The book explores the tension between humanitarian ideology and core Christian dogmas, particularly in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. The author expresses concern over theologians and Church members questioning essential tenets of faith under the guise of love for humanity. This critique is rooted in the author's dismay at the erosion of traditional beliefs, which he argues has been exacerbated by a two-century trend towards humanitarianism that threatens the integrity of the Christian Creed.
When a physicist turned metaphysician collaborates with a metaphysician who studies physics, the outcome is bound to be profound. Co-author Jean Borella, a professor of philosophy and metaphysics with a background in physics, teams up with Wolfgang Smith, a professor of mathematics and physics who transitioned to metaphysics. Smith introduces the concept of “vertical causality,” an overlooked mode of causation that is crucial for understanding quantum physics. He reveals how this concept highlights the integral cosmos mirroring the constitution of man—body, soul, and spirit—and argues that this trichotomy is vital for reviving traditional cosmology and advancing modern science. Furthermore, he aligns this cosmological framework with scriptural teachings, particularly those of Christ. In contrast, Borella examines the philosophical roots of science's atheism in his essay, “Is Science Through with God?” Together, their insights lead us back to a worldview that encompasses all dimensions of existence and restores meaning, which has been diminished by centuries of mechanical determinism. Their collaborative work ultimately seeks to reconcile science and spirituality, offering a comprehensive understanding of our universe.
La réédition de ce livre, paru en 1989 sous un autre titre, Le Mystère du signe, était attendue depuis longtemps. Certains y ont vu le texte fondateur d'une nouvelle épistémologie. On y trouvera en tout cas, en introduction à La Crise du symbolisme religieux, du même auteur, une théorie du symbole qui entend renouer intelligiblement, par-delà les déconstructions contemporaines, avec les doctrines anciennes d'Orient et d'Occident. Mais, qu'on ne s'y trompe pas, il s'agit de philosophie, non d'ethnologie : point nodal du discours métaphysique, le signe symbolique est le lieu où nature et culture se convertissent l'une à l'autre, c'est-à-dire où, sans se confondre, être et sens sont réconciliés. Tel est l'enjeu fondamental de ce Traité.
