Myth and the Mechanistic Universe: An essay in the comparative study of religions

The author challenges the habitual and all too general attitude that makes us imagine a wall separating religion and science. By taking a fresh look at the historical evidence, Myth and the Mechanistic Universe makes the case that wherever the exact sciences have appeared, be it in classical Greece, ancient China, or the modern West, there is always an essential and logical relation between them and myth. Without falling into historical relativism, it places the myths and symbols that ground all cultures on an equal footing with those that underpin our modern scientific world. Prior to any scientific activity, people must first orient themselves; they do this by mythically enacting a world; only after having enacted a world mythically can they then begin their scientific analysis. The book’s purpose is to provide a serious, in-depth study that will allow students and other general readers to become aware of how religion relates to scientific practice in the world around us.