“We must now recognize belief once more as the source of all knowledge. Tacit assent and intellectual passions, the sharing of an idiom and of a cultural heritage, affiliation to a like-minded community: such are the impulses which shape our vision of the nature of things on which we rely for our mastery of things. No intelligence, however critical or original, can operate outside such a fiduciary framework.” - Michael Polanyi

Excellent comments all around, and I’m sure much more to come - John D’s and Paul H’s especially. Is it just me, or is there a pervasive sense of “common wisdom” that believes a predominance of college professors, and especially scientists, to be rigid atheists? A long-term study I’m engaged in finds this to be a myth, as John’s links point out.

As scientific discovery continues to shape our world, the Church must find its voice within and among a culture of increasingly immersive technology. The printing press impacted religion (and culture) slowly but pervasively. Today, the development of technology is accelerating and permeating our lives. In times past, we had the luxury of slowly engaging new technologies over decades, even centuries. Today, faith working within technology is less about isolated invention and more about rapid convergence – in the broadest terms, a consilience of science and spirituality.

This conversation must find greater traction in the broader Church, else the Gospel becomes trapped in cultural irrelevance. Not that the essence of xn faith (mercy, grace, renewal, love) is irrelevant. Rather, the Body must learn to navigate cultural mechanisms as they are, and as they emerge. The Internet, I think, is playing a key role in this.

I’ve decided to start a blog, of sorts, as a resource for the Church in an age of rapidly accelerating technology - a place where non-technologists of faith can gain a better understanding of these perplexing ideas; where xn practice can be contextualized within an increasingly complex techno-culture. My ongoing study of faith and science has returned a storehouse of data, links, stories, and personal contacts with scientists of faith worldwide. There are valid reasons, I’ve found, that scientists are not always forthcoming with their beliefs.

As I get this blog working, I’ll report back with a link, and I’ll certainly add OST to my blogroll.

Kind regards, John L