As president of IRAS (the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science) I know that one of the most persistent accusations against those who try to understand religion naturally, is that there is no "oomph," no emotional depth, in what they say. It is too rational.
It would be hard to imagine that accusation being made against Karl Peters's book "Dancing With the Sacred." Page after page reveals the sense of struggle, and ultimately the sense of joy, that Peters has experienced in terms of making sense of his own life and that of friends he observes.

The result is not a syrupy story, however. It is a deeply emotional and satisfying, but still deeply rational and objective, treatment of issues that have traditionally been dealt with supernaturally. Peters shows in sensitive detail why supernatural treatments have not worked for him, why he thinks (accurately, in my opinion) that they have not worked for large segments of modern persons, and most importantly how a more natural approach CAN and DOES work.

The subtitle (Evolution, Ecology and God) gives a hint of the approach Peters takes, and the Table of Contents gives other hints (with Chapter titles like "To Err is Divine," "Morality and Meaning for our `Big Selves'," and "Seeking our Sacred Center."), but it isonly in reading the actual paragraphs, word by word, that the full impact of his message comes through. Don't worry, it is a slim volume, and Peters is a gifted writer, so it will NOT be hard reading.

One final comment. Some of those chapter titles may seem like "New Age" titles. And indeed I suspect what Peters says would dovetail with at least some New Age approaches. The overall message goes much deeper than that, however, because it is a message about sophisticated science and sophisticated religion, showing in ordinary and even friendly language how they can come together. Peters comes at this endeavor from a lifetime of work in the Science/Religion field - he is co-editor of the premier journal in the field "Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science," and he has written frequently in the area. This book, however, is the most complete treatment of his ideas to date, and those ideas are presented exceedingly well. I will predict that many readers will find it the most exciting thing they have ever read.

Reviewed by Michael Cavanaugh, September 23, 2002 ( )