First Six Days

Nathan Robertson

Description

This is not a book on mysticism, or religious thought. The more one studies modern science the more one realises that the same themes run through Bereshis (Genesis). The order of creation from modern Science can be mirrored very closely to the order of creation in the Torah. As one studies Science to deeper levels and also tries to study Bereshis to deeper levels, both principles begin to converge on each other.This book presents a comprehensive overview of the current scientific theory of the beginnings of the universe and life. The author shows that scientific ideas far from contradicting the Torah are actually mirrored in its words.Book reviews online @ www.publishedbestsellers.com

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology

Informations

• Publié par: Pneuma Springs Publishing
• Date de parution: 10 novembre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782281894
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Torah & Scientific theory



The First
Six Days





Dr Nathan Robertson
Copyright
First Published 2007 Published by Pneuma Springs Publishing
The First Six Days Copyright © 2007 Nathan Robertson Author reserve moral rights
Kindle eISBN: 9781907728563 ePub eISBN: 9781782281894 PDF eBook eISBN: 9781782280408 Paperback ISBN: 9781905809271
Pneuma Springs Publishing E: [e-mail] W: www.pneumasprings.co.uk
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Published in the United Kingdom. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.
Dedication
Acknowledgements
I have many people to thank and acknowledge for their support, encouragement and inspiration in helping to write down these ideas. Firstly my wife Rachel although not much of a scientist has supported me and patiently listened to my ramblings over the last few years, and kept my feet on the ground.
My best friend Martyn Niman has not only been such a close friend but has encouraged me to follow my own path that I feel I should be pursuing. Martyn is a constant inspiration through his actions and thoughtful words and has cleared my head a number of times to allow me to focus on important matters in life.
Solomon Abrahams is not only a caring and close friend but also a guide to my thoughts and me. Solly is a man who is in touch with everyone around him, who is as clear as crystal and follows his thoughts with truth. I am glad to have such friends as these.
My parents David and Hannah have brought me up with pride and a sense of purpose and I owe them everything. Lastly but not least Benjamin should be mentioned as friend and brother.
Table of Contents
Quotations
Introduction/Prologue
Scientific development in the 17th to 21st centuries
Introduction to Ramban and commentators
Time
Day 1
Day 1 Summary
Day 2
Day 2 Summary
Day 3
Day 3 Summary
Day 4
Day 4 Summary
Day 5
Day 5 Summary
Day 6
Day 6 Summary
Lurianic Kabbalah and cosmology
Synopsis
Table of Figures
Index
Quotations
“If a Jew who believes in the Torah thinks that the world was created from primeval matter, and that many worlds, made from the same primeval matter, existed before this one, this would not be considered a flaw in his faith.” Yehuda Halevi. Kuzari 1:67
“I had the intention of becoming a theologian...but now I see how God is, by my endeavours, also glorified in astronomy, for ‘the heavens declare the glory of God.’” Johannes Kepler [1571-1630]. Astronomy/Laws of Planetary Motion
“There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.” “This thing (a scale model of our solar system) is but a puny imitation of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without a designer and maker; yet you, as an atheist, profess to believe that the great original from which the design is taken has come into being without either designer or maker! Now tell me by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an incongruous conclusion?” Sir Isaac Newton [1642-1727]. Mathematician, Physicist.
“All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more the Truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures. The undevout astronomer must be mad.” Sir William Herschel [1738-1822]. Astronomer.
“The Bible is true and science is true, and therefore each, if truly read, but proves the truth of the other.” Matthew Maury [1806-1873] The "Father" of oceanography.
“It is evident that an acquaintance with natural laws means no less than an acquaintance with the mind of God therein expressed. Order is manifestly maintained in the universe, governed by the sovereign will of God. After the knowledge of, and obedience to, the will of God, the next aim must be to know something of His attributes of wisdom, power, and goodness as evidenced by His handiwork.” James Prescott Joule [1818-1889] Described the First Law of Thermodynamics.
“The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Science brings men nearer to God.” Louis Pasteur [1822-1895] Father of Microbiology.
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” Albert Einstein [1879-1955] Physicist, founder of relativity.
Introduction / Prologue
I have been a practising orthodox Jew since I began to learn about Torah and our traditions in my late teens. I was raised in Grimsby and there has only ever been a tiny Jewish community there since the late 19th century, when many Jews arrived from Russia and Europe to better their lives, or were even told that they had arrived in America!
When I began my search into Judaism at the same time I began my masters degree in Chemical physics at Bristol University. I then went on to study for a PhD in the Biophysics group at Imperial College London. Throughout this time of study of Torah and science I was questioned many times how I could believe in Genesis (Bereshis) and Science since they contradicted each other.
But do they? Do we really fully understand the world around us? Are not new theories cropping up all the time? Are not old ideas being replaced by better ones? I would say Science has revealed more questions than answers, but has broadened and opened the minds of humanity to very sophisticated and incredible ideas that should not be ignored. Our science has bettered our lives in so many ways on a physical level; in the west at least we are generally healthier, living longer, surviving conditions that would have been fatal previously. We can travel around the globe within a day, contact friends around the world, we have never been so connected before. There are always negative sides to science: weapons, bombs, biological agents, but these are due to our own evils, not of science. All science is the search for the truth and nothing more; if we use this knowledge wrongly then the blame solely lies with us.
With the Torah, can we say we understand such a mystical and deep passage of Hebrew such as Bereshis “Genesis”? Even the greatest Rabbis acknowledge we cannot say too much about Bereshis due to such deep and hidden mysteries involved in creation. The Torah is the truth, someone who studies the Torah is also searching for the truth. A famous Jewish principle is that you can study the world and derive the Torah or you can study Torah and derive the world: you can go both ways.
Since we have incomplete knowledge in both of these directions how can we be sure we know they conflict?
I struggled with the ideas of cosmology, evolution and the account in Torah. I remember my mind swapping back and forth between science and Torah many times. However over time I realised that although the languages of Bereshis and science are very different, if you look beyond the words you can see the very same ideas and themes. I am an observant Jew and many may find this already a bias to show that the Torah is correct. But I have scrutinised these ideas and parallels and I am not only convinced but know that the words of the Torah are being reflected in modern scientific thinking.
This is why I have written this book; the more one studies modern science the more one realises that the same themes run through Bereshis. The order of creation from modern science can be mirrored very closely to the order of creation in the Torah. As one studies Science to deeper levels and also tries to study Bereshis to deeper levels, both principles begin to converge on each other.
This is not a book on mysticism, or religious thought, nor am I trying to prove the Torah. The Torah is the truth and requires no proof, but importantly does follow and require logic. I do want to try and show that modern science does not contradict the Torah and that no one should disbelieve Torah because science tells us otherwise, it does not. Nor can science tell us anything beyond the physical world, which is where religion generally starts. Science impinges on Torah in only a few very select cases; the most obvious of these is the account of creation in Bereshis. Science is an extremely important discipline that I believe in recent history has began to mirror the words of the Torah very closely.
To help the readers along with this book I have separated out the essential scientific background that is in the main text from a more complex scientific description, which is subtitled “advanced”. These “advanced” sections are not essential for understanding or comparisons but I have included them to allow more scientifically-minded readers a deeper comparison of Torah and current thought in science. Therefore one can skip over these sections, or if the reader is feeling up to either a challenge (or a headache!), I can say it is worth the effort and perseverance.
I hope that this book will just allow readers to gain a deeper appreciation of Torah and logical truths in Bereshis and also the world of science.
Scientific development in the 17th to 21st centuries
Scientific enquiry began very early in history with the ancient Greeks and some very famous thinkers such as Archimedes, Pythagoras and Aristotle. Science did not advance much in its concepts until the rise of Newton in the seventeenth century. Since Newton, science has rapidly gathered pace and many insights into the structure of our universe have penetrated our knowledge.
The birth of modern science began with the scientific revolution in Europe and the re-discovery of Aristotle. The twelfth and thirteenth centuries were a period of great upheaval which presaged large social and political changes. The works of Ptolemy (astronomy), Galen (medicine), and Aristotle (physics) were not always found to match everyday observations.
The Scientific Revolution is held by most historians to have begun in 1543 when De Revolutionibus