Book Reviewed: The Black Madonna and Christ: What The Da Vinci Code Did Not Say by Gert Muller

Jesus, the son of Mary of Nazareth (the Black Virgin) The term Black Madonna or Black Virgin refers to statues and paintings of Mary as Black female in Western Christendom. The Black Madonna can be found in many Catholic and Orthodox countries of Europe. The figure of Virgin Mary is loaded with preconceptions. She is usually depicted as the perfect, obedient, and highly esteemed woman. This book posits that Mary of Nazareth has an African ancestry. The paintings are icons of Byzantine Christianity, some of which were produced in 13th or 14th century Italy, the Middle East, Caucasus, or Ethiopia. Statues are often made of wood but occasionally made of stone and painted. They fall into two main groups: free-standing upright figures or seated figures on a throne. There are about 400–500 Black Madonna figurines in Europe and at least 180 in France. Some are in museums, but most are in churches or shrines and are revered by believers. Some shrines are associated with miracles that bring substantial number of pilgrims. The class of Black Madonna from the earlier medieval world of Byzantium are dark brown and have an appearance of an African female. This was based on the physical appearance of many of the Byzantine ruling class who were of Syrian, or Aboriginal Anatolians. Both areas had Black populations. There is nothing symbolic about the color because it is not only given to the Madonna and Christ but also the elite persons in the picture. They were intended to represent the original population of the early Christian era in ancient Israel. This was later reproduced in Orthodox Eastern Europe. This is a small book of 75 pages and contains numerous images (black & white) of Black Madonna. The author describes the images and briefly touches on the historical connection. He doesn’t offer a good discussion of how Mary of Nazareth depicted as an African female became so adorable in Christian orthodoxy. The Song of Solomon, ‘I am Black, and I am beautiful’ addressed to Queen of Sheba describes the love between a man and a woman. It has figuratively been interpreted as an allegory for God’s love of humanity. In other words, the union of the human soul with God. Such a passion is widely used in Hinduism, for example the infinite of love of Radha (female deity) to Lord Krishna represents an unconditional love for the Creator. Queen Sheba, an African female is described in I Kings 10:1–13 and also in II Chronicles 9:1– 12. Various Midrash (Rabbinic commentaries on Hebrew Scriptures) provide an extensive account of Queen of Sheba.

Book Reviewed: Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics by Stephon Alexander

The human side of doing theoretical physics The author offers a personal account as a Black theoretical physicist, and his struggle to fit in a culture that is dominated by white physicists. His personal and professional advancements are hindered by an establishment that is afraid to entertain his ideas because of his race. The author is inspired by ideas of great physicists like Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrodinger, Niels Bohr and Wolfgang Pauli, and their tremendous potential for thought experiments. He is not afraid to take risk by thinking outside the “box” and challenging established theories that does not make sense. His personal style of theorizing often created situations where his peers become doubtful and devalued his scientific ideas. Stephon Alexander discusses various aspects of physics and cosmology to explain the physical reality. The book describes basic concepts in spectacular details and not afraid to offer his own interpretations. In summary, three fundamental principles of physics are discussed, the law of invariance where the laws of physics are unchanging for observers moving relative to each other at constant speeds; the superposition of quantum states of a quantum mechanical system; the principle of emergence such as space and time in the cosmos; and the emergence of matter over antimatter in our universe. He also discusses a host of other big ideas like the mysteries of the Big Bang; the origin of life; the role of consciousness in quantum mechanics; the evolution of the Universe; and theories that seek to reconcile general relativity with quantum mechanics. The last chapter offers an interesting discussion of a universal consciousness and how it could be a part of the cosmos that created spacetime and matter. He even proposes that life may not have been born through a series of accidental historical events. In fact, there is a deeper principle beyond natural selection at work that is encoded in the structure of physical law and the emergence of spacetime. This book serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement for individuals who feel disenfranchised and unwelcome in scientific communities. Offers support to scientists who feel that they are not valued as contributors to the scientific endeavor. This is a beautifully written book, and it is highly recommended to readers interested in racism in academic communities. This is also a great book to understand aspects of physical reality, the life in the cosmos.

Book Reviewed: Journey of the Mind: How Thinking Emerged from Chaos by Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam

How life makes conscious mind The authors address specific issues regarding the rise of consciousness, language, self-awareness, and civilization. Even in most basic forms of life, the cellular “chaos” where diverse type of molecules assembles to form life, and how self-awareness work from microbes to humankind. The book scales the steps of the mind’s complexity chapter by chapter, from simple functions to human beings trying to create artificial intelligence and super minds. The basic idea is that mind is an activity that is not an airy concept but seated in the human brain that react to our environment by taking outside stimuli, comparing them with internal concepts, and seeing how well they match up. This term referred to as “Resonance” was first proposed by neurobiologist Stephen Grossberg is widely used in this book. The authors suggest that human mind is at the apex is premature. Humans do well in developing language, do advanced mathematical calculations, and interpret mathematical formulas to understand the workings of the cosmos. But they don’t have sixth sense that many migrating birds, which use earth’s magnetic field and the position of Sun for navigation. Does that make migrating birds more intelligent? According to physicist Geoffrey West who proposes the universal law of scaling in which he applies to all complex systems like living cell, cities, and corporations. They are self-supporting and obeys an evolutionary scheme that incorporate an underlying “consciousness.” But the complexity that arises when matter (non-living) transitions to living matter (living cell) by caging a set of biomolecules in a highly organized manner appears contradict the second law of thermodynamics. In this scenario, less information creates more information, disorder becomes order, non-living matter becomes living where the newly created entity becomes independent and self-regulating that becomes aware of surviving, adapting, growing, and multiplying itself. Consciousness seems to pervade the living cell that continues to adapt and evolve. Despite evolution's selection of adaptive behaviors, the human behavior is self-defeating, says the authors. The strange arguments presented in this book for tolerance of racial minority groups. I was confused by the title of the book which I thought was going to discuss about statistical thermodynamics in the operation of “consciousness.” But the book is disappointing which describes conscious mind in terms of human brain.

Book Reviewed: Until the End of Time by Brian Greene

Making sense of life and cosmos In this book, the author contemplates on the cosmic structures formed from fundamental particles, and the emergence of life and consciousness. Is there a grand design or plan by the creating entity? The author resorts to metaphysical musings about life and nature, and there are no equations or theoretical physics discussed in this book. The author suggests a new kind of unified theory of everything that include life. He observes that the “pockets of order” are occasionally produced in the universe, such as molecules, stars/planets, and minds. As the book unfolds, he integrates the story of how life and mind evolved from initial disorder and progressed later with the development of language, religions, arts, and science in human society. He concludes at the end that that there is no “grand design” behind the creation of the cosmos. Brian Greene argues that a mathematical equations are true and immortal, and the laws of nature transcend time, and perhaps mortal in a multiverse concept. He observes that the power of language played a significant role in understanding the nature including our susceptibility to religious beliefs which may have boosted the evolutionary fitness. The author’ arguments are somewhat terse because other physicists have addressed this question. For example, Albert Einstein did not believe the God of Bible who smites the Philistines and rewards the believers. He opposed the idea that God interfered in the affairs of mere mortals, but he was convinced that God is an entity that created the cosmos. Cosmologist Stephen Hawking explicitly stated that there is no God, and human beings could choose to live to the fullest. Erwin Schrodinger, the father of wave mechanics was a life-long believer of Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism according to his biographer Walter J. Moore. Vedanta proposes an entity that encompasses omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (unlimited power), omnipresence (present everywhere), Omni benevolence (perfect goodness), immutable, simplicity, and eternal existence known as Brahman is the ultimate entity. Its qualities are personal and impersonal that exists in spaceless and timeless dimensions in an unchanging reality amidst and beyond the realm of a universe. This is the Pure Consciousness that transcend all possible laws of physics, all dimensions, and all physical realities in the multiverse. It is an absolute entity that is formless and all-pervading Consciousness. The physical reality we observe, and experience are due to the illusion called Maya. Advaita Vedanta is strongly monotheistic that believes in the existence of one Absolute Entity. Many physicists propose that three-dimensional space we live in is an illusion, but we actually live in a two-dimensional hologram and the information of our universe is contained in two-dimensional space. There are some fundamental questions that needs to be addressed. Do we understand everything in cosmos? Are we headed in the right direction? Are there limits to what science can explain to us. Are we any close to integrate subjective experience into the framework of objective reality. The author appears to be less optimistic than a philosopher regarding the unification of life and cosmos to produce one working theory. This book is more philosophical than other popular books written by this author.

Book Reviewed: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

The author’s lies divide two cultures New York Times (NYT) had an agenda for more than a decade for the creation and teachings of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in American schools. This newspaper wholeheartedly supported Isabel Wilkerson’s book that laid foundation for NYT’s latter book “The 1619 Project.” In this book entitled “Caste,” this word is used to refer to racism. In fact, the author never uses the term race or racism. Isabel Wilkerson’s scholarship is deeply flawed and fallacious. In the past decade, the NYT hired many authors to draft provocative books about racism and slavery in the United States. They care less about truth but hires activist reporters to strengthen cancel culture and promote wokism. These journalists emphasize racism in their project. This effort is purely reactionary and politically motivated that wrongly centers on caste system. How is that Hindus from India be compared with white Americans, who were slave traders, abusers of civil rights, mistreated native Americans and denied basic rights to Hispanic and other racial minorities throughout American history. In modern America, race is reclassified as “demographic segments” such as “inner city African Americans,” “Suburban Whites,” “Asian immigrants, ”Hispanic (white)” and “Hispanic (Black)” immigrants, and “Indian Reservations.” The demographic group called “White” became important to include poor whites who enjoyed less privilege in American colony but protected them from enslavement. Irish people were historically treated as underclass by the English, and the early Irish immigrants had similar jobs as African Americans in New York City, but their labor-color coding system gave higher class/race rating. Then how does this become a caste system in a race-based society. The race classification prevented mixing of poor whites with African Americans under Jim Crow laws, which were designed to promote racism and NOT caste system. Caste systems in ancient India evolved, just as in the United States, as a labor group by associating people with the nature of their profession. This segmentation got perpetuated because training was done through work apprenticeship under one’s parents in a family structure, thereby turning family lineages into specialized labor. For example, the Brahmin community specialized in the priestly work and one of their function is to officiate Vedic and religious ceremonies. This included recitation and memorization of the sacred texts of Rigveda that contained about 10,600 hymns. The priestly community had to recite, memorize, and transmit the text to future generations. This was done for remarkable period of more than 3,000 years since it was considered too sacred to be written down. Such responsibilities among others could be conducted efficiently by parents to their offspring within a family, and this led to the priestly families or the Brahmin communities. One must also note that the term “caste” is not indigenous to India, it was introduced by the English Colonists because the term “Jati” is related to community. For example, Brahmin could not acquire wealth by trade and labor because that was the profession of Vaishya community. Dalits historically had a good relationship with Vaishya community that excelled in trade and business professions. The comparison of the Hindu society to the Nazis is outrageous and unacceptable. Its inclusion here is presumed only for purpose of provocation. Not only did the Nazis exterminate more than six million Jews, but they were also isolated in inhuman concentration camps to decimate the entire Jewish population Europe. This book is less about promoting racial equality and more about advancing a political agenda. Wilkerson begins the book extolling the virtues of the Democratic party and vilifying Republicans. The reader is constantly reminded that Republicans are the party of white people, which is a dominant caste, and their objective is keeping that power structure.

Book Reviewed: The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything by Michio Kaku

An ultimate theory that explains the cosmos Is there such a thing as the God Equation? Physicists rarely speak of consciousness in working physics theories. They don’t even consider God as a part of physical laws that operate independently on matter and energy in spacetime. In fact, no one believes that a single tidy equation codifies the operations of the cosmos. General relativity explains physics at larger cosmic scale. It predicts things like the bending of spacetime by cosmic bodies, but quantum theory works at the sub-atomic scale. The four fundamental forces of nature like gravity, electromagnetism, the “weak force” responsible for radioactive decay of some nuclei, and the “strong force” binding the atomic nucleus together are responsible for all physical forces in nature. The standard model of physics that emerges from these developments results in a zoo of subatomic particles. But the quest to unify all four fundamental forces has stalled due to the confounding features of gravity. It is easy to understand gravity in classical and relativistic physics, but at quantum scales, it is difficult to comprehend. When we look at the universe today, we see the four forces working independently of from each another. Gravity, light, and the nuclear forces, at first glance, seem to have nothing in common. But as you go back in time, these forces begin to converge resulting in one super-force at the instant of the Big Bang. At this moment, the two theories, quantum mechanics and general relativity collapse into one working theory. At Big Bang, with one super-force and one physical law, the matter obeyed a primary symmetry, which could rotate all particles into one another. The equation that governed one super-force may be called the God equation. But we cannot produce one elegant formula that accounts for the birth of the cosmos. Physicists frequently use consciousness to interpret quantum reality, but it is never found in physics equations, and they shy away to include that in the physical reality we experience in everyday life. Consciousness seems to pervade spacetime on which matter-energy are embedded. The spacetime and matter-energy collapses into the Pure Consciousness, this is called “Brahman” which forms the core of the teachings Vedanta Philosophy of Hinduism. The reality we experience is interpreted as illusion called “Maya.” After the Big Bang, as the universe expanded, then it began to cool and the various forces and symmetries began to break into pieces, leaving the fragmented weak and strong force symmetries of the Standard Model of today. But to understand the physics we need a mechanism that can precisely break original primary symmetry. In addition, we must address how did the laws of physics evolve, and what is the nature of quantum vacuum where particles and anti-particles come into existence momentarily out of nothing, and then annihilate instantly. The author discusses the basic framework of physics and string theory in a readable manner but fails to explain why he used this title for his book. I can’t help but think that this a good marketing strategy. This title enabled this book to be listed in the New York Times Best Sellers page.

Book Reviewed: Old Made New: A Guide to the New Testament Use of the Old Testament by Greg Lanier

The Old Testament found in the teachings of Jesus Embracing the Old Testament reveal the message of Jesus in new and powerful ways. Its impact is found throughout the New Testament including the Gospels and the Book of Revelation. The teachings and the essence of Christ, the Son of God, is reflected in many ways. There are over one hundred explicit quotations of scripture in Pauline Epistles with about two hundred allusions. The birth of Jesus and the creation of a new church caused Paul to look at the Old Testament with a new set of eyes, sometimes clarifying and reinterpreting the New Testament to show the big-picture of the ministry of Christ. There are numerous books that compares the scriptures of two faith systems. But in this book, the author clearly shows by using the Tables and text the specific ideas the Old Testament that flow into the New Testament. I recommend this book to Divinity School students, pastors, and anyone interested in the Bible.

Book Reviewed: In the Fullness of Time: An Introduction to the Biblical Theology of Acts and Paul by Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

The acts of Paul When a Jewish man named Saul, well-versed in the Old Testament, was on the road to Damascus, then Jesus, the risen savior appeared to him. This life-altering event changed him to become an apostle Saint Paul. He wrote 13 books of the New Testament, and preached Christ to the Gentiles and conveyed God’s plan for managing the church. Most of Paul’s letters fall into two groups: letters to churches and letters to individuals. Nine of Paul’s letters were addressed to local churches in certain areas of the Roman empire. In the first 11 chapters, Paul explains what the gospel is, and what it means to be a “living sacrifice.” Paul’s pastoral epistles contain significant Christians’ theology, which contains the story of Jesus described in Gospels is explained in significant detail. We learn how Christians should live in response to Christ’s life, crucifixion, and resurrection. Author Richard Gaffin examines Biblical literature including the significance of the Pentecost and God's plans for the redemption of this world. The history and theology found in Pauline Epistles are described well. The book is written mainly for students of seminary and Biblical scholars.

Book Reviewed: The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Rethinking racism from a physicist’s perspective There is not much to learn about cosmology or theoretical physics from this book. The author represents a breed of physicists who specialize in particle physics, and also teaches in Women and Gender studies Program. Her vision is nontraditional in that she focuses on Black racism and challenges of a queer feminist in a book with a physics title. Some chapters have nonconventional titles like; Dark Matter Isn't Dark, The Physics of Melanin, and Rape Is Part of This Scientific Story. She argues against the analogy that compares dark matter to Black people, when in fact, dark matter in physics narrative is invisible, and no physicist ever made such comparison. She is especially critical od racism in cosmology. She is partly correct in that there was always intellectual colonialism and dismissal of scientific work in non-European countries. In one chapter she affirms, “We're here, we're queer, and like quantum mechanics, we're not going anywhere.” The author seems to follow the same path as Karen Barad, another theoretical physicist who teaches in Women Studies program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She proposes that the human condition, be it a gender bias or queerphobia, emerge from fundamental physics. The phenomena or objects emerge through interactions of wave-particles that explains how quantum reality is manifested by human interactions. In essence race/gender-based discrimination originate from quantum mechanics. I am confounded by the fact that the author seems to relate the state of human condition to particle physics. This is far-fetched since human behavior is related to evolutionary scheme. First, we know that the biological evolution is un-predictable, and it has its own growing and subtends to economically possible solutions it is presented with by nature. In this respect living beings operates like the economic web, which is also un-predictable but grows with economic opportunities. There are parallels between biological evolution, evolution of the economy, society, climate, and even political systems. Racism, gender-bias and queerphobia may be traced to these facts where the laws of physics or the framework matter does not change but only life changes when challenged by social and economic parameters. The author is born to a white Jewish father, and her criticism of racism in science is rather excessive.