The Centre for Jewish Studies
University of Manchester
Limmud Day, Sunday February
27th 2000
---------
Title: 'Jewish Mysticism and Modern Cosmology'.
Abstract: Parallels have sometimes been
drawn between the theories of modern physics and the teachings of Eastern
mystical philosophy. More recently, Jewish mysticism, which has much to
say about 'beginnings', has been linked with modern cosmology, in particular
with the widely accepted cosmological model that traces the origin of the
universe to a primordial Big Bang. How seriously should we take comparisons
between such disparate bodies of thought, and what contributions might the
comparisons make to the broader field of science-religion relations?
The Speaker: Paul Marshall studied Natural
Sciences at the University of Cambridge and obtained an MA in Religious
Studies from Lancaster University, where he is currently engaged on research
into theories of mysticism. He is author of 'The Living Mirror: Images of
Reality in Science and Mysticism' (Samphire Press, 1992).
The Centre for Jewish Studies
The Department of Religions and Theology
University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9PL
United Kingdom
Tel +44 (0)161 275 3614; Fax +44 (0)161 275 3613
e-mail: Bernard.Jackson@man.ac.uk