Dimensions of Faith

In Dimensions of Faith, cognitive scientist Steve Donaldson takes readers on a journey from the world of assumptions, set minds, widely varying beliefs, and popular misconceptions to an understanding of the true essence and role of faith as the natural and inevitable product of brains. Using numerous illustrations and examples, Donaldson shows how faith is necessitated by a variety of unavoidable limitations, exposes the myth of a divide between faith and critical thinking, provides practical advice for crafting coherent beliefs, and explains why there can never be such a place as ""Factland."" Along the way he takes a special look at religious faith--evaluating its attributes, exploring its relation to other manifestations of faith, investigating whether God has done his job well enough to warrant the faith placed in him, and pondering how truth seekers can sometimes end up in very different places. ""There are as many definitions of 'faith' as there are people using the word. Whichever meaning you use, Dimensions of Faith will challenge and then deepen your faith as Donaldson lucidly demonstrates the congruence of faith and logical thought. This is the work of a thoughtful scholar who is both a Christian and a scientist."" --Wilton Bunch, Professor of Philosophy, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama ""In Dimensions of Faith, Donaldson offers a very readable argument that whether a person is religious or not, all of us are imbued with faith as a fundamental component of what it means to be human. Many authors have delved into faith from either a religious or scientific perspective; few have succeeded in integrating faith and reason in such a seamless fashion. Dimensions of Faith is a must-read for anyone interested in the interface of science and religion."" --Thomas W. Woolley, PhD, Professor of Statistics, Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama ""Dimensions of Faith is a brilliant, engaging, and accessible meditation on its subject. [It] is a robust defense of human freedom and an encouragement against fear of openness to experience. You may not like all the answers offered here, but your assumptions about faith will not remain untouched (if you're open to examining them). This is a book to think with and meditate upon."" --Brian Steele, Associate Professor of History, The University of Alabama at Birmingham ""Deconstruction is rather easier and more common than construction. In Dimensions of Faith, Dr. Donaldson takes the harder path and delivers a constructive work providing a hopeful voice to those of faith (all of us) by challenging current paradigms and imploring exploration into further understanding, reminding us that to arrive is to fall short."" --Todd Harrington, Lead Pastor, Haven Field Community Church, South Vestavia Hills, Alabama ""Dimensions of Faith tackles complex questions about faith from the viewpoint of a scientist who is also a Christian. But first, the author neatly unpacks assumptions, mindsets, and misconceptions about faith, and defines faith in a careful and logical way. He then establishes and explores the inextricable link between faith and reason, and analyzes, in depth, the nature of religious faith. This excellent book is a must-read for anyone who has seriously pondered faith and its role in our lives."" --Sharon Stuart, Lawyer Steve Donaldson, PhD, is Professor and Computer Science Program Director at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He also codirects the Computational Biology program, teaches in the Science and Religion and University Fellows Honors programs, and is one of the cofounders of the Samford Center for Science and Religion. His research interests include cognition, models of intelligence, autonomous systems, self-organization and emergence, and the interface