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Let There Be Light
Modern Cosmology and Kabbalah:
A New Conversation Between Science and Religion
by
Howard
Smith, PhD
View
the Full Cover
THE
UNIVERSE BEGAN
out
of nothing 13.7 billion years ago and has expanded in an evolving
process that resembles one that Jewish mystics envisioned centuries
ago. In Let
There Be Light,
astrophysicist Howard Smith clearly explains the modern scientific
understanding of the cosmos and explores how it complements
Judaism’s
ancient mystical theology, Kabbalah. He argues that an underlying
harmony exists between science and religion, and he uses cosmology and
Kabbalah as detailed examples to show that a dialogue between the two
sheds light on ethics, free will, and the sanctity of life. At the same
time he rejects fundamentalist misinterpretations and the pseudoscience
of creationism.
Accessible
yet based on the most current scientific research, this extraordinary
book investigates the intriguing parallels between the Big Bang theory
and biblical images of creation as developed in Kabbalah. Along the
way, the author explores modern quantum mechanics, relativity, dark
matter, and cosmic acceleration. Smith delves into complex ideas
without resorting to jargon or mathematical equations, creating a
lyrical, authoritative work that brings new and surprising insights to
the deepest mysteries of the cosmos.
“Read this book
if you
want to discover how religion and science can interact harmoniously,
how ancient Kabbalah and modern cosmology intersect, and how both of
these approaches together can enlighten us.”
DANIEL
C. MATT, author of God and
the
Big Bang, and The Zohar: Pritzker
Edition.
“More than a
literate
and frequently mind-blowing synthesis of
Jewish
mysticism
and the science of astrophysics, Smith’s book offers us a
compelling
and instructive glimpse into the
mind and
the soul of a man
of science
who is also deeply religious. There is something amazing or awesome on
almost every page.”
RABBI
LAWRENCE
KUSHNER, author of Kabbalah: A
Love Story, and Jewish
Spirituality: A Brief Introduction for
Christians.
“A profound and
perceptive
discussion of science and religion by a thoughtful and knowledgeable
scholar of both, written with depth but in a style understandable to the general public.”
CHARLES
H. TOWNES,
PhD, Nobel laureate in
physics, winner of the Templeton Prize, and professor of physics at the
University of California, Berkeley.
"The
reader is rewarded throughout with gems of insight. Using simple yet
technically correct terms...Smith evokes a sense
of
wonder, and
deeper appreciation
of this glorious
universe, and its Creator."
- Jewish
Book World, Spring 2007
"Perfect for science-minded yet religious readers....Packed with
interactions between ancient Kabbalah and modern astronomy
[it] forms an important bridge between the two. Learn how science and
religion interact harmoniously..."
- Midwest
Book Review,
2007
"
! ! ! ! ! Must Read "
- Today's Books, Public
News Service, January 2007
"Howard Smith's masterful Let
There Be Light illuminates the timeless quest for
ultimate knowledge and meaning. In creating a conversation between modern cosmology
and Jewish mysticism, two esoteric fields
of inquiry which Smith deftly makes accessible,
Smith explores the harmonies of human
inquiry and the uncanny similarities between the respective findings of these systems of inquiry. Let There Be Light is a book of both deep
understanding and wisdom: understanding in its
capacity of differentiating the stages of cosmic
evolution, wisdom in its apprehension of the cosmos's underlying unity. Students of science
and religion will find in Smith a kindred spirit
and in Let There Be Light an intellectual
companion."
--- Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels
HOWARD
A.
SMITH, PhD, is
a senior
astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics and is the former chair of the astronomy department at
Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum
in Washington,
DC.
A well-known research scientist
with several hundred scholarly publications, he served as a visiting
astronomer at NASA headquarters. Active in public education, he has
been recognized
by Harvard for excellence in teaching. He is a traditional, observant
Jew, and has lectured on cosmology and Kabbalah for over
twenty years.
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(February, 2008) Live web-
course on "Let There Be Light."
RECORDINGS OF THIS COMPLETED SERIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
FROM http://www.AskHowardSmith.com
Beginning on Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 8PM Eastern / 5PM
Pacific, "Our Learning Company" is hosting a live, five part
tele-webinar course on modern cosmology and Kabbalah,
with Howard Smith, the author of "Let There Be Light."
During each live, interactive 90-minute event, Dr. Smith
will address key issues including the current
understanding of when and how the universe was
created, closely related Biblical/Kabbalistic
perspectives, and the general issue: "Can anyone today
HONESTLY and SIMULTANEOUSLY believe in both modern
science and God?" You can participate either by phone
or on-line via the web.
The syllabus for the course includes:
"The Mysteries of Divine Light" (Relativity, the Sefirot,
and light in the creation), "The Secret of Infinte Being"
(General Relativity, the big bang, and "tzimtzum"), "The
Creation of the Universe Step by Step" (the particles
and forces, the first moments of the universe, and the
cosmic microwave background), and "Intelligent Design,
Free Will, and Dark Matter" (the anthropic principle,
many universes, and the Zohar on the love and fear of God).
The course will provide participants with supplemental
materials for study, both together as a group during
the classes, and for individual reference. In addition
to interactive Q&A during the classes there will be a
fifth session devoted solely to wide-ranging Q&As, and a
website to record class interactions.
You can find more complete information about this
exciting session of interactive distance teaching and
learning at
http://www.AskHowardSmith.com
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