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For Small Creatures Such As We
A review of

For Small Creatures Such As We

Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World

Sasha SaganPutnam's • 2019

Science and Religion

by David Meyer

Sasha Sagan explains how the faithful and the skeptical both use rituals to celebrate life events and honor the wonder of nature.

Writer, television producer and speaker Sasha Sagan – daughter of renowned astronomer Carl Sagan and acclaimed writer Ann Druyan – tackles religion and science with startling clarity, intelligence and grace. Exploring links between religious customs and the natural sciences, Sagan delves into the origins of both in various cultures throughout history. The author hopes to create a new set of rituals for secularists who want to pay homage to religious traditions while honoring the natural rhythms of the human life cycle and the planet. 

Sagan, an able and earnest writer, strongly evokes the work of pioneering psychologist C.G. Jung, who also sought to merge rational scientific analysis with an embrace of the world’s spirituality. Like Sagan, Jung was at heart a pragmatist who understood that humans cannot comprehend the most significant aspects of the universe through intellect. To explicate this viewpoint, Sagan cites myriad religious and spiritual practices while offering a relatable self-portrait of her spiritual thinking.


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