The Fingerprints of God, by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Review
"Hagerty's engaging book poses a provocative challenge to anyone who has ever wondered where faith comes from, and what it can do for -- and to -- us." - Christine Rosen, Washington Post
"While the book’s scientists and religious seers have engaging stories to tell, the most powerful narrative is that of Hagerty herself, laying bare her own spiritual journey...
Hagerty writes with touching candor and honesty, but also with a journalist’s skeptical eye that demands facts and data." - Gregory M. Lamb, Christian Science Monitor
From Publishers Weekly
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. (May)
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