Prophets and Protons: New Religious Movements and Science in Late Twentieth-Century America (New and Alternative Religions, 4)

By the twentieth century, science had become so important that religious traditions had to respond to it. Emerging religions, still led by a living founder to guide them, responded with a clarity and focus that illuminates other larger, more established religions' understandings of science. The Hare Krishnas, the Unification Church, and Heaven's Gate each found distinct ways to incorporate major findings of modern American science, understanding it as central to their wider theological and social agendas. In tracing the development of these new religious movements' viewpoints on science during each movement's founding period, we can discern how their views on science were crafted over time. These NRMs shed light on how religious groups--new, old, alternative, or mainstream--could respond to the tremendous growth of power and prestige of science in late twentieth-century America. In this engrossing book, Zeller carefully shows that religious groups had several methods of creatively responding to science, and that the often-assumed conflict-based model of "science vs. religion" must be replaced by a more nuanced understanding of how religions operate in our modern scientific world Introduction -- Part I: Science And The Unification Church. Introduction ; Science And The Foundation Of Unificationism ; Science And The American Unification Church -- Part Ii: Science And The Hare Krishna Movement. Introduction ; Science And The Foundation Of The Hare Krishnas ; Science And The Expansion Of Iskcon -- Part Iii: Science And Heaven's Gate. Introduction ; Science And The Foundation Of Heaven's Gate -- Science And The End Of Heaven's Gate. Benjamin E. Zeller. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction Section I: Science and the Unification Church Introduction to Section I Science and the foundation of unificationism Science and the American Unification Church Section II: Science and the Hare Krishna Movement Introduction to Section II Science and the foundation of the Hare Krishnas Science and the expansion of Iskcon Section III: Science and Heaven's Gate Introduction to Section III Science and the foundation of Heaven's Gate Science and the end of Heaven's Gate. A new exploration of how religions respond to science in our modern world.