The tension between science and religion is one of the great fault lines of modern life. Science offers powerful methods for uncovering truth, while religion carries the depth of meaning that orients lives. Yet in our age of meta crisis—where fractured knowledge, polarized worldviews, and ecological and cultural upheavals collide—these two forces often stand opposed, leaving us divided between facts without meaning and meaning without grounding. The Marriage of Sense and Soul (first published in 1999) is Ken Wilber’s attempt to bridge that divide.

We have chosen this book not only because the question it raises is still urgent today, but also because Wilber’s earlier works provide an accessible introduction to the basics of his integral philosophy and his thought process. Also, unlike many of his tomes, this is a lighter, smaller book that cannot be used as a door stopper!

This study group will read through the book together in manageable sections, with time for discussion, reflection, and shared inquiry. No prior background in philosophy or religious studies is required—just curiosity and openness to exploring the integration of “Science and Soul” in our modern and postmodern world.

Buy the book here or look for it in your local library. 

Reading Schedule

• Session 1: Note to the Reader (ix) – Ch. 3 Paradigms: A Wrong Turn (p. 40)

• Session 2: Ch. 4 Modernity: Dignity and Disaster (p. 41) – Ch. 6 The Reenchantment of the World (p. 89)

• Session 3: Ch. 7 Romanticism: Return of the Origin (p. 90) – Ch. 10 The Within: A View of the Deep (p. 137)

• Session 4: Ch. 10 The Within (p. 139) – Ch. 13 The Stunning Display of Spirit (p. 175)

• Session 5: Ch. 14 The Great Holarchy in the Postmodern World (p. 187) – Further Reading (p. 215)

You are warmly invited to join this Integral Life Members’ group as we read and reflect on Wilber’s proposal for reconciling two of humanity’s most powerful ways of knowing. If you are not yet a member, join here.