March 13th, 2008
Priest-Cosmologist Wins $1.6 Million Templeton Prize
While stumbling through The Google’s news site, I just found this article about Michael Heller winning the $1.6 Million Templeton Prize for his work in cosmology, religion, and his philosophy for unifying them both. I just heard about the guy today, but I’m absolutely buying one of his over 20 books when I finally get 100% settled in Portland. I’m pretty excited about it.
The NYT article summarizes Heller’s work:
Much of Professor Heller’s career has been dedicated to reconciling the known scientific world with the unknowable dimensions of God.
In doing so, he has argued against a “God of the gaps” strategy for relating science and religion, a view that uses God to explain what science cannot.
Professor Heller said he believed, for example, that the religious objection to teaching evolution “is one of the greatest misunderstandings” because it “introduces a contradiction or opposition between God and chance.”
I completely agree with the man on this point. How many thousands of articles, conversations, and lectures have been given on the “God vs. Science” dichotomy? I’m eager to finally read a book from someone unifying the two.