Came across an article in Wellspring publication dated June 2010 written by Louise Mattay, a retired UCA Deacon. 'An introduction to cosmology'makes for an interesting read. She quotes from several authors including Brian Swimme, who describes in The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos – Humanity and the New Story the difference between Cosmology and Science. ‘Science is not the same as cosmology, even when a cosmology is deeply informed by science. Cosmology is the story of the birth, development and destiny of the universe, told with the aim of assisting humans in their task of identifying their roles within the great drama. Science on the other hand is focused on obtaining a detailed understanding of the physical processes of the universe.’ He goes on to state: ‘The great news of our time is the evolutionary story in which we come to realize that we humans are all embedded in a living, developing universe, and that we are therefore cousins to everything in the universe.... Cosmology as an ancient wisdom tradition draws from science, theology, art, poetry, and philosophy, but is, strictly speaking, its own distinct tradition. It is not a question of eschewing scientific or theological terms altogether, but rather of aiming for language arising out of our experience of living within an unfolding cosmos.’
The article invites us to recognize that 'As the new universe story seeps into our awareness, it challenges us to expand the way we think about and respond to the life around us. As clearly as the parables told by Jesus challenged his listeners to ask questions about who they were and what their relationships meant, so the new universe story challenges us. This new world view acknowledges evolution as a creative process urged on from within by the very Spirit of God’.
Fascinating reading. Thanks, Louise!
You can read the full article (and other Wellspring articles)here
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