scientism, and humanism), and determines that "religion and spirituality... are part of what it means to be human and must therefore be addressed as an integral aspect of human nature." The emphasis on listening to opposing perspectives, taking others' conclusions seriously, and being respectful of those who have differing viewpoints is particularly refreshing. McGrath's gracious spirit and erudite presentation make this a worthy, convincing synthesis of human impulses toward science and religion.
