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The Search for the Science of Spirituality
In her first book, National Public Radio correspondent Hagerty acts as a tour guide through the rocky terrain of scientists who study religious experience. Is there a so-called God gene? Why do some people have mystical experiences while others never see the so-called light? Right up front, Hagerty reveals that this is not an entirely objective exercise. As a Christian, she wants to understand her own mystical encounter with the divine and why she believes when others do not. Yet to each interview, whether with a world-renowned neuroscientist or a back-road mystic, she brings a suitably skeptical eye. Along the way, she manages to explain some pretty cutting-edge science—psychoneuroimmunology, anyone?—and unravel some people's pretty hard-to-comprehend religious experiences without sacrificing depth or complexity. Then, with equal aplomb, she dances off to peyote ceremonies, church services and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The real beauty of this book lies in watching Hagerty gracefully balance her own trust in faith and science and, in the end, come down with one foot planted firmly in both.
Visit the ULC Book Club to read our review of Fingerprints of God.
User reviewsGet your Fingers on Fingerprints of God ASAP 
By Jan Metz, Jacksonville, WY What an interesting read, I couldn't put this book down for a second! Ambitious, Fingerprints of God strives to cover whether science can actually trace down the source of spirituality in humans. This book is full of interviews the author, Barbara Bradley Hagerty, has conducted with doctors, scientists, and ordinary people like you and me, all in an attempt find an answer to the origins of our faith. The author examines what the differences are between spiritual and mental experiences. If you've ever wondered about near death experiences, evidence of a spiritual realm or even your own personal faith in god, this book offers an exciting discussion of the conflicts between theology and science.
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