From Billiard Balls to Bishops

Radiology professor Ken Miles takes a detailed look at what happens inside the brains and bodies of churchgoers when they are worshiping. Rather than concluding that the words and actions performed during a church service are tricks which help to transmit false beliefs, he found that his appreciation of Christian worship was increased, and his faith strengthened. Using scientific principles, Ken refutes the notion that science is incompatible with faith and undermines common criticisms of religious belief. He builds a case for worship by drawing on the methods of evidence-based medicine to argue that experiences of God are worthy of inclusion in serious theorizing. A woman with a fever and a doctor with a blocked stethoscope are just two of the real and imaginary medical scenarios used to explain key concepts. Worship narratives, actions, and environment are shown to be fundamental to the way God is experienced and to the changes in behavior these encounters produce. Rather than being historical quirks, patterns of worship have developed over the centuries through trial and error with successful elements preserved. Science can now show why they are effective. Regardless of belief or background, readers will see Christian worship in a new light.