The Faith of Biology and the Biology of Faith

An award-winning biologist presents his moving yet deeply reasoned discussion on the intersection of scientific method and religious faith.
Award-winning biologist Robert Pollack argues that religious faith and science can inform each other's visions of the world. He begins by reflecting on questions of meaning and purpose—and the difficulty of finding either in the orderly world described by the data of science. He then focuses on matters of free will: from the choice of a scientist to accept evidence, to the choice of a religious person to accept a revelation, to a patient's loss of free will in medical treatment. Pollack concludes with the promise of genetic medicine in enabling us to glimpse our future and also offers a reconsideration of the utility of the so-called placebo effect in curing illness.

An award-winning biologist presents his moving yet deeply reasoned discussion on the intersection of scientific method and religious faith.

Robert Pollack is professor of biological sciences at Columbia University. His books include The Missing Moment: How the Unconscious Shapes Modern Science and Signs of Life: The Language and Meanings of DNA.

This important book provides stimulating insights for believers and non-believers alike.

Sandee Brawarsky:
Pollack writes gracefully, and is able to make science, in particular, molecular biology, accessible to the layman. His approach is original and provocative, as he brings emotions and religious experience to the scientific discourse.

Pollack lucidly explores the interface between science and religion, and thoughtfully discusses the bioethical issues that loom large as the twenty-first century begins. Drawing on his own faith and his work in molecular biology, he highlights striking parallels between the seemingly disparate practices of science and Torah study.

Pollack's insights are original and often engagingly personal, conveying the authentic flavor of his passionate engagements with both biology and his Jewish faith.

Pollack's short book is a thoughtful addition to current efforts to integrate the messages of objective science and subjective spirituality.

A thought-provoking and refreshingly good read.

Herman Wouk:
Pollack, distinguished as a clear persuasive writer on the biological sciences, makes a challenging entry into the developing academic field of science and religion with The Faith of Biology and the Biology of Faith. His mix of cutting-edge life science and open-minded Judaic exploration is original, meaty, and moving.

Pollack's book is enigmatic and provocative... [He] argues for the value of religious or spiritual insights in making decisions about DNA research and other aspects of medical biology... [and] shows that good medicine is as much a religious as well as a scientific exercise.