Spirituality and science are like a cantankerous couple. Each one claims righteous superiority. They bicker and point out one another’s flaws, but every night they sleep in the same bed—our minds. How do they fit together? Do our spirits soar beyond our brains? Is science more than a method? Or is there something essential behind each that people need in order to flourish?

To discuss these questions, Ransom Stephens assembled a spiritualist, a psychiatrist, a physicist, a priest, and a leading culture pundit. Litquake, in conjunction with the Mechanics Institute Library, presented this panel discussion on Oct 11, 2011:

• Flora A. Keshgegian is an Episcopal priest and associate professor of pastoral theology at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, is author of God Reflected: Metaphors for Life, Time for Hope, and Redeeming Memories.
• Michael Krasny, PhD, hosts the award-winning KQED Forum program and is professor of English at San Francisco State University. He also teaches at Stanford and is author of Off Mike and Spiritual Envy.
• Thomas B. Lewis, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCSF and co-author of A General Theory of Love. He studies, writes, and speaks on the interface between neuroscience and human experience.
• Richard A. Muller, renowned physics professor, makes science accessible to all of us by teaching “The Best Class at Berkeley” and by writing books like Physics for Future Presidents and The Instant Physicist.
• Starhawk brings the power of spirituality to political activism. A respected voice in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality, her books include The Spiral Dance, The Fifth Sacred Thing, and The Empowerment Manual (November 2011).