DESCRIPTION

Cosmology in Theological Perspective explores questions concerning the place and significance of humans in the cosmos. Some of the questions addressed include: How did early Christians understand the relationship between cosmology and their faith? How have changes in the world picture challenged Christian convictions and what can we learn from previous encounters? What is the proper theological attitude toward new discoveries?

Olli-Pekka Vainio, a leading expert in science and theology, introduces cosmology from a "state of the question" perspective, examining the history of the idea in dialogue with C. S. Lewis. This work, which is related to a NASA-funded project on astrobiology, ties into the ongoing debate on the relationship between Christian theism and scientific worldview and shows what the stakes are for religion and theology in the rise of modern science. It will appeal to professors and students of science and religion, Christian worldview, theology, and philosophy as well as theologians, scientists, and science and religion readers.

About the author:
Olli-Pekka Vainio (DrTheol, Habil, University of Helsinki) is university lecturer of systematic theology in the faculty of theology at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He previously served as a resident scholar at the Center of Theological Inquiry and taught at the University of Oxford. Vainio is the author or editor of numerous volumes, including Justification and Participation in Christ, Engaging Luther: A (New) Theological Assessment, Disagreeing Virtuously: Religious Conflict in Interdisciplinary Perspective, and Virtues: An Introduction to Theory and Practice.