Climbing Brandon: Science and Faith on Ireland's Holy Mountain.CLIMBING BRANDON: Science and Faith on Ireland's Holy Mountain CHET RAYMO Chet Raymo (born September 17, 1936 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a noted writer, educator and naturalist. He is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Stonehill College, in Easton, Massachusetts. Mount Brandon Mount Brandon or the Brandon Mountain (Irish: Sliabh Bhreandáin or Cnoc Bréanainn) is a mountain on the Dingle Peninsula, in Co. Kerry, in the west of Ireland. rises dramatically from the "rocky fields and gray water" of the Dingle Peninsula The Dingle Peninsula (Irish: Corca Dhuibhne), sometimes anglicized as Corkaguiney) is located in County Kerry and is the most westerly point of the Republic of Ireland. . Although not the highest peak in Ireland, it is so massive that it nearly cuts the peninsula in half and juts into the clouds at just over 3,100 feet. These qualities make it something of a geological phenomenon Noun 1. geological phenomenon - a natural phenomenon involving the structure or composition of the earth geology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks as well as a spiritual mecca for the Irish, who make pilgrimages to the peak. Raymo, a former science writer for the Boston Globe, first visited Mount Brandon with his family during his college years. Since then, he has purchased a summerhouse there and has walked the mountain about 100 times, he estimates. The author presents two geographies of the mountain--one physical and one spiritual. For the latter, he presents the mountain as the nexus of several threads in western thought: Celtic polytheism, Christian monotheism monotheism (mŏn`əthēĭzəm) [Gr.,=belief in one God], in religion, a belief in one personal god. In practice, monotheistic religion tends to stress the existence of one personal god that unifies the universe. , and scientific empiricism. He then uses Mount Brandon as a means to examine modern conflicts between science and religion. In the same lyrical prose he showcased in his previous book The Path, Raymo both scientifically examines the mountain and contemplates its role in early Irish Christianity. Walker, 2004, 193 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $23.00. |
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