ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The art of living scientifically involves taking theology much more seriously than either practising scientists or religious believers are inclined to do. The drive's sources are various but ultimately traceable to the Abrahamic religions. This book argues that when atheism is seen as more than simply the denial of religious authority-that is, as the outright denial of God's existence, its historic relationship to scepticism has made it a perennial science-stopper. Astute readers will notice that when defending more radical claims, they do not draw a prima facie sharp distinction between the evidence provided by academic sources and by such 'mass media' as film and television. The book explores what it might mean to 'undo the past' and 'change the future' especially in light of advances in our understanding of molecular biology and facility in biotechnology.
