Vestige of Eden, Image of Eternity: Common Experience, the Hierarchy of Being, and Modern Science, Hardcover

Three great cosmological worldviews--of the Latin West, ancient Greece, and the Hebrew/Syriac world--arose from a union of ancient and medieval thought. Each had origins in the ancient world and reached a synthesis under scholastic medieval thinkers. This synthesis was incorporated into Catholic tradition, becoming identified as a cosmological worldview of the Catholic Church. This worldview maintains a correspondence to and connection between the structure of the universe and the divine plan of creation, whereby creation is structured hierarchically. This hierarchical structure--the Vestige of Eden--is a reflection of and participation in the liturgy of the Church--the Image of Eternity--which is a type of blueprint for creation.

Vestige of Eden, Image of Eternity examines this worldview, updated with modern science, for consideration in modern discussions regarding science, philosophy, and religion. Proposing a framework that is novel for modern-day understanding yet old in the history of human thought, this book will be of interest to academics, students, and general readers alike.

Daniel Toma is a faculty member of the Department of Biological Sciences at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He earned a PhD in behavioral genetics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.