The field of secular theology, a subfield of liberal theology advocated by Anglican bishop John A. T. Robinson somewhat paradoxically combines secularism and theology. Recognized in the 1960s, it was influenced both by neo-orthodoxy, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Harvey Cox, and the existentialism of Søren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich. Secular theology digested modern movements like the Death of God Theology propagated by Thomas J. J. Altizer or the philosophical existentialism of Paul Tillich and eased the introduction of such ideas into the theological mainstream and made constructive evaluations, as well as contributions, to them.^[1]

John Shelby Spong advocates a nuanced approach to scripture (as opposed to blunt Biblical literalism at the other end of the scale), informed by scholarship and compassion, which he argues can be consistent with both Christian tradition and a contemporary understanding of the universe. Secular theology holds that theism has lost credibility as a valid conception of God's nature.^[2] It rejects the concept of a personal God and embraces the status of Jesus Christ, Christology and Christian eschatology as Christian mythology without basis in historical events.^[3][4]

The movement chiefly came about as a response to general dissatisfaction with the Christian establishment's tendency to lapse into "provincialism" when presented with the "unusual" theological ideas common during the 1960s.^[5][6][7] The movement also suggested the legitimacy of seeking the holy outside the church itself. Thereby it suggests that the church did not have exclusive rights to divine inspiration. In a sense, this incorporated a strong sense of continuous revelation in which truth of the religious sort was sought out in poetry, music, art, or even the pub and in the street.^{[citation needed]}

Certain other religions besides Christianity have developed secular theologies and applied these to core concepts of their own traditions. Notable among such movements has been the Reconstructionist Judaism of Mordecai Kaplan, which understands God and the universe in a manner concordant with Deweyan naturalism.^[8]

See also[link]

• Jesus Christ and comparative mythology
• Secular humanism
• Secular religion
• Christian existentialism
• Liberal theology
• Deconstruction-and-religion
• Pope Boniface VIII
• Agnostic theism
• Nontheistic religions
• Honest to God

References[link]

Literature[link]

• Harvey Cox, The Secular City (1965).
• Harvey Cox, Religion in the Secular City: Toward a Postmodern Theology (1984).
• Clayton Crockett (ed.), Secular Theology: American Radical Theological Thought (2001), ISBN 0-415-25052-8
• Amos Funkenstein, "Secular Theology" in the Modern Age (1986)
• John Warwick Montgomery, The shape of the past: A Christian response to secular philosophies of history (1975)
• Wolfhart Pannenberg, Christianity in a Secularized World, (1989).
• John A. T. Robinson, Exploration into God (1967).
• John Shelby Spong, Jesus for the Non-Religious (2007), ISBN 0-06-076207-1

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2012)

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Deepak Chopra
Speaking to the Microsoft PAC on January 15, 2011
Born	(1946-10-22) October 22, 1946 (age 65) New Delhi, India
Nationality	American
Occupation	Physician, public speaker, writer
Spouse	Rita Chopra
Children	Mallika Chopra and Gotham Chopra
Parents	K. L. Chopra, Pushpa Chopra
Website
www.deepakchopra.com

Deepak Chopra (Hindi: दीपक चोपड़ा; born October 22, 1946) is an Indian-born, American physician, public speaker, and writer. He is generally specialized in subjects such as spirituality, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine.^[1][2] Chopra began his career as an endocrinologist and later shifted his focus to alternative medicine.^[3] He now runs his own medical center with a focus on mind-body connections.^{[clarification needed]} He is also a lecturer at the Update in Internal Medicine event.

Chopra was an assistant to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before starting his own career in the late 1980s by publishing self-help books on New Age spirituality and alternative medicine.^[4][5] A friend of Michael Jackson for 20 years, Chopra criticized the "cult of drug-pushing doctors, with their co-dependent relationships with addicted celebrities", saying that he hoped Jackson's death, attributed to an overdose of a prescription drug, would be a call to action.^[6]

Early life and education[link]

Chopra was born in New Delhi, India.^[1][7] His father, Krishan Chopra (1919–2001) was a prominent Indian cardiologist, and head of the department of medicine and cardiology at Mool Chand Khairati Ram Hospital, New Delhi, for over 25 years,^[8] He was also a lieutenant in the British army.^[1][7] His paternal grandfather was a sergeant in the British Army, who looked to Ayurveda for treatment for a heart condition when the condition did not improve with Western medicine.^[9]

Chopra's younger brother, Sanjiv, is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.^[10]

As a young man, Chopra's desire was to become an actor or journalist, but he reports that he was inspired by a character in Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis and became a doctor.^[11]

Chopra completed his primary education at St. Columba's School in New Delhi and graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).^[12] After immigrating to the US in 1968, Chopra began his clinical internship and residency training at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, New Jersey. He had residency terms at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts, and at the University of Virginia Hospital.^[7]

He earned his license to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts in 1973^[13] and received a California medical license in 2004.^[14] Chopra is board-certified in internal medicine and specialized in endocrinology.^[13] He is also a member of the American Medical Association (AMA),^[15]

Career[link]

Chopra taught at the medical schools of Tufts University, Boston University and Harvard University. He became Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital in Stoneham, Massachusetts,^[7] later known as Boston Regional Medical Center, before establishing a private practice.^[7]

After reading about the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM), Chopra and his wife learned the practice in 1981, and two months later they went on to learn the advanced TM-Sidhi program.^[16] Sources also describe a 1981 meeting between Chopra and Ayurvedic physician Brihaspati Dev Triguna in Delhi, India, in which Triguna advised Chopra to learn the TM technique.^[12]

In 1985, Chopra met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who invited him to study Ayurveda.^[12][17] In that same year, Chopra left his position at the New England Memorial Hospital and became the founding president of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and was later named medical director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management and Behavioral Medicine.^[12][17][18] He was initially the sole stockholder of Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, but divested after three months.^[19] He has been called the TM movement's "poster boy" and "its leading Ayurvedic physician".^[20] In 1989, the Maharishi awarded him with the title "Dhanvantari (Lord of Immortality), the keeper of perfect health for the world".^[21]

In its May 22/29, 1991 issue, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article coauthored by Chopra: "Letter from New Delhi: Maharishi Ayur-Veda: Modern Insights Into Ancient Medicine".^[22] JAMA editors claimed that Chopra and his co-authors had financial interests in "Maharishi Vedic Medicine" products and services. In the August 14, 1991 edition of JAMA, the editors published a financial disclosure correction^[23] and followed up on October 2, 1991 with a six-page Medical News and Perspectives exposé.^[24] An article discussing this chain of events was authored by Andrew A. Skolnick in the Newsletter of the National Association of Science Writers.^[25] A 1992 defamation lawsuit brought against the article's author and the editor of JAMA was dismissed in 1993.^[26][27] Media reports published four years later saying that there had been a monetary settlement of the case were later withdrawn as untrue.^[28]

By 1992, Chopra was serving on the National Institutes of Health ad hoc panel on alternative medicine.^[29] In 1993, Chopra became executive director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and Mind–Body Medicine with a $30,000 grant from the Office of Alternative Medicine in the National Institutes to study Ayurvedic medicine.^[12] Chopra's institute also maintained affiliation with Sharp Healthcare, in San Diego.^[17][18] That same year Chopra moved with his family to Southern California where he lives with his wife and near his two adult children, Gotham and Mallika.^[12]

Chopra left the Transcendental Meditation movement in January 1994. According to his own account, Chopra was accused by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of attempting to compete with the Maharishi's position as guru.^[30] Author Todd Carroll said Chopra left the TM organization when it “became too stressful” and was a “hindrance to his success”.^[5]

In 1995, Chopra was the recipient of the Toastmasters "International Top Five Outstanding Speakers" award.^[31] In 1997, Chopra was given the Golden Gavel Award by Toastmasters.^{[32][dead link]}

He was presented the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic awarded by the Pio Manzu International Scientific Committee. In the citation committee chairman and former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev referred to Chopra as "one of the most lucid and inspired philosophers of our time".^[33] Esquire magazine designated him as one of the "top ten motivational speakers in the country".^[11][31] He is the recipient of the 2002 Einstein Award through Albert Einstein College of Medicine in collaboration with the American Journal of Psychotherapy.

In 1996, Chopra parted company with the Sharp Institute. That same year, Chopra and neurologist David Simon founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, which incorporated Ayurveda in its regimen, and was located in La Jolla, California. The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and American Medical Association have granted continuing medical education credits for some programs offered to physicians at the Chopra Center.^[7][12][17] In 2002, Chopra and Simon relocated the Chopra Center to the grounds of La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, continuing to offer mind-body wellness programs, medical consultations, and instruction in meditation, yoga, and Ayurveda.

Chopra and Simon also revived an ancient mantra-based meditation practice, traveling to India to study the origins of this technique, known as Primordial Sound Meditation. This form of meditation is now taught at the Chopra Center and by certified instructors who receive their training through Chopra Center University.

Since 2000 Chopra has sat as an advisor for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.^[34]

In 2005 Chopra was made a Senior Scientist at The Gallup Organization.^[35] He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.^[36]

He is also a weekly columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, a regular contributor to The Washington Post's "On Faith" section and a prolific contributor to The Huffington Post.^[37][38][39]

Chopra is also a monthly contributor to The Times of India Speaking Tree.^[40][41]

In 2006, Chopra launched Virgin Comics LLC with his son Gotham Chopra and entrepreneur Richard Branson. The company's purpose is to "spread peace and awareness through comics and trading cards that display traditional Kabalistic characters and stories."^[7] Chopra was awarded the 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.^[42][43]

He was the recipient in 2009 of the Oceana Award.^[44] Also in 2009, Chopra established the Chopra Foundation with a mission to advance the cause of mind/body spiritual healing, education, and research through fundraising for selected projects.^[45] In 2010 the Chopra Foundation sponsored the first Sages and Scientists Symposium, attended by a number of scientists, social scientists and artists from around the world, with a second symposium hosted in February 2011. The third symposium is scheduled for March 2012^[46] with seminars relating to Alzheimer's Disease and "Past Life Memories" amongst others.^[47]

In 2010, Chopra received the Cinequest Life of a Maverick Award for his collaborations with filmmakers Shekhar Kapur and his son, Gotham Chopra. The award goes to "inspirational individuals who touch the world of film while their greater lives exemplify the Maverick spirit."^[11]

Chopra is heavily featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's cancer docudrama titled 1 a Minute talking about mind, body, spirit and the mystery of life and death.^[48] The documentary is directed by actress Namrata Singh Gujral and also features cancer survivors Olivia Newton-John, Diahann Carroll, Melissa Etheridge, Mumtaz and Jaclyn Smith.

He received the 2010 Humanitarian Starlite Award "for his global force of human empowerment, well-being and for bringing light to the world."^[49] Chopra is the recipient of the 2010 GOI Peace Award.^[50]

In September 2010, Chopra published a criticism of Stephen Hawking's book The Grand Design.^[51]

In conjunction with Menas Kafatos and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Chopra published a paper in the Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April–May 2011, titled "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe".^[52]

In June 2011, Chopra wrote an op-ed for the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics titled "Medicine’s Great Divide—The View from the Alternative Side".^[53]

In 2011, Chopra was ranked the Number 1 influencer of all Indians in the world, both resident and non-resident.^[54]

In October 2011, Chopra wrote a critical review of Richard Dawkins' book The Magic of Reality in the Huffington Post.^[55]

In 2011 and 2012, Chopra partnered with Alexander Tsiaras, founder of TheVisualMD on an online program called "The 9 Visual Rules of Wellness".^[56]

In May of 2012 Chopra co-authored a paper entitled "The Zinc Dyshomeostasis Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Disease" along with Travis J. A. Craddock, Jack A. Tuszynski, Noel Case, Lee E. Goldstein, Stuart R. Hameroff, and Rudolph E. Tanzi in the PLoS ONE Journal ^[57]

Criticism[link]

According to a 2008 article in Time magazine, Chopra is “a magnet for criticism”, primarily from those involved in science and medicine. Some critics say that Chopra creates a false sense of hope in sick individuals which may keep them away from effective medical care. The Time article summarized Chopra's reception and popularity thus: "Of all the Asian gurus…, Chopra has arguably been the most successful at erasing apparent differences between East and West by packaging Eastern mystique in credible Western garb. …His quest to construct a pleasing and seamless model of the universe tends to jump to easy conclusions and to spackle over problematic gaps and inconsistencies in the ideas he presents — is obvious to all but his most starry-eyed fans. But grousing about such crimes — as many do — does little to explain his enormous popularity. Chopra is as rich as he is today not because he has been dishonest with anyone, but because his basic message — that love, health and happiness are possible, that mystery is real and that the universe is ultimately a friendly and benevolent place where orthodoxies old and new can meet and make peace with one another — is one that he wants to believe in just as sincerely as his readers do."^[58][59]

Chopra was sued for plagiarism by Robert Sapolsky for using a stress endocrine chart without proper attribution, after the publication of Chopra’s book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. An out-of-court settlement resulted in Chopra attributing material that was researched by Sapolsky.^[59] Chopra acknowledges that his thought has been inspired by Jiddu Krishnamurti and others.^[5][60]

In 1996, The Weekly Standard published an article which accused Chopra of "plagiarism and soliciting a prostitute"; however, Chopra sued and the paper withdrew its statements and published an apology.^[61]

Chopra has been criticized for his frequent references to the relationship of quantum mechanics to healing processes, a connection that has drawn skepticism from some physicists who say it can be considered as contributing to the general confusion in the popular press regarding quantum measurement, decoherence and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.^[62] In 1998, Chopra was awarded the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in physics for "his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness".^[63] According to the book Skeptics Dictionary, Chopra's "mind-body claims get even murkier as he tries to connect Ayurveda with quantum physics.”^[5] Chopra also participated in the Channel 4 (UK) documentary The Enemies of Reason, where, when interviewed by scientist Richard Dawkins, he admitted that the term "quantum theory" was being used as a metaphor and that it has little to do with the actual quantum theory in physics.^[64]

In August 2005, Chopra wrote a series of articles on the creation-evolution controversy and Intelligent design which were criticized by science writer Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society.^[65][66][67]

In March 2010, Chopra and Jean Houston debated Sam Harris and Michael Shermer at Caltech on the question "Does God Have a Future?" Shermer and Harris criticized Chopra's use of scientific terminology to expound unrelated spiritual concepts.^[68] Shermer has said that Chopra is "the very definition of what we mean by pseudoscience".^[68]

In April 2010, Hindu American Foundation co-founder Aseem Shukla, on a Washington Post-sponsored blog on faith and religion, criticized Chopra for suggesting that yoga did not have origins in Hinduism but is an older Indian spiritual tradition which predated Hinduism.^[69] Later on, Chopra explained yoga as rooted in "consciousness alone" which is a universal, non-sectarian eternal wisdom of life expounded by Vedic rishis long before historic Hinduism ever arose. He further accused Aseem Shukla of having a "fundamentalist agenda". Dr. Shukla in a rejoinder titled "Dr. Chopra: Honor thy heritage" termed Deepak Chopra as an exponent of the art of "How to Deconstruct, Repackage and Sell Hindu Philosophy Without Calling it Hindu!" and to the allegation of "fundamentalist" he responded by accusing Chopra of raising the "bogey of communalism" in frustration to divert the argument.^[70][71]

Chopra addresses these scientific criticisms in his 2011 book War of the Worldviews - Science vs Spirituality, coauthored with CalTech Professor of Physics Leonard Mlodinow. In it he explains his respect and admiration for the scientific method while pointing out its limitations and the need for an expanded science that includes the reality and investigation of the observer, or consciousness.^[72][73]

Message[link]

According to Business Week, one of Chopra's main messages is that by ridding oneself of negative emotions and developing intuition by listening to signals from the body, health can be improved. According to Chopra, slowing down or reversing the aging of the mind through his methods can increase one's lifespan up to the age of 120 years. As a result of his writings and lectures in this area, he is thought by some to be "one of the pre-eminent leaders of the mind-body-spirit movement".^[11]

Publications[link]

Chopra has written more than 65 books with 19 New York Times bestsellers. His books have been translated into 35 languages and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.^[29] His book, Peace Is the Way won the Quill Awards and The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of your Life received the Nautilus Award. FINS - Wall Street Journal, mentioned his book, “The Soul of Leadership”, as one of five best business books of 2011 to read for your career. Chopra is represented in the United States by the literary agency, Trident Media Group.^[74] His first book, Creating Health, is credited with helping to create initial, international recognition for Chopra.^[7]

• 1987 Creating Health ISBN 0-395-75515-8
• 1988 Return of the Rishi ISBN 0-395-57420-X
• 1989 Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine ISBN 0-553-34869-8^[75]
• 1991 Unconditional Life: Mastering the Forces That Shape Personal Reality
• 1991 Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide ISBN 0-517-58421-2
• 1993 Ageless Body, Timeless Mind : The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old ISBN 0-517-59257-6
• 1993 Creating Affluence: Wealth Consciousness in the Field of All PossibilitiesISBN 1-880032-42-2
• 1994 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfilment of Your Dreams
• 1995 The Way of the Wizard: Twenty Spiritual Lessons in Creating the Life You Want ISBN 0-517-70434-X
• 1995 The Return of Merlin: A Novel ISBN 0-449-91074-1
• 1995 Journey into Healing ISBN 1-4000-8069-X
• 1995 The Path to Love: Spiritual Strategies for Healing
• 1996 Perfect Weight ISBN 0-517-88458-5
• 1996 Restful Sleep ISBN 0-517-88457-7
• 1996 Raid on the Inarticulate ISBN 1-882971-16-7
• 1997 The Path to Love: Renewing the Power of Spirit in Your Life ISBN 0-517-70622-9
• 1997 The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfillment
• 1997 Perfect Digestion ISBN 0-609-80076-0
• 1998 Overcoming Addictions ISBN 0-609-80195-3
• 1998 The Love Poems of RumiISBN 0-609-60243-8
• 1998 Healing the Heart ISBN 0-609-60035-4
• 1999 Everyday Immortality: A Concise Course in Spiritual Transformation ISBN 0-609-60484-8
• 1999 On the Shores of Eternity: Poems from Tagore on Immortality and Beyond ISBN 0-609-60564-X
• 1999 A Deepak Chopra Companion ISBN 0-609-80454-5
• 1999 Daughters of JoyISBN 0-451-20935-4
• 1999 Lords of Light: A Novel ISBN 0-312-96892-2
• 2000 The Angel is Near: A Novel ISBN 0-312-97024-2
• 2000 How to Know God : The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries ISBN 0-609-60078-8
• 2001 The Deeper Wound: Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering, 100 Days of Healing
• 2001 Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging ISBN 0-609-60079-6
• 2001 The Soul in Love: Classic Poems of Ecstasy and Exaltation ISBN 0-609-60648-4
• 2002 Manifesting Good Luck Cards: Growth and Enlightenment
• 2003 Golf for Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life
• 2003 The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence ISBN 0-609-60042-7
• 2003 Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence to Create Miracles ISBN 1-84413-221-8
• 2003 Manifesting Good Luck: Love and Relationships, 50 Card Deck
• 2003 The Chopra Center Cookbook ISBN 0-471-45404-4
• 2004 The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life ISBN 0-517-70624-5
• 2004 Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens ISBN 0-689-86216-4
• 2005 Peace Is the Way : Bringing War and Violence to an End ISBN 0-307-23607-2
• 2005 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit
• 2005 Magical Beginnings Enchanted lives: A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy ISBN 0-517-70220-7
• 2005 Teens Ask Deepak ISBN 0-689-86218-0
• 2006 Ask The Kabala: Oracle Cards/Kabala Guidebook ISBN 978-1-4019-1039-6
• 2006 Power Freedom and Grace: Living from the Source of Lasting Happiness ISBN 978-1-878424-81-5
• 2006 Life After Death: The Burden of Proof ISBN 0-307-34578-5
• 2006 Kama Sutra: Including the Seven Spiritual Laws of Love ISBN 978-1-85227-385-9
• 2007 Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment ISBN 978-0-06-087880-1
• 2007 Boundless Energy: The Complete Mind/Body Program for Overcoming Chronic Fatigue ISBN 0-609-80075-2
• 2007 Freedom From Addiction ISBN 0-7573-0578-4
• 2008 The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore ISBN 978-0-307-33831-0
• 2008 Why Is God Laughing? The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism
• 2008 Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment ISBN 978-0-06-144873-7
• 2009 Reinventing The Body, Resurrecting The Soul
• 2009 The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment
• 2009 Chopra Center Herbal Handbook ISBN 0-307-45233-6
• 2010 The Shadow Effect with Debbie Ford and Marianne Williamson ISBN 0-06-196265-1
• 2010 Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet ISBN 978-0-06-178242-8
• 2010 The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness ISBN 978-0-307-40806-8
• 2011 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes: Harnessing Our Power to Change the World with Gotham Chopra ISBN 978-0-06-205966-6
• 2011 The War of the Worldviews with Leonard Mlodinow ISBN 978-0-307-88688-0
• 2012 Spiritual Solutions: Answers to Life's Greatest Challenges ISBN 0-307-71917-0.

Music CDs/audio books[link]

• 1986 Total Health: The Rediscovery of Ayurveda ASIN B-000-K06QY-4
• 1994 Journey Into Healing ISBN 0-679-44089-5
• 1994 Power Talk!:The Power of the Human Paradox with Anthony Robbins ISBN 1-55927-267-8
• 1996 Crescent Moon: Prose Poems of Rabindranath Tagore ISBN 1-878424-20-3
• 1998 Synchrodestiny ISBN 1-905953-04-6
• 1997 Transformation of Mind: Deepak Chopra, Christopher Franke, ASIN: B000003KW4
• 1998 A Gift of Love: Love poems inspired by Rumi ASIN B-000-GRQX8-A
• 2000 All About God: A Dialogue Between Neale Donald Walsch and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-735-X
• 2000 Wisdom of the Sufi: A Dialogue Between Hidayat Inayat-Kahn and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-734-1
• 2000 The Spiritual Journey : A Dialogue Between Richard Moss, M.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-739-2
• 2000 Spiritual Insights into the Genius of Leonardo da Vinci: A Dialogue Between Michael J. Gelb, M.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-738-4
• 2000 The Art of Everyday Ecstasy: A Dialogue Between Margot Anand and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-737-6
• 2000 The Conscious Universe ISBN 1-56170-744-9
• 2000 Pathways to God: A Dialogue Between Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-736-8
• 2000 Unleash Your Potential with Marianne Williamson and Sarah Ban Breathnach ISBN 0-671-77180-9
• 2000 The Path to Enlightenment: Insights into Buddhism / A Dialogue Between Robert Thurman, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-732-5
• 2001 Healing the Planet: A Dialogue Between Marianne Williamson and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-743-0
• 2001 Self-Coaching Secrets for Success ISBN 1-56170-827-5
• 2001 Awakening the Goddesses Within: Deepak Chopra, M.D., Presents Agapi Stassinopoulos ISBN 1-56170-837-2
• 2001 Tell Me a Story: A Dialogue Between Lisa Suhay and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-874-7
• 2001 Sacred Sexuality: A Dialogue Between Felice Dunas and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-823-2
• 2001 Relationships As a Bridge to Divine Love : A Dialogue Between Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-742-2
• 2001 Training the Mind, Healing the Body ASIN B-000-BGT8K-6
• 2001 Soul of Healing Meditations – A Simple Approach to Growing Younger ASIN B-000-05TZS-K
• 2001 The Higher Self ISBN 0-7435-0921-8
• 2001 The New Physics of Healing ISBN 1-56455-919-X
• 2001 Science And Soul: The Survival of Consciousness After Death, A Dialogue Between Gary Schwartz and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-822-4
• 2002 The Yoga of Love and Devotion with Shree Ma ISBN 1-56170-838-0
• 2002 Integrating The Masculine And Feminine In The Spiritual Traditions Of Judaism and Vedanta: A Dialogue Between Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-824-0
• 2002 Quantum Physics of Quantum Healing: A Dialogue with Amit Goswami, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-920-4
• 2002 The Evolving Human: A Dialogue Between Jean Houston, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-916-6
• 2002 Rituals As a Path to the Divine: A Dialogue Between Stephen Huyler, Ph.D., and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-841-0
• 2002 Healing Your Relationships : A Dialogue Between Kenny and Julia Loggins and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-840-2
• 2002 The Soul and Relationship: A Dialogue Between Shakti Gawain and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-917-4
• 2002 Yoga as a Form of Meditation with Yogi Amrit Desai ISBN 1-56170-839-9
• 2002 A Gift of Love II: A Musical Valentine to Tagore ASIN B-000-06IZP-E
• 2003 Magical Mind, Magical Body ISBN 0-7435-3013-6
• 2003 Journey to the Boundless ISBN 0-7435-3016-0
• 2004 Chakra Balancing: Body, Mind, and Soul ASIN B-000-667GN-W
• 2004 Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds, Volumes I and II: The Bhagavad Gita, Hymns of the Rig Veda ISBN 1-878424-78-5
• 2004 The Ultimate Deepak Chopra Collection 20 CDs ASIN B-000-BGV45-I
• 2004 Whispers with Eckhart Tolle, Jack Canfield and Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-55961-722-5
• 2005 The Power of Intuition ISBN 1-4019-0622-2
• 2005 Living Beyond Miracleswith Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-878424-79-3
• 2005 The Cosmic Mind and Submanifest Order of Being ISBN 1-4019-0450-5
• 2005 Living Without Limits ISBN 1-878424-96-3
• 2005 An Ancient Magical Prayer ISBN 1-4019-0447-5
• 2006 Escaping the Prison of the Intellect ISBN 1-878424-56-4
• 2007 Creating Your World the Way You Really Want It To Be with Wayne Dyer ISBN 1-60252-748-2
• 2007 Meditations for Healing: A Dialogue Between Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. and Deepak Chopra ISBN 1-56170-922-0
• 2008 Whispers of Spirit & Happiness with Don Miguel Ruiz ISBN 1-55961-945-7
• 2008 The Soul of Healing Affirmations A-Z Guide to Reprogramming the Software of the Soul ASIN B-001-2SAT7-S
• 2008 Grow Younger Live Longer Dave Stewart and Deepak Chopra ASIN: B0012GMXFQ
• 2009 The Soul Of Healing Meditations ASIN B-000-05TZS-K
• 2011 Stress Free with Deepak Chopra (Meditations) ASIN: B004JU157O
• 2011 The Secret of Healing: Meditations for Transformation and Higher Consciousness ASIN: B004K35UWG

Videos[link]

• 1995 Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
• 1995 The Way of the Wizard^[76]
• 2003 God and Buddha - a dialog
• 2004 Soul of Healing - Body, Mind, and Soul Vol. 1
• 2008 The Love Guru
• 2010 1 a Minute

Other published work[link]

• 2008 Introduction to Kim Feinberg's A Mother's Legacy^[77]
• Chopra co-authored Ask the Kabala with Mike 'Zappy' Zapolin and Alys Yablon, which is a set of 22 cards, each one representing a story or character from the Old Testament and a life lesson based on that story from a Kabalistic perspective.^[78]
• Chopra co-authored a blog in 2009 with Richard Barrett titled Can Values Save the Economy?^[79]
• Journal of Cosmology Vol. 14 April–May 2011, "How Consciousness Becomes the Physical Universe." with Menas Kafatos, Ph.D, Professor Chapman University and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., Professor of Neurology Harvard University^[80]
• Chopra is a co-author of 2011 Consciousness and the Universe: Quantum Physics, Evolution, Brain & Mind along with Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Henry Stapp
• In 2011 Chopra co-authored a chapter of the book Exploring Frontiers of the Mind-Brain Relationship with Stuart Hameroff entitled The "Quantum Soul": A Scientific Hypothesis^[81]

Income[link]

Chopra's net income for 2008 was $22 million, according to a Forbes online article written by Melanie Lindner. It included $1.3 million for book sales and speaking arrangements. According to Lindner's 2009 article, Chopra's work time is now spent with non profit endeavours.^[75]

See also[link]

• Alternative medicine
• Quantum mysticism
• Monistic idealism
• Spiritual Naturalism

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Nacson, Leon (1998). Deepak Chopra: World of Infinite Possibilities. Random House. ISBN 0-09-183673-5. 
• Butler-Bowdon, Tom (2003). 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life [The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success]. London & Boston: Nicholas Brealey. ISBN 978-1-85788-323-7. http://butler-bowdon.com/sevenlaws.html. 

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Deepak Chopra

• Official website
• VYou
• The Chopra Center for Wellbeing
• Deepak Chopra collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Deepak Chopra in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Deepak Chopra at the Notable Names Database

William Lane Craig

Born	(1949-08-23) August 23, 1949 (age 62)[1] East Peoria, Illinois[citation needed]
Era	21st-century philosophy
Region	Western philosophy
School	Analytic philosophy
Main interests	Philosophy of religion, natural theology, philosophy of time, Christian apologetics
Influenced by Alvin Plantinga, Francis Schaeffer, Edward John Carnell, Stuart Hackett, John Hick, Wolfhart Pannenberg
Influenced J. P. Moreland, Francis Beckwith
Website	reasonablefaith.org

William Lane Craig (born August 23, 1949)^[1] is an American analytic philosopher, philosophical theologian, and Christian apologist.^[2] He is known for his work in the philosophy of religion, philosophy of time, and the defense of Christian theism.^[3] One of his most notable contributions to the philosophy of religion is his defense of the Kalām cosmological argument, which is the most widely discussed argument for the existence of God in contemporary Western philosophy.^[2][4] In theology, he has also defended Molinism and the belief that God is, since Creation, subject to time.^[2][5][6]

Craig has authored or edited over 30 books, including The Kalām Cosmological Argument (1979), The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz (1980), Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology (with Quentin Smith, 1993), Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (with J.P. Moreland, 2003) and Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (3d edition, 2008).

Academic background[link]

Craig received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Wheaton College, Illinois, in 1971 and two summa cum laude master's degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, in 1975, in philosophy of religion and ecclesiastical history.^[1] He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy under John Hick at the University of Birmingham, England in 1977 and a Th.D. under Wolfhart Pannenberg at the University of Munich in 1984.^[7]

From 1980 to 1986 he was an assistant professor of philosophy at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He briefly held the position of associate professor of religious studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, from 1986 to 1987. From 1987 to 1994 Craig pursued further research at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Since 1996 he has held the position of research professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in La Mirada, California.^[7]

Work[link]

Philosophy of religion[link]

Craig's primary contribution to philosophy of religion is his revival of the Kalām cosmological argument. In The Kalam Cosmological Argument, he formulates the argument in the following manner:

1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause of its existence.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence.^[8]

He defends the second premise by arguing that actual infinities and the formation of an actual infinite through continual addition are metaphysically impossible. Although he recognizes that axiomatized infinite set theory is logically consistent he maintains that the existence of actual infinities in the real world would lead to absurdities. For example, David Hilbert's famous "Hilbert's Hotel" thought experiment demonstrates how a fully occupied hotel would still be able to accommodate an infinite number of guests. Craig modifies the thought experiment by introducing operations such as subtraction and shows that subtracting identical quantities from identical quantities would have non-identical remainders.^[9] Since we have no evidence of such things in the actual world, Craig maintains that actual infinities are, for all intents and purposes, metaphysically impossible. Craig also argues that the thermodynamic properties of the universe and its expansion provide more evidence in support of premise two.^[10]

Craig also develops an a posteriori argument against actual infinities which rests on the A-theory of time. He gives Bertrand Russell's example of Tristam Shandy, who writes his autobiography so slowly that it takes him one year to write down the events of one day. A similar temporal sequence would have occurred in an eternal universe. No matter how long it takes, an eternal universe would still not be 'actually infinite' and must have begun to exist.

Craig has also contributed to the problem of divine foreknowledge (the compatibility of God's omniscience with human freedom). He analyzes current discussions of time travel, retrocausality, special relativity, and Newcomb's Paradox and brings them to bear on theological fatalism (most often supported by strongly Augustinian theologies, particularly Calvinism).^[11] Rejecting fatalism^[12] he defends the middle knowledge view (also known as Molinism).^[13] According to this solution, prior to actualizing a possible world, God knows everything that does or will happen as well as how free creatures would act if placed in any particular circumstance. Craig considers that this also provides the answer to the question of how God foreknows future contingents.^[14]

Philosophy of time[link]

Craig is a presentist and defends the A-series of time. He rejects J. M. E. McTaggart's famous argument against it, describing it as "an engaging and recalcitrant brain teaser that no one takes seriously," but also argues against hybrid A-B theorists because they are all refuted by McTaggart's paradox.^[15] He argues that McTaggart's objection does not succeed as it employs an incoherent combination of a B-theoretical ontology with A-theoretical temporal becoming.^[16] According to Craig, if one adopts a neo-Lorentzian interpretation of special relativity, the A-theory can be reconciled with the theory of relativity.^[17]

In terms of God's relationship to time, Craig argues that God must exist in time if he is to be regarded as a causal agent. He rejects the view that God could exist timelessly with creation as he did sans creation on the grounds that nothing outside time could have temporal interactions with the world. Critics such as Paul Helm maintain that Craig’s objections against divine timelessness is itself incoherent because "There can be no temporal 'and then' for a timelessly eternal God."^[18] Craig responds to this charge by arguing that God's timeless and temporal phases are not related to each other as "earlier" and "later."^[19]

Apologetics[link]

Craig has written a number of works of Christian apologetics.^[20] Fellow Evangelical apologist Robert M. Bowman, Jr. (writing with Kenneth D. Boa) described his Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics as "one of the best recent textbook introductions to the subject of apologetics."^[21] Catholic Cardinal Avery Dulles has described Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (with J.P. Moreland, 2003) as "monumental," but pointed out that Catholics will not necessarily agree with it.^[20]

Craig's work as a New Testament historian focuses on a defense of central Christian doctrines, specifically Jesus' resurrection from the dead.^[20] In books such as The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus, he reviews the historical debate and provides a critical analysis of David Hume's arguments against testimony of miracles, examines New Testament material dealing with the resurrection, and concludes that the resurrection is the most plausible explanation of the historical data.^[22][23] Craig uses the Shroud of Turin as part of his case.^[20]

Other views[link]

Craig is a critic of metaphysical naturalism^[24] and New Atheism^[25] as well as a defender of Reformed epistemology.^[26] He believes that scripture does not condemn homosexuals per se but does prohibit all homosexual acts, which he considers as “sacrilegious” as well as “self-destructive” to the same degree as heroin addiction or chain smoking whether engaged in by a homosexual or a heterosexual person.^[27] Craig maintains that the theory of evolution is compatible with Christianity.^{[28][page needed]} Although he does not fully endorse intelligent design,^[29] he thinks it may be a viable alternative to evolution.^[30] He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture^[31] and a fellow of the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design (ISCID).^[32]

Debates[link]

Craig has publicly debated atheists Richard Carrier, Robert M. Price, Sam Harris, Antony Flew,^[33][34] A. C. Grayling,^[35] Lawrence Krauss,^[36][37] Victor Stenger,^[38] Peter Atkins,^[39] Walter Sinnott-Armstrong,^[40] and Christopher Hitchens,^[41] as well as liberal theologian Gerd Lüdemann,^[42] and prominent Muslims such as Shabir Ally and Jawal Badawi.^[43] Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins has refused a rigorous debate with Craig (accusing him of self-promotion and of being an “apologist for genocide"),^[44] although Dawkins participated in a six-person discussion which included Craig.^[45]

The debates with Antony Flew, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, and Gerd Lüdemann have been published in book form.^{[40][42][46][47]}

Bibliography[link]

• The Kalām Cosmological Argument. London: MacMillan. 1979. ISBN 1-57910-438-X / ISBN 978-1-57910-438-2
• The Cosmological Argument from Plato to Leibniz. London: MacMillan. 1980. ISBN 1-57910-787-7 / ISBN 978-1-57910-787-1
• The Son Rises: Historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Chicago: Moody Press. 1981. ISBN 978-1-57910-464-1 / ISBN 978-1-57910-464-1
• Apologetics: An Introduction. Chicago: Moody Press. 1984. ISBN 0-8024-0405-7
• The Historical Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus during the Deist Controversy. Toronto: Edwin Mellen. 1985. ISBN 0-88946-811-7
• The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1987. ISBN 1-57910-316-2 / ISBN 978-1-57910-316-3
• The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge and Future Contingents from Aristotle to Suarez. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1988. ISBN 90-04-08516-5 / ISBN 978-90-04-08516-9
• Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection. Ann Arbor: Servant. 1988. ISBN 0-89283-384-X / ISBN 978-0-89283-384-9
• Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus. Toronto: Edwin Mellen Press. 1989. ISBN 0889466165/ ISBN 978-0-88946-616-6
• Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism I: Omniscience. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 1990. ISBN 90-04-09250-1 / ISBN 978-90-04-09250-1
• No Easy Answers. Chicago: Moody Press. 1990. ISBN 0-8024-2283-7 / ISBN 978-0-8024-2283-5
• Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology (with Quentin Smith). Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993. ISBN 978-0-19-826383-8
• The Tensed Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. ISBN 0-7923-6634-4 / ISBN 978-0-7923-6634-8
• Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan. Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 1998.
• God, Are You There?. Atlanta: RZIM. 1999. ISBN 1-930107-00-5 / ISBN 978-1-930107-00-7
• The Tenseless Theory of Time: A Critical Examination. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2000. ISBN 978-0-7923-6635-5 / ISBN 978-0-7923-6635-5
• God, Time and Eternity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 978-1-58134-241-3 / ISBN 978-1-58134-241-3
• Time and The Metaphysics of Relativity. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2001. ISBN 0-7923-6668-9
• Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time. Wheaton: Crossway. 2001. ISBN 978-1-58134-241-3 / ISBN 978-1-58134-241-3
• What Does God Know? Atlanta: RZIM. 2002. ISBN 978-1-930107-05-2
• Hard Questions, Real Answers. Wheaton: Crossway Books. 2003. ISBN 978-1-58134-487-5 / ISBN 978-1-58134-487-5
• God?: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist(with Walter Sinnot-Armstrong). New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.
• Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview (with J.P. Moreland). Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. 2003.
• Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (with Paul Copan). Grand Rapids: Baker Bookhouse. 2004. ISBN 0-8010-2733-0
• Reasonable Faith. Wheaton: Crossway. 1994. rev. 3rd ed. 2008. ISBN 0-89107-764-2 / ISBN 978-0-89107-764-0
• Einstein, relativity and absolute simultaneity. London New York: Routledge. 2008. ISBN 0-415-59166-X. 
• On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2010. ISBN 1-4347-6488-5 / ISBN 978-1-4347-6488-1

See also[link]

Biography portal

• List of American philosophers

References[link]