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This is a book for
people
wondering about modern science and religion, and what each has to say
to the other, if anything. It is also for people curious about the
discoveries of modern cosmology and physics, or about the insights of
Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, but who know little about them. Those
who may never before have picked up a book on popular science, or who
think of themselves as indifferent to or inept at science, should find
the material here both fascinating and understandable. On the other
hand, scientifically literate readers who may never have heard of the
Kabbalah or who have decided they are uninterested in religion, will, I
hope, take away a new appreciation of religion, as well as learn
something more about our current understanding of the world. I have
written this book for all of you, and I have tried to make it
completely and easily accessible.
Let There Be Light is deliberately not
a
scholarly work. I have gone out of my way to avoid jargon, footnoted
attributions, and even the expansive and detailed thoroughness of most
popular science books. I am not trying to explain these subjects
comprehensively. Actually, quite the opposite: I worked hard to keep
each theme short and completely approachable, and I restricted my
discussions to what I thought was the minimum necessary to interest,
inform, and intrigue you. I certainly steered clear of the academic
diligence of my technical articles. This book is, however, meant to
educate and perhaps enlighten you. Brian Greene remarks that his book The Elegant Universe, an excellent and
readable
volume, was sufficiently complicated to give his mother a headache. I
wrote this book to give your mind, and your spirit, a tingle.
The creation of the
universe,
quantum physics, and Jewish mysticism are profound and intricate
subjects. My strategy is to hold your interest as we navigate among
them. I have learned from years of lecturing on this subject that I
stand a good chance of losing your attention if I introduce
unnecessary, albeit interesting, tangents. Mathematical equations,
historical background, and even important physical stipulations can be
distractions, and I avoid them whenever they are parenthetical to my
main message. While I will not be able to teach you the subtleties of
these topics in this small volume, I do hope to explain their essential
ideas clearly and painlessly, and I even hope to persuade you that such
exploration can intensify your appreciation of this world —
God’s world.
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