Going up to the Spirit in the Sky
'The relationship between religion and science has for a long time been a central area in the history of science and ideas. Cosmology, although distinctly a modern science and undeniably of great relevance to theology, has received curiously little attention' (Preface) With these words Helge Kragh begins his latest venture into the history of cosmology. It is hard to imagine a timelier topic. Science and religion are interacting more and more intensely everywhere these days, especially in the United States; and it is increasingly evident that the interactions could proceed more beneficially to both traditions were the long, rich history of their dynamic better known and better kept in view. Here, for sure, is a locus where history can teach us something. Kragh s book is an excellent place for the lesson to begin: there is no domain more replete with science religion interactions than cosmology, and Kragh, with his usual care and skill, has exploited the domain fully. In the introductory chapter 'Cosmo theology before Einstein' Kragh sets out six cosmic questions he finds to have remained essentially the same since before the time of Kepler, and then contextualises these questions in 'an impressionistic look at a few earlier episodes' (p. 3) The questions are familiar ones: