Within God is waiting for us as a Lover and a Beloved
Within is a poetic symphony in seven movements. Bridging science, philosophy, and religion, it examines such questions as: Does God exist? What is God? Does mathematics bring us to God? Does evolution bring us to God? In dialogue form, it discusses philosophical ideas drawn from Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, and Leibniz, and also celebrates the great Carmelite Doctors Thérèse of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross. The story unfolds in a limitless library surrounded by a garden of Forms. We encounter a blind librarian, an ocean of Truth, and a cathedral of Infinity. Rising ever higher, the garden scales hills and mountain ranges. The mystery of the library and what it signifies permeates all seven movements. Only at the end will we find a resolution.
Praise
“Part dialogue, part reverie, part dream, this unique book is an intellectual and spiritual ascent that opens endless vistas that will leave the reader forever changed.”―STEPHEN M. BARR, emeritus, University of Delaware
“Martin Nowak’s Within is not merely a book to be read, but a journey to be lived—a testament to the grandeur of creation and the inexhaustible depths of divine mystery.”―SANTIAGO SCHNELL, University of Notre Dame
“Seldom is scientific brilliance coupled with poetic virtuosity, but Martin Nowak is that rare combination. His Within should help convince a new generation that empirical knowledge and religious faith are not at odds.”―TIMOTHY P. JACKSON, Emory University
“Within escorts the reader to a realm of Platonic idealism and Christian sanctity where mathematics, science, philosophy, and theology converge in a unique vision of divine and human love.”―SARAH COAKLEY, emerita, University of Cambridge
“Through an extended dialogue, Within weaves together evolution and mathematics, science and Platonic Forms, naturalism and God. The result is like nothing I have ever read before.”―MARTIN PUCHNER, Harvard University
“Within offers a compelling account of how mathematics and biology lead to God, fused with spiritual meditations on Divine Love that are astonishingly beautiful and profoundly moving.”―ANDREW LOKE, Hong Kong Baptist University
“Within is a beautiful contemplation of the evolution of the soul toward God—the guiding teacher within, who is infinite Love. It is philosophy and prayer, as well as poetry.”―JOSEPH LAPORTE, Hope College
“Martin Nowak’s elegant style blends narrative suspense with poetic metaphor, taking readers on a journey of profound scientific discovery and deep religious contemplation.”―MIRELA OLIVA, University of St. Thomas, Houston
“Reminiscent of Teresa of Ávila’s Interior Castle and Thérèse of Lisieux’s Story of a Soul, this is not just a book to be read, but a path to be walked.”―PHILIP CLAYTON, Claremont School of Theology
About the Author
MARTIN NOWAK is Professor of Mathematics and Biology at Harvard University. He is a leading researcher in the areas of theoretical and evolutionary biology. He has proposed that cooperation is the third fundamental principle of evolution, alongside mutation and selection. His work has helped to create fields such as evolutionary dynamics, virus dynamics, mathematical oncology, and evolution of cooperation. He has published more than 500 papers and five books, including Beyond, which is also offered by Angelico Press. For many years, Martin has been working in the domain of Science and Religion. Before coming to Harvard in 2003, he held professorships at the University of Oxford and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 2015 he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology at Berkeley. He is Roman Catholic.
